Active IQ Level 3 Award in Understanding the Development and Delivery of End-point Assessment (sample manual)

Manual 

Level 3 Award in 

Understanding the 

Development and Delivery 

of End-Point Assessment 

Version AIQ005883

The development and delivery of apprenticeship standards 

Section 1 

Off-the-job training: steps to help you determine 

whether an activity counts as off-the-job training 

Apprenticeships 

YES 

YES YES YES 

This counts 

as off-the-job 

training 

Is it directly relevant 

to the apprenticeship 

standard or framework? 

Is it teaching new 

knowledge, skills and 

behaviours? 

Is the learning taking 

place within the 

apprentice’s normal 

working hours (paid hours 

excluding overtime)? 

If it’s English or maths, 

is it above level 2? 

NO NO NO NO 

Key facts 

1 

Off-the-job 

Brought to you by 

National 

Apprenticeship 

Service 

Gateway 

training must make up 

at least 20% of the apprentice’s 

normal working hours (paid 

hours excluding overtime) over 

the planned duration of the 

apprenticeship. 

This isn’t off-the-job training 

2You can deliver off-the-job 

training in the apprentice’s 

normal workplace or at an 

external location. 

The gateway refers to the requirements that need to be met in 

order for the employer to put forward their apprentice for end-point 

assessment. It ensures that all apprentices have completed the 

mandatory aspects of the occupational standard and any work 

that underpins specified assessment methods, and that employers 

believe an apprentice is occupationally competent at the point they 

enter the gateway. 

Achieving occupational competence 

Once the employer is satisfied the apprentice is occupationally 

competent, has developed all of the knowledge, skills and 

behaviours and completed all mandatory requirements for the 

standard, a formal meeting must then be held to ‘sign-off’ the 

apprentice as ready to prepare for their end-point assessment. This 

meeting usually includes the apprentice, their line manager and the 

on-programme training provider. 

An apprentice who has not achieved all of the gateway requirements 

for their apprenticeship, or where the rule for minimum duration 

has not been met, cannot progress onto gateway and end-point 

assessment. To ensure this is the case, the EPAO will check 

requirements with the employer and training provider, while the 

end-point assessor may be involved in checking that the apprentice 

has met all of these requirements. 

3Progress reviews 

do not count towards 20% 

off-the-job training. 

You can find further details about off-the-job training including best 

practice examples in the apprenticeship funding rules, and the 

apprenticeships: off-the-job training guidance 

Figure 1.2: Determining whether an activity counts towards off-the job training 

– Adapted from the National Apprenticeship Service (2020) 

ACTIVITY 

Have a look at an occupational 

standard and assessment 

plan that you hope to become 

an end-point assessor for. 

Write down the mandatory 

requirements in order for 

apprentices to move onto 

gateway. 

Understanding the Development and Delivery of End-Point Assessment 

Copyright © 2020 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale 11

The principles and requirements of end-point assessment 

Section 2 

ACTIVITY 

Take a look at the requirements from the assessment plans below and identify the experience, 

training and qualifications required for each one. How are they similar and different? 

Level 2 Passenger Transport Service Operations Team Member 

• Have excellent knowledge and understanding of the 

apprenticeship standard. 

• Have occupational expertise and knowledge at the relevant 

level of the occupational areas they are assessing, which has 

been gained through working in the industry (within the last 

three years). 

• Have experience of assessing vocational qualifications and/or operating in an assessing 

role within a quality system (e.g. ISO 9001). 

• Regularly update their occupational expertise and industry knowledge in the areas being 

assessed to ensure currency of skills and knowledge. 

• Attend regular standardisation meetings and share best practice in assessment through a 

range of appropriate activities, such as email, meetings and social media. 

Level 3 Customer Service Specialist 

• Have an understanding of the customer service sector and of 

the role covered by the apprenticeship. 

• Have current occupational competence of two years or more. 

• No direct relationship with the apprentice, employer or 

training provider. 

• Hold or be working towards a qualification to undertake assessment and verification activity 

(i.e. PGCE, Cert Ed or Assessor/Verifier qualifications) and/or have significant knowledge 

and expertise in providing consistent and appropriate judgements of an apprentice’s skill 

and ability. 

Level 3 Teaching Assistant 

• Have an understanding of the educational sector and of the 

role covered by the apprenticeship. 

• Have current occupational competence of two years or more 

in classroom environments. 

• Be independent of apprentice, employer and training provider. 

