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5 Reasons To Take an Assessor Qualification

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If you have been pondering over the idea of taking an Assessor qualification, but you just aren’t sure if it is the right move, this blog could be just what you need. Many people turn to assessing because they want to help train others and watch them achieve their potential. It is an extremely rewarding career path, but let’s have a look into some of the other reasons you should choose to take an Assessor qualification.

Professional Development

Yes, we harp on about keeping your CPD (Continued Professional Development) record up to date quite a bit, but for good reason – it is important! When you work in assessment, you build up a range of skills, particularly time management and communication skills. Add these new skills to your CV! It is also a good opportunity to identify any gaps you have in your knowledge, and any steps you need to take in order to become an even better Assessor.

Flexible Working

Becoming an Assessor will give you more flexibility and freedom when it comes to both location and working hours. Life as a freelance Assessor will give you the work-life balance that you have always dreamed of. Whether you are returning to work after having a child, or are looking for a different career path, consider assessing. You can set your own schedule, and only work part-time if you like.

You Fancy A Change

Sometimes we get to a certain age and just decide that the office 9-5 isn’t for us. Very few people actually do something about it though. If you have spent all those years stuck in an office, you might just need a change. You can stay in a sector that you know and understand, but just take a slightly different direction and Assess within that area.

Career Progression

Of course moving up the pay scale is a huge motivator for anyone to become an Assessor. If you are aiming for a promotion, taking an Assessor qualification will certainly help you. Whether you already work in management, or are looking to become a freelancer, the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement is the qualification for you.

Meeting New People

One of the main reasons lots of people turn to assessing is because they get to meet such a variety of people. Being an Assessor definitely isn’t a lonely job! You get to assess students from all different paths of life, and within a variety of different job roles. One morning you could be assessing someone at a construction site, and in the afternoon you could be in a classroom. It is an extremely rewarding role, as you watch and help your students progress through their qualifications.

If you would like any more information on how to become an Assessor, why not give our team a call on 01205 805 155 and they will be more than happy to assist you.

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The Ultimate Guide to Becoming an Assessor | Part 3

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We hope you are enjoying this mini-series! Here’s a link back to Part 1 of the Ultimate Guide to Becoming an NVQ Assessor in case you missed it. Today in the final chapter we are going to look at assessing at different levels, and taking a deeper look into what occupational competence is.

What level can I assess after I have qualified?

If we had a pound for every time we were asked this question, let’s just say we wouldn’t be here. We would be setting sail in the sunny Mediterranean on our very own ship. Now isn’t that an idea?!

Back to being a bit more serious; the quick and easy answer to that question is that you can assess at any level you are occupationally competent to. Unfortunately, the answer isn’t quite as simple as that though. Firstly, you will need to have a look at the qualification specification of the specific awarding body. This will provide all the information you need to know about the qualification, including the ‘Requirements for Assessors’ who are delivering the course.

Do I need to be qualified to be occupationally competent?

In many qualification specifications, there is nothing to say that you must hold the respective qualification in order to assess it. It all depends on how occupational competence is defined by the awarding body. The learning provider themselves will determine whether an Assessor has sufficient occupational competence.

Things can start to get a bit confusing regarding being unqualified though. According to a specification, you may be eligible to assess the qualification; but any provider or college could deem you ineligible to assess the qualification for them. That is what makes this a really hard question to answer. The only way you can truly find out is by getting in touch with the learning provider directly.

Lots of experience, no qualification

For those who have been working in their sector for years and years, this is also a tricky one. Particularly if you don’t have any qualifications to back up your occupational competency. If you are both qualified and experienced in the field you are wanting to assess in, there will be plenty of job prospects for you. If, for example, you have 10 years of experience in a specific area but no qualifications, again it is best speaking with the individual training organisation.

We hope this has helped to clear things up a bit for you. It is a very confusing topic though; so if you would like some more clarification please give our team a call on 01205 805 155. We will be more than happy to run through your individual circumstances with you.

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The Ultimate Guide to Becoming an Assessor | Part 1

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In this blog series we are going to look in detail at the Assessor role, the history of Assessor training, and assessing at different levels. By the end of the series, we hope that you will have a clear understanding of the role, and be ready to start training for your new assessing career.

