If assessment organisations are responsible for designing the assessment strategy, does this mean that apprenticeship assessments could vary across organisations delivering the same standard?
Yes, under the reformed apprenticeship model, assessments may vary between assessment organisations (AOs) delivering the same standard, but only within defined boundaries.
The new approach gives AOs greater flexibility to design assessment strategies that align with the streamlined, high-level assessment plans. These plans:
- focus on assessment outcomes rather than prescribing all specific methods. Plans may outline one mandatory assessment method that AOs should include in their design
- allow AOs to determine how best to assess competence, provided they meet the occupational standard
- encourage innovation and responsiveness to sector needs.
As a result, two AOs may use different assessment methods, formats, or sequencing. For example, one might use a professional discussion while another opts for a written case study. Equally AOs may sue the same assessment methods but these may assess different assessment outcomes. As long as both approaches are valid and meet the required outcomes, they are permissible. Whilst the assessments may look different across AOs, they must be equally rigorous, valid, and aligned to the same occupational standard. The goal is to balance flexibility with fairness, allowing for innovation without compromising quality.