• Hold or be working towards a qualification to undertake assessment (e.g. D32/33, A1/ 

A2, TAQA) and/or have significant knowledge and expertise in providing consistent and 

appropriate judgements of a candidate’s skill and ability. 


Level 3 Personal Trainer 

• Hold a recognised workplace assessment qualification that 

addresses the assessment of both skills and knowledge. 

For example: Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational 

Achievement (CAVA), or A1, or D32/33, or qualified teacher 

status (QTLS or QTS). 

• Have at least 12 months’ experience of responsibility for the workplace competence 

assessment of personal trainer. 

• Undertake and record planned and relevant continuous professional development. 

A minimum of 24 hours per annum is expected, covering both vocational and assessment 

competence. 

• Have sufficient resources to carry out the role of an independent assessor, i.e. time, 

budget. 


Section 3 

End-point assessment methods 

Limitations 

• A presentation may not be suitable for assessing 

knowledge requirements, unless covered through 

specific questioning after the presentation. 

• If a presentation is not a regular activity as part of the 

apprentice’s job role, then testing skills and behaviours 

in this way may not be a valid assessment method. 

• Presentations may be anxiety-provoking for some 

apprentices and therefore a true reflection of an 

apprentice’s competence may not be displayed. 

KEY 

POINT 

End-point assessors must be careful not to be 

unduly influenced by presentational aids (unless 

required) and therefore ensure that grading reflects 

the knowledge, skills and behaviours from the 

standard attributed to this assessment method. 

(IfATE, 2020) 

ACTIVITY 

Take a look at an assessment 

plan of your choice that includes a 

presentation. Answer the following 

questions: 

• What format will it take? 

• What is the process for agreeing 

the topic of the presentation? 

• How long will the apprentice have 

to prepare for the presentation? 

• What is the length of the 

assessment, including follow-up 

questions? 

• What resources can/should be 

used to deliver the presentation? 

• Where can the presentation take 

place? 

Projects 

A project is a defined piece of work undertaken after gateway to demonstrate a particular aspect of the occupation. 

A project can be assessed as a distinct method of assessment and/or be used to inform a presentation, interview 

or professional discussion. This could be a written assignment (essay or report) or a practical project in relevant 

occupations. Where possible it should have a business benefit and include the production of verifiable and 

assessable work outputs. It must have suitable coverage of the knowledge, skills and behaviours assigned to 

a project. 

34 

Copyright © 2020 Active IQ Ltd. Not for resale

Making end-point assessment decisions 

Section 6 

Validity, reliability and fairness 

Having dealt with the general assessment principles, end-point assessors must consider 

more specific elements to help them conduct assessments and guide their judgements: 

Valid – Is the assessment testing what it intends to measure? This involves the ability to 

provide information which is both valuable and appropriate for the intended purpose. 

Face validity 

Content validity 

Construct validity 

Predictive validity 

Validity through 

authenticity 

Does the assessment ‘look like’ it will measure what it is supposed to? It hasn’t necessarily 

been proven to measure what it is supposed to, but it should appear, ‘on the face of it’, to 

be a good assessment. For example, observation checklists help to identify specific skills. 

Does the assessment measure all of the aspects it is supposed to? To be able to determine 

this, the outcomes of assessments must be verified. For example, if observations have 

been unable to assess a particular behaviour because circumstances did not allow, are 

appropriate subsequent questions being asked to assess competence? 

How well does the assessment actually measure what it is supposed to measure? There 

should be a comparison with other assessments and other variables that could influence 

the assessment outcome. For example, professional discussions and follow-up questions 

can be used to clarify judgements on whether pass or distinction criteria have been met. 

An assessment must be able to provide end-point assessors with an idea of how the 

apprentice will perform in the workplace. This is an extremely important part of end-point 

assessment as the whole purpose is to assess occupational competence. For example, if an 

apprentice fails to demonstrate adequate knowledge of workplace practice in an interview 

or knowledge test, they cannot be deemed to be occupationally competent. 

This refers to the extent to which the assessment represents the reality of the workplace – 

for example, through the apprentice being observed carrying out day-to-day tasks in their 

normal working environment. This is the preferred method of assessment in end-point 

assessment, and if conducted properly by end-point assessors it is the most valid method 

of occupational competence. 

Reliable – Can the assessment be repeated with similar apprentices and in 

similar contexts to give consistent results? If different apprentices perform 

in a similar way during their end-point assessment, but are awarded different 

grades, then the reliability of the assessment must be questioned. 