What does an Assessor do?

Becoming an NVQ Assessor is an extremely rewarding role, but as you may have discovered there are a lot of things to get your head around first. We want to make this less daunting for you, so let’s first look at the role of an assessor.

The main purpose of an Assessor is to observe learners in their workplace, providing support and guidance throughout their apprenticeship. You will be responsible for collecting evidence and assessing their abilities in order to help them gain their qualification.

Some of the tasks you will be responsible for as an NVQ Assessor will include:

  • Plan and deliver NVQ training programmes and workshops
  • Examine candidates’ portfolios of evidence
  • Provide feedback and offer advice if the standards are not met
  • Attend meetings with other assessors
  • Keep records of candidates’ progress, according to the requirements of the NVQ awarding bodies.

You will be the main contact for your learner, and will build a strong working relationship with them. For many people, this is the best part of the job.

Who becomes an NVQ Assessor?

We have talked about this in quite a bit of detail in our ‘Who becomes an NVQ Assessor’ blog, but we will touch on this now. This is actually quite a common question we are asked by learners, so we carried out our own research. We found that our students fell into 5 main categories:

  1. The Battle Weary – when the physical aspect of the job gets too much, but you want to stay working within the industry.
  2. The Work-Life Balancers – many of our past learners trained to become an NVQ Assessor in order to gain a better work-life balance. Whether they needed more time to look after their children, or just simply wanted more flexibility with their schedule.
  3. The Knowledge Givers – some people are destined to become teachers, and this group of learners said that they wanted to share all of their knowledge to others.
  4. The Career Changers – this is pretty self-explanatory. This group of learners fancied a change in career and many were getting bored in their current role.
  5. The Second Incomers – this group of learners were money-incentivised. They wanted an extra stream of income, without giving up the day job.

How to become an NVQ Assessor

A quick Google search of ‘how to become an NVQ Assessor’ can leave you feeling very confused indeed. Let’s break this down for you. The two main things you need are: occupational competence and an appropriate Assessor qualification. Occupational competence needs to be in the industry you are wanting to assess in. This can be evidenced by qualifications and experience of working in a relevant role.

The most highly regarded Assessor qualification is the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA). This qualification would make you a fully qualified Assessor, able to assess a learner’s occupational competence within a workplace. Upon completion of this course, you would be able to assess learners completing NVQs and Apprenticeships. Of course you must also have sufficient occupational competence too.

Next in the series

It really is quite simple becoming an NVQ Assessor, sometimes it is just a case of finding the right article that explains it clearly for you (which we hope this has!). Take a look at the next blog in the series (The Ultimate Guide to Becoming an Assessor Part 2) where we will look at the history of Assessor training. If you have any questions in the meantime please feel free to call us on 01205 805 155.

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What Qualification Do I Need To Become An Assessor?

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So, you have decided to go down the career path of becoming an assessor – good for you! Now you are probably thinking, do I have the right qualifications to become an assessor? Whilst you would think this is a relatively simple question, the answer isn’t quite so straightforward.

The requirements to become an Assessor vary from qualification to qualification. It also actually depends on the organisation themselves too. The role of an assessor is to observe learners in their workplace and assess their abilities to enable them to gain their qualifications. Therefore, it goes without saying that you should not only hold an assessor qualification, but you should be competent within the sector you are assessing in.

What Do I Need?

In most cases, you will need the following:

  1. Occupational Competence
  2. An Assessor Qualification

As we have already mentioned, the occupational competence side is fairly self-explanatory. The Assessor qualification is the harder part. In total, there are 4 different Assessor qualifications, which consist of at least 1 of the following units:

  • Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment (Unit 1)
  • Assess Occupational Competence in the Work Environment (Unit 2)
  • Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding (Unit 3)

We will be sharing with you a more in-depth look into the specific assessor qualifications at a later stage, but for now, the one you need to know about is CAVA. The Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) is the only qualification that gives you all of the units listed above. This means that once you have completed the course you will be qualified to do all forms of assessment.

Looking For New Jobs

One thing to bear in mind is that most assessor vacancies you come across will require you to either hold or be working towards the CAVA. So if you are new to assessing, this qualification is the best choice to help you secure a new job as an assessor.

