Early EPA Access Could Impact Outcomes

Many End Point Assessments (EPAs) include portfolios so assessors can clearly see how much progress an apprentice has made during their training programme. 

Portfolios can be combined with other assessment methods used at EPA, such as observation, interviews, professional discussion or exam-style questions.  

For many apprenticeship standards, the EPA components must be completed in a prescribed order, while others allow for greater flexibility. 

Early access  

EPA assessors tell us that they really appreciate getting early access to learners' portfolios. 

By receiving the document or project at gateway - or as soon as an assessor has been allocated - they have time to look at the learner's portfolio document or project first. That way they can see what the apprentice has been learning and select the most appropriate questions to ask them at EPA.  

Better targeted questions can benefit the apprentice, helping to improve their assessment outcomes and possibly their grade. Conversely, random question selection may be a disadvantage for learners as the questions asked might not be quite as relevant. 

Eportfolios  

If you use an Eportfolio system like Onefile, you'll have to give the end-point assessor access to the apprentice's portfolio for them to assess it. This process works slightly differently depending on the ILS used, but as a rule, you can create an account for the assessor and send them a link to access it. 

Communicate this to your teams so everyone is aware. It can be difficult to make sure all steps are completed in plenty of time, so create a process and stick to it. If everyone knows what is expected of them, gaining early access is quick and efficient, benefiting both the apprentice and their assessor. Portfolio assessment can take between three and four hours and, assessors tell us, should ideally happen before the face-to-face element of EPA.  

They are concerned that when prior access isn't granted, there could be a negative impact on the outcome for the apprentice. They also find it frustrating when, having allocated time to the portfolio assessment, they have to reschedule. Most assessors agree that early access is crucial and should be seen as an integral part of EPA. They would also like providers to ensure staff are up to speed on EPA processes and procedures. 

At Onefile, we're proud to be a proactive company. We adapt our software as apprenticeships evolve and are happy to help people with any support they might need, whether they're an employer, training provider, assessor or learner. 

If you have any questions about this or would like to find out more about using Onefile to support your apprenticeship delivery, book a demo with a member of our team.