Active IQ Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment (sample manual)

Planning assessment
Section 3
Risks associated with assessment
Environment: The assessor should consider the nature of
the assessment environment such as appropriate heating,
ventilation, lighting and fire exits, as well as more hazardous
environments for practical environments such as gymnastics
halls or swimming pools.
Environment
Assessment
risks
Activities: The assessor should pay attention to the
complexity of the tasks such as the length of time taken,
whether learners are sitting or standing, concentration
levels required and duration in the environment. Low-risk
tasks like written exams will pose less risk than complex
practical tasks such as weightlifting demonstrations or
mixing chemicals.
Activities
People
Pressure
People: This risk presents the largest variable and the one
most difficult to control; what is low risk to one individual may be
high risk to another. Age, fitness, gender and skill levels all pose
a risk to physical or practical assessment, for example. More subtle
differences, such as familiarity with an assessment environment, or the
effect of assessment on stress, can also affect the assessment process. Other people involved or exposed to the
assessment process can pose a risk if known to the learner or assessor, or if roles and responsibilities are not
clearly defined and understood.
Pressure: Undue psychological pressure on the learner can risk affecting the quality of the assessment process,
such as assessing an individual who is not yet ready, setting unrealistic timescales, not adapting to reasonable
adjustments, special considerations or individual needs. Pressure can also affect the assessor, with high numbers
of learners to assess, pressure to meet attainment targets or funding, or pressure from the learner’s employers.
Effective
communication
Careful
planning
Situations that could pose a risk include:
Lower risk
• A lack of confidence in the assessor to make correct decisions.
• A lack of standardisation activities across the assessor workforce.
• A learner copying another’s work (plagiarism).
• An assessor not considering a learner’s needs.
• Using inappropriate assessment activities.
• Assessors using leading questions or doing the learners’ work for them.
• Awarding organisations prescribing unsuitable assessment methods.
• Employers not being supportive of assessment in the workplace.
• Unhelpful and negative feedback to the learner.
• Favouritism or bias towards selected learners.
• Learners not being registered with the awarding organisation prior to assessment.
• Unwelcome disruptions and interruptions when assessing.
Understanding principles and practice of assessment in education and training
Copyright © 2019 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale 19