If you would like any further information on the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement please contact us.

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New Year, New Career

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Sometimes, you know it’s time for a change. When it comes to your career, you might be ready to take a new direction if any of the following applies:

  • You feel a lack of passion, motivation, or commitment to your current role
  • You feel undervalued or disrespected
  • You haven’t taken a step up in a long time
  • You’re bored or ready for a new challenge
  • Your current role doesn’t fit in with the lifestyle you have or the lifestyle you want
  • Your salary isn’t where you want it to be.

In fact, 1 in 3 of us considers making a career change at the start of a new year. After a Christmas recharge and with the motivation of New Year’s resolutions spurring us on, January can be the perfect opportunity to move into that new role.

Sound like you? Well, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’re going to offer some tips and advice on how to build a new career in the New Year.

The Role of an NVQ Assessor

If you’re reading this on the Brooks and Kirk site, then the likelihood is you have an interest in becoming an NVQ Assessor – a great decision, by the way!

An NVQ Assessor is somebody who uses the benefit of their years of experience in a vocational industry to assess newcomers to the field during their training and qualifications. To become an NVQ Assessor, you need a minimum of two years’ experience in your industry (or equivalent qualification) and to pass a CAVA qualification.

Becoming an NVQ Assessor in the New Year

You have your eyes on the CAVA course – the only course that leads to becoming a fully-qualified NVQ Assessor.

But how to make it happen? There are two routes to take:

  • Talk to your current employer

If you’re currently working in a vocational role, then you may be able to take advantage of training schemes within your organisation to upskill. Employee funded training is common in many industries. If you find there are none advertised, then use your next employee review as an opportunity to bring it up. Many employers reward their high-performance employees by investing in further training and career development.

  • Invest in your own training

Alternatively, you can make the decision to go it alone. Don’t worry! This isn’t as hard as it seems. You can even complete a CAVA course while continuing to work in your current role. Brooks and Kirk offer online CAVA courses – we’ll even provide students to assess. Once qualified, this will give you the ammunition you need to negotiate a new position or pay rise within your current organisation or arm your CV to win an NVQ Assessor role elsewhere.

When is the next enrolment date?

If you’ve studied before, you’re probably expecting to have to wait until the next enrolment date to get started. Perhaps you’ve got a September or January start date in mind.

The good news is, at Brooks and Kirk, there are no set enrolment dates to start a CAVA course. You can begin whenever you like. In fact, complete a course purchase before 4pm, and you’ll be enrolled on the same day.

If you want a new career in the New Year, you can start on January 1st. Or February, March, April… whenever works best for you. The great thing about training for CAVA with Brooks and Kirk is that timing will never be an issue.

How to get ready for a January start

  • Read up on the CAVA Find out what it entails, the eligibility criteria that apply, and read up on all other aspects of the course.
  • Decide when to enrol. If you want to start on January 1st, then you can enrol any time before or on the day. Start the process here.

I want to become an NVQ Assessor in 2020

Fantastic! Becoming an NVQ Assessor is the perfect way to apply the skills and knowledge of a career in a new way. Top up your salary by taking a step up or slow down by going freelance. Whatever your reason, and whatever your schedule for completion, Brooks and Kirk is here for you.

Got questions? Contact us today for free, no-obligation advice from an expert adviser. Bring on the New Year!

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How do I become a fully qualified Assessor?

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One of the questions we get asked most often at Brooks and Kirk is ‘How do I become an NVQ Assessor?’

The answer is probably not as complicated as you think! You simply need to meet two requirements to become an NVQ assessor:

  • You must demonstrate something called ‘occupational competence’
  • and you must have completed the CAVA qualification.

That’s it! It’s not a complex process, but some people who are new to assessment might find themselves a little confused over what we mean by occupational competence, or struggle to wade through the range of assessment courses on offer. Undoubtedly, all you need to know is that CAVA is the only course that makes you a fully qualified Assessor.

In the rest of this article, we’ll go through these two components in a little more detail to make sure you’re left with no grey areas.

Become qualified through CAVA

Firstly, nobody can become an assessor without being qualified in some way through the official framework of assessment qualifications (TAQA). The course we’ll be focusing on in this article is the CAVA course; which is the only qualification that will lead to you becoming a fully qualified NVQ Assessor.