Different assessors, poorly defined assessment criteria and variations in 

assessment practices could all affect reliability. A clear and detailed assessment 

plan should be produced by trailblazer groups. EPAOs should provide 

standardisation training and mandatory assessment materials to combat this, 

as well as regular sampling and checks as part of the quality assurance process. 

KEY 

POINT 

Internal reliability assesses the consistency of results across items 

within an assessment, e.g. questions within a knowledge test. 

External reliability refers to the extent to which a measure varies 

from one end-point assessor to another, e.g. end-point assessors’ 

interpretation of a mark scheme. 

Table 6.1: Different types of validity 

ACTIVITY 

Write down 

details of 

how internal 

and external 

reliability could 

be reduced within 

an end-point 

assessment 

component. 


Fair – Are the assessment activities appropriately matched to the needs and capabilities 

of the apprentices and to the occupational role? Are assessment decisions fully justifiable 

and clearly based on the assessment criteria? 

All apprentices should be assessed in the same manner (allowing for any reasonable 

adjustments or special considerations) against the same standards. In addition, 

assessments and/or assessment decisions should not disadvantage one population 

group over another. Any appeals or grievances must be addressed according to the 

end-point assessment organisation’s procedures and appropriate guidelines. 


Quality assurance of end-point assessment 

Section 7 

Quality assurance and standardisation across 

different standards 

Within end-point assessment plans, specific requirements are set out in relation to the quality assurance of that 

particular standard, which contribute to the goal of all end-point assessments producing valid results. The EPAO 

must have an understanding of the sector and have appropriately qualified end-point assessors within the relevant 

occupational standard. For example: 

Example 

The EPA of this apprenticeship has been designed to produce assessment outcomes that are consistent, reliable 

and allow fair comparison between apprentices employed in a range of leisure facilities that vary in size and 

services available. 

The approach to assessment places the standard at the heart of the process, ensuring judgements made 

regarding occupational competence are consistent, standardised and comparable between employers, training 

organisation(s) and assessment organisations. 

Level 3 Leisure Duty Manager 

There are many other quality assurance requirements outlined in different assessment plans, including: 

In-depth and up-to-date knowledge 

and understanding of the industry 

and credibility within the sector. The 

capability and relevant, up-to-date sector 

experience of the people who will carry out 

assessments. The ability to develop tools 

and materials to deliver these assessments 

with a track record in delivering 

assessments. 

Train those appointed as IAs to ensure they 

fully understand the requirements of the 

EPA and are able to make valid judgements. 

Operate induction training and 

standardisation events for independent 

assessors when they begin working for the 

EPAO on this standard, and before they 

deliver an updated assessment method 

for the first time. Ensure independent 

assessors participate in standardisation 

events on an ongoing basis, and at least 

once per year. 

All independent end-point assessors must 

also be recorded on a register, held by the 

assessment organisation, confirming these 

criteria have been satisfied and relevant 

evidence has been validated. 

Facilitate the regular processes to 

standardise assessment at least twice a 

year, or more frequently, depending on the 

volume of EPAs. 

The implementation of detailed marking 

criteria, clearly explaining how the 

knowledge, skills and behaviours can be 

exhibited to achieve a certain level. 

A robust internal verification process, 

induction, training and development 

plans for everyone involved in 

assessment. Effective leadership 

and management arrangements, 

quality assurance and quality control 

procedures. Impartial verification of 

assessments. 

Regional, pan-sectoral or national 

meetings should be held at least 

every 12 months to encourage 

standardisation and moderation of 

the assessment process. 

Those appointed as independent 

end-point assessors for the 

EPA of this apprenticeship must 

have completed an induction 

to demonstrate knowledge and 

understanding of the standard and 

the EPA. They must also attend 

regular standardisation activities, 

organised by the assessment 

organisation, to ensure and 

maintain consistency of assessment 

decisions. 

Standardised assessment through 

use of online methods and accurate 

reporting of other methods used, 

evidencing requirements and 

reaching reliable judgements. 

Ensure that monitoring and recording 

processes are in place to validate the 

end-point assessor’s independence 

from the employer, training provider 

and apprentice. 

It is the responsibility of the 

assessment organisation to recruit 

and train individuals with the 

required industry skills, knowledge 

and experience to undertake the 

EPA against the standard and 

make reliable judgements, who 

have up-to-date and relevant 

knowledge and experience 

of current working practices, 

infrastructure, technologies and 

resources appropriate to the 

sector. 

Production of exemplar materials, 

which can be used to add further 

clarity and establish guidelines for 

assessment against the stated 

criteria of the standard. 

