A1 Assessor Course in 2021
If you want to become an NVQ Assessor, you will need to take the A1 Assessor award (which is now referred to as the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement). Now, over the years, this Assessor qualification has undergone a whole host of name changes. So let’s have a look at this in more detail, just for clarity.
D32 / D33
Let’s start at the very beginning, with D32/33. This was the original holy grail of Assessor qualifications and consisted of two core units. These are the D32 (Assessing candidate performance) and D33 (Assessing candidates using different sources of evidence).
D32 provided Assessors with the knowledge about the assessment skills learners needed to demonstrate in order to pass their qualification. The unit also covered assessment planning, how to judge performance and knowledge, making assessment decisions and providing feedback.
D33 covered all of the basics from the previous unit, as well as Assessors having to demonstrate all of the assessment methods. This included assessment of performance, questioning, projects and assessment of prior achievement & learning. As you know qualifications often change throughout the years. These very first Assessor qualifications were then replaced with the A1 Award which we will take a look at.
A1 Assessor Award
The A1 Award was a single unit that was divided into four separate parts, so was a bit more comprehensive than the D32 / D33 units. There was more of a focus on the range of methods used for assessing candidates and covered the skills, techniques and principles of assessing competency. The four areas this award focused on were:
- Development of plans for assessing a delegate’s competence
- Judging evidence against criteria to make decisions whilst assessing
- Providing feedback and supporting candidates during the assessment
- Contributing to in-house quality assurance processes
As well as holding the A1 Award, potential Assessors also needed to have a professional qualification relevant to the area in which they were going to assess.
Level 3 Certificate In Assessing Vocational Achievement
In December 2010, the A1 Award was replaced with a new qualification. This is the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (also known as CAVA). This consists of three units this time and is the only qualification that will qualify people to the same level as the A1 Award. The units are:
- Understanding the principles and practices of assessment
- Assess occupational competence in the work environment
- Assess vocational skills, knowledge and understanding.
This qualification allows you to assess learners both in the workplace and in their learning environment. Therefore, it’s the most comprehensive Assessor qualification that you can take.
So there you have it, the evolution of the A1 Assessor course! If you would like any further information on anything we have discussed in this blog, please feel free to give us a call on 01205 805155 and our team will be happy to help.
Steve is a Chartered Manager and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
He provides Educational Consultancy to the 19+ sector as well as being an Assessor, IQA, EPA and Digital Marketing Professional. When not doing any of these he finds time, every now and then, to write blogs and articles.