What’s involved in the CAVA course?

CAVA stands for Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement. Although, you may also come across references to the D32 and D33 awards or the A1 and A2 awards. These are predecessors to the CAVA course. In 2010, CAVA was introduced. At this time, it’s the course you need to take to become a fully qualified NVQ Assessor.

When you undertake the CAVA course, you’ll cover the three criteria that are essential to the assessment process:

Unit 1: Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment
Unit 2: Assess Occupational Competence in the Work Environment
and Unit 3: Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding

In short, you’ll learn the principles and practices behind the assessment process, and then learn how to assess both within a workplace and classroom environment.

What you need to be eligible to enrol in a CAVA course

To be eligible to enrol in a CAVA course, there is only one thing you need to be able to do. Demonstrate occupational competence.

Hmm… That’s the second time you’ve used that phrase, but what does it mean?

In the simplest terms, if you can demonstrate occupational competence, you can show you have sufficient knowledge and understanding of your industry to be able to judge whether someone else is doing the job well.

Not so hard, right? But what exactly makes my knowledge ‘sufficient’?

That’s a good question and one that can be hard to answer as different employers and training providers can interpret the ‘occupational competence’ criteria differently. However, in general, there are two ways you can demonstrate that you have sufficient knowledge and skill to train as an assessor.

1)      Work experience

This is by far the most highly regarded form of occupational competence you can demonstrate. Two years of work experience in your field (and at the right level) is generally considered sufficient to demonstrate occupational competence, although it’s always worth checking whether your training provider or employer is looking for a longer work history.

2)      Vocational qualifications

Vocational qualifications describe any type of accredited training you’ve done to get to where you are. For example, NVQs, BTECs, or relevant diplomas.

Generally, a Level 3 qualification is considered the right level to demonstrate occupational competence – but not always! Some training providers and employers will accept lower levels of vocational qualification or even none at all if you’ve got the right work experience.

To sum it all up

You’ve read the long version; now here’s the whole thing in a nutshell!

To become an assessor, you need to:

  • Already have a high level of occupational competence, i.e. two years of work experience in the industry and/or a Level 3 vocational qualification
  • Complete a CAVA course to become a fully qualified Assessor.

Remember, the eligibility criteria to take the CAVA course can vary depending on how the institution interprets ‘occupational competence’, so always check what’s needed from you before applying.

Get in touch with Brooks and Kirk

If you’re starting to get excited, knowing you’re only a stone’s throw away from becoming a qualified assessor, then get in touch today and let us help you go the last mile. We’re expert assessor training providers who’ve been delivering assessor training for over 20 years! We can offer expert advice no matter what your industry or career goals.

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6 Top Tips for Newly-Qualified Assessors

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It’s been a long road. You’ve demonstrated your occupational competence, you’ve completed your course, and now you’re ready to keep an eye on those learners; you’re a newly qualified Assessor!

First of all, good job on getting qualified! You’ve entered into a career that is both challenging and rewarding. You’ve shown you’re an industry expert and now it’s time to demonstrate your ability as an Assessor.

So, by following our six top tips, we guarantee you’ll build confidence and competence as a newly qualified Assessor.

1)     Shadow experienced assessors

There’s no better way to pick up the tricks of the trade than to see others at work. Shadowing an experienced Assessor is a great way to see what you’ve learned in action, to learn techniques to deal with obstacles, and to consider how your newfound skills might translate in a real assessment setting. When working with a long-time Assessor, you also have the chance to ask questions as you go.

However, a shadowing placement is usually unpaid, unless it’s employer-funded. So, you might find you’ll be out of pocket for the time you’re taking notes from a practiced Assessor. Nontheless, the experience you gain will be invaluable and will look great on a CV if you’re still looking for a paid position.

2)     Make sure you know your National Occupational Standards 

Of course, it’s important your industry knowledge is as sharp as your assessment skills. According to gov.uk, “A National Occupational Standard (NOS) is a document that describes the knowledge, skills and understanding an individual needs to be competent at a job.” These are used to assess NVQ learners.