Independent assessors must 

hold professional recognition, 

or a relevant qualification 

equivalent to or higher than the 

level of this apprenticeship, and 

hold a recognised assessing 

qualification. They should have 

up-to-date, relevant knowledge 

and experience of current working 

practices in assessment and 

quality assurance. 

Audit sample assessments for 

validity and consistency. In the first 

year, all assessments conducted 

by independent assessors will 

be monitored, and if meeting 

the quality assurance standard 

thereafter, a minimum of 20% of 

assessments will be sampled. 


Figure 7.2: Examples of how quality assurance and standardisation are achieved in different standards 


Legal and good practice requirements of end-point assessment 

Section 9 

Section 9: Legal and good 

practice requirements of 

end-point assessment 

Assessment criteria 

By the end of this section you will be able to: 

• Explain legal issues, policies and procedures relevant to end-point assessment, including those for 

confidentiality, health, safety and welfare. 

• Explain the contribution that technology can make to the end-point assessment process. 

• Evaluate requirements for equality and diversity in relation to end-point assessment. 

• Explain the value of reflective practice and continuing professional development in the end-point assessment 

process. 

Legal issues, policies and procedures 

It is important for all end-point assessors to keep up to date with all relevant legislation and codes of practice to 

ensure that they are maintaining a safe and supportive assessment environment, protecting themselves and their 

apprentices, and remaining current in knowledge, skills and practice as an end-point assessor. 

The requirements you need to follow will differ depending on the industry and environment in which you will be 

assessing. However, there are some general requirements that are relevant to end-point assessment across all 

standards, including: 

• Regulation of assessment practice. 

• Complying with external bodies and regulators. 

• Health and safety. 

• Equality and diversity. 

• Data protection. 

• Safeguarding. 

• Policies, procedures and codes of practice. 

Health and safety 

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is 

the basis of British health and safety law. It sets 

out the duties that employers and employees 

have to themselves and members of the public. 

End-point assessors must also ensure that the 

health, safety and welfare of themselves, other 

professionals, the general public and apprentices 

is protected, as far as is reasonably practicable. 


Their two main duties are to take care not to 

endanger themselves and others, and to cooperate 

in meeting statutory requirements. For example, 

if apprentices are seen to undertake any action 

which would endanger themselves and/or which 

is in violation of any legislation and/or regulation, 

then the assessment must be terminated (and an 

automatic fail is awarded). 

ACTIVITY 

Identify any potential health and safety issues in 

an apprentice standard that you will be assessing. 

What actions would you take to ensure the health, 

safety and welfare of all of those involved in the 

end-point assessment? 


Legal and good practice requirements of end-point assessment 

Section 9 

KEY 

TERMS 

Equality is ensuring individuals or groups of individuals 

are not treated differently or less favourably on the 

basis of their specific protected characteristic, including 

areas of race, gender, disability, religion or belief, 

sexual orientation and age. 

Diversity aims to recognise, respect and value 

people’s differences, to enable them to contribute 

and realise their full potential by promoting an 

inclusive culture for all. 

ACTIVITY 

Note down what actions you should 

take which consider equality, 

diversity and inclusivity when 

conducting end-point assessment. 

The value of reflective practice and continuing 

professional development 

Reflective practice is important for the end-point assessor. This is thinking about (or reflecting on) what you did or 

the experience you had, and deciding from that what you would do the same or differently next time. 

Reflective practice requires a conscious effort to think about the experience and develop future ideas. All individuals 

involved in the learning and development process can benefit from it. 

Gravells’ (2011) EDAR approach provides a simple mechanism to follow for reflection: 

Experience Describe Analyse Revise 

Experience – The assessment you carried out and would like to improve or reflect on. 

Describe – Who was involved? What happened? When and where did it happen? 

Analyse – Think more deeply. Think how and why it happened. 

Revise – What would you do differently? What would you keep the same? Try it out next time. 

Following this method can allow an end-point assessor to 

reflect on their own assessment practice and identify areas 

they may wish to change. End-point assessors can reflect 

on their assessment experiences in a variety of ways, 

including simple templates, notebooks, evaluation forms, 

self-reflection logs, learning logs or diaries. 

ACTIVITY 

Figure 9.1: Gravell’s EDAR approach 

Reflect on your current experience as 

an end-point assessor, using the EDAR 

approach described above. Include the 

opportunities you will take over the coming 

months to develop your knowledge, skills 

and practice.

Active IQ Level 3 Award in Understanding the Development and Delivery of End-point Assessment (sample manual)

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