As an NVQ Assessor, you’ll need to know what the NOS criteria are for the qualification(s) you’re assessing. These will be very specific to your industry and to the course being taken. Being up to date with these shows you’re prepared to assess within your field and that your knowledge of assessment within your industry is current.

All NOS documents can be found at UK Standards. You can use the finder tool here.

3)     Gain experience in End-Point Assessment

End-Point Assessment is a chance for newly qualified assessors to dip their toe into the world of assessment. The role of the End-Point Assessor is not to follow a student through the NVQ assessment process, but simply to determine whether their final result warrants a Pass, Merit, or Distinction. It’s a relatively new role in the assessment world that has appeared since the apprenticeship reform in 2017. You can find more information on End-Point Assessment through our EPA Knowledgebase.

4)     Promote yourself

Now your role has changed, you want to make sure everyone knows. Update your social media, CV, and business cards. If you’re not using LinkedIn – you should be! It’s the perfect platform for online networking, identifying job opportunities, and communicating with others in the field of assessment.

Some of the best LinkedIn groups for NVQ Assessors include:

5)     Stay ahead in your vocational knowledge

Even after you’ve qualified as an Assessor, you’ll find the landscape of your industry will always be changing. Standards change, best practice changes, and new ways of doing things come into play. It’s important your vocational knowledge always stays current.

To stay ahead of changes and stay occupationally competent, you should be actively making efforts to continue your professional development (CPD). Some of the ways you can do this are:

    • Subscribe to industry journals
    • Join relevant networks online and in the real world
    • Shadow classes
    • Keep on top of the latest NOS.

6)     Take the next step in your professional development

There are qualifications above and beyond CAVA. One qualification that we would recommend alongside your CAVA is the Level 3 Award in Education and Training. This qualification replaced a qualification that was commonly known as the ‘PTLLS’ Award. 

The Level 3 Award in Education and Training is the first step towards becoming a teacher in adult education. When working with adults, you don’t need a PGCE (required for teaching children). Instead, you can take the AET (Level 3 Award in Education and Training) to get your foot in the door at Further Education colleges and other adult learning institutions.

After more tips and advice?

Contact Brooks and Kirk today. We can give you advice about continuing professional development, including the AET qualification.

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What is TAQA?

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What is TAQA? A lot of people are confused by the term. Is it a qualification? A course?

TAQA is an umbrella term. It stands for Training, Assessment, and Quality Assurance. It’s the name of a suite of qualifications, but it’s not a course itself. In the rest of this post, we’ll go through each of these qualifications in this suite and who they’re for.

T – Training

Education and Training Qualifications

Under the Training section of this suite we have the Education and Training qualifications;

The Level 3 Award in Education and Training, formerly known as PTLLS, is the qualification you will need if you are looking at getting into teaching or training in the Further Education sector.

And, the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training, formerly known as CTLLS, which is for those of you who are currently working in an educational setting and want to get to the next level in your teaching career.

A – Assessment

Assessor Qualifications

Under the Assessment section, we have four Assessor qualifications: UPPA, AVRA, ACWE, and CAVA.

These four qualifications each comprise a different combination of the following three units:

Unit 1: Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment
Unit 2: Assess Occupational Competence in the Work Environment
Unit 3: Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding

It is only when you take all three units (in the CAVA qualification) that you become a fully qualified Assessor. The other combinations seen in the UPPA, AVRA, and ACWE awards qualify learners to do part of the role of a fully trained Assessor.

Let’s take a closer look at each award and what learners are qualified to do when they complete them.

UPPA – ‘Level 3 Award in Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment’ (Unit 1)

This award is theory only. Its purpose is to refresh the knowledge of Assessors who are already in work.

AVRA – ‘Level 3 Award in Assessing Vocationally Related Achievement’ (Units 1 and 3)

This award qualifies the learner as an Assessor in classroom, workshop or virtual learning settings only. It doesn’t qualify the learner to assess in a workplace environment.

ACWE – ‘Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment’ (Units 1 and 2)

On the other hand, we have ACWE which only qualifies the learner to become an Assessor in a workplace setting, but not in a classroom, workshop or virtual environment.

CAVA – ‘Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement’ (Units 1, 2 and 3)

When you take the CAVA course, you are covering all three units, and therefore becoming fully qualified as an Assessor both in the classroom and in the workplace. It’s the most comprehensive qualification, and therefore the most popular!

QA – Quality Assurance

IQA Qualifications

Unlike the qualifications we’ve already covered, the IQA Qualifications focus on quality assurance in assessment.

In addition, the IQA Qualifications are Level 4 instead of Level 3, which mean they represent a higher level of learning than the Assessor courses.

However, just like the UPPA, AVRA, ACWE, and CAVA awards, each IQA Qualification is made up of some combination of three core units:

Unit 1: Understanding the Principles and Practices of Internally Assuring the Quality of Assessment
Unit 2: Internally Assure the Quality of Assessment
Unit 3: Plan, Allocate and Monitor Work in Own Area of Responsibility

The acronyms for the IQA Qualifications are much more of a mouthful, so we’re not even going to try and shorten them! Instead, let us go through each tongue-twister award in turn.

Level 4 Award in Understanding the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice (Unit 1)

This is another theory-only course and does not qualify you to become an Internal Verifier. Instead, it’s a great form of professional development for staff already in the industry, looking to expand their knowledge.

Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice (Units 1 and 2)

This award qualifies learners to fulfil some of the roles of an Internal Verifier, namely conducting quality assurance for assessment and assessment decisions. However, it doesn’t qualify you to lead others and therefore doesn’t fully qualify learners as Internal Verifiers.

Level 4 Certificate in Leading the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice (Units 1, 2 and 3)

This is the ‘Big Daddy’ of IQA Qualifications! In this certification, you will cover all three units, which qualifies you not only to quality assure assessments and assessment decisions, but also to manage internal quality procedures and staff. It also qualifies you to coordinate with External Quality Assurers.

A bit too much text?

Not to worry! We’ve produced a video we hope will clear up the last of any confusion.

To sum it all up…What is TAQA?

There are many roles to be had in the arena of training, assessment and quality assurance; but, to become qualified for any of these, you will have to dip your toe into TAQA. And TAQA is, as we’ve discovered, the umbrella term given to all the qualifications discussed in this post. But it is NOT its own course!

If you want more information about the courses that form TAQA, and to discover which one is right for you, contact us today. We’ll be more than happy to help!

Assessor Qualifications Acronyms

How to make sure you choose the right Assessor Qualification

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There’s no doubt that training for a new role/career can be costly; both in terms of money and time. That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re choosing the right Assessor Qualification from the start. Not only will this save you a considerable amount of money in the long run, it will also qualify you for that role or assessor job you want, even sooner.

Making the right choice will depend entirely on your career goals and what you want to be able to assess. At Brooks and Kirk, we offer a range of courses suitable for the trained Assessor looking to refresh their knowledge, all the way through to experienced individuals looking to become qualified as assessors for the first time.

What are my options?

The first step in choosing the right Assessor Qualification is knowing exactly what options are available to you and where these qualifications could lead.

You’ll see on our site that we offer four Level 3 qualifications – Does this mean they all do the same thing?

Not quite! Although all of our qualifications represent a high standard of training, each one equips learners for a different end goal.

What’s your end goal?

People undertake training for a number of different reasons. For example, some people are looking to update their knowledge after being in one role for a long time. Others may be working within an industry but are looking to sidestep into a new position. Then there are those who want a completely new career and are looking to become qualified in areas they’ve never worked before.

In the rest of this article, we’ll take a look at different learner goals and explain which Assessor Qualification is right for each one.

Assessor Qualifications Acronyms

1.     I want to update my knowledge

If you’re already a trained Assessor who is simply looking to refresh their knowledge or learn about updates in the industry, then you will need our Level 3 Award in Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment (UPPA) – Unit 1.

This course does not qualify a learner to become a trained Assessor. Its purpose is to upskill people who are already working in an Assessor role. Perfect for those looking to keep their skills sharp!

2.     I want to be a classroom assessor

If you’re looking to become an Assessor exclusively in a classroom, workshop, or virtual setting, then you need the Level 3 Award in Assessing Vocationally Related Achievement (AVRA) – Units 1 & 3.

This award will qualify you to assess learners in a classroom setting but is not suitable for people who want to assess in a workplace environment.

3.     I want to assess on the job

If you want to become an Assessor of occupational competency – i.e. you want to make sure people are doing their jobs right! – then you’ll want to take the Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment (ACWE) – Units 1 & 2.

So on the flip side, this award will qualify you to assess in a workplace environment only. You won’t be qualified as a classroom Assessor upon completion of the course.

4.     I want to do it all

If you’re looking to dive in the deep end and become an all-around Assessor who can work both in the classroom and on-the-job, then you will want to take the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) – Units 1,2 & 3. On completion of this certification, you will be a fully qualified assessor. This is our only certificate that ensures you are fully-qualified in every setting.

Reading the fine print

It’s important when choosing the right Assessor Qualification that you’re aware of which awards actually qualify you for your desired role, and which are unaccredited training. At Brooks and Kirk, all of our awards are part of the NVQ Framework and are nationally recognised. You can choose to receive your certification from City and Guilds, Pearson Edexcel or Industry Qualifications.

Are you sure? What about A1, D32, D33 or the TAQA?

Okay, so a really brief history lesson for you here… The D32/33 awards were replaced by the A1 awards, which were later replaced by a suite of qualifications that is often referred to as ‘TAQA’ in 2010. If you still feel like you are a little bamboozled by all of these acronyms, assessor qualifications run-through should help.

But most importantly, don’t worry – we offer the most up-to-date qualifications!

I have a full-time job. What are my options for studying?

Over 70% of the trainee assessors we currently have on-programme are fitting their study around a full-time job. This is made possible by Brooks and Kirk’s completely unique delivery model.

Exactly what your course will involve depends on which assessor qualification you choose. That being said, even if you were to enrol onto the most prestigious of the lot – the CAVA, you would only be required to attend one day. You will be able to complete the rest of your course online, entirely at your own pace.

Still not sure?

If you’re still not sure what’s right for you, then there’s no need to worry. Our expert team is available to help and make sure you’re getting exactly the training you need.

Get in touch with us today and talk us through your career goals. We’ll make sure you choose the right Assessor Qualification to get you where you want to be.

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What is Recognition of Prior Learning?

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Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an assessment method that you may have come across as an Assessor. You may have even used in your own studying. Or, you may have never heard of it or used it before. That’s why we’re here to explain exactly what RPL is, and how you can use it within your work.

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What is Recognition of Prior Learning?

As we said before, RPL is an assessment method. This method takes into account any ‘prior learning‘ your candidate has done, that could be used to tick off certain criteria in the qualification you are assessing. So as the Assessor, you would need to cross-reference the relevant previous work against the criteria you are looking for. Using this method can reduce the time required to complete the course; in some cases, significantly.

But basically, Recognition of Prior Learning is about your learner being able to demonstrate they have met some of the requirements of said course, through knowledge or skills they already have. Meaning that they don’t need to develop this knowledge or skills to pass some of the criteria. 

However, this differs from ‘Unit Exemption’…

What is Unit Exemption?

Unit Exemption is used when the candidate has previously passed a unit of work, that is the same as a unit in the prospective qualification. Sounds a bit confusing, but let us break it down.

As an example from our perspective, some of our learners have only completed 2/3 units of the Assessor qualification (AVRA/ACWE); but now would like to complete the full CAVA. So in these circumstances, we would enrol learners onto the CAVA, and use their AVRA or ACWE certificate and exempt them from the Units they’ve already covered. This way they would receive the CAVA certificate upon completion, as opposed to unit credits.

So what’s the difference between RPL and Unit Exemption?

With Recognition of Prior Learning, the candidate would need to write a reflective account for each assignment being used. The reflective account needs to be about what they learned within previous work that shows they’ve met the criteria. This then proves their understanding and how it relates to this qualification you are assessing them on. Assignments can only be used for RPL if they were recently completed; normally at a maximum of around 2/3 years ago.

There is a really simple difference between this and Unit Exemption; as with Unit Exemption, the candidate does not need to do any further work. And, it doesn’t matter how long ago the unit was completed; it only matters that the unit is still exactly the same.

If you would like further information on any other assessment methods, take a look at our post on what exactly assessment methods are.

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