End-Point Assessment (EPA) is still a relatively new practice to the world of Further Education and Apprenticeships. Because of this, it’s fair to say that a lot of people know that EPA exists, but nothing more than that. Our EPA Knowledgebase is here to help tackle that problem.
Welcome to Brooks and Kirk’s EPA Knowledgebase
At this moment in time, there are organisations across the country, looking to recruit Independent End-Point Assessors in virtually every single sector. However, for you to be able to take advantage of these EPA employment opportunities, you are going to need to know a little more…
So, below you will find:
- simple answers to the most commonly asked EPA-related questions;
- our exclusive online EPA course that counts for 6 hours of verified CPD
- genuine solutions for you, if you’re serious about becoming an End-Point Assessor.
EPA FAQ
The intention of our ‘EPA FAQ’ is that you get simple answers to simple questions. No beating around the bush. No convoluted and confusing riddles that are supposed to be answers. After all, there is enough of this in the education industry already!
The Process and the Person
What is End-Point Assessment?
End-Point Assessment is a synoptic assessment that only occurs at the end of an Apprenticeship. An apprentice must undergo the EPA before completing their apprenticeship.
What is the purpose of an End-Point Assessment?
The EPA confirms whether or not the apprentice is competent to work within their role. In conjunction with this, it’s also the EPA that determines what ‘grade’ the apprentice achieves on their apprenticeship (providing they pass).
Can the End-Point Assessor assess other parts of the apprenticeship?
Not for the same apprentice that they are the carrying out the End-Point Assessment on, no. The assessor who is responsible for delivering an End-Point Assessment must be completely independent. These assessors are often referred to as Independent End-Point Assessors (IEPAs) for exactly that reason.
What does an End-Point Assessment involve?
Every apprenticeship has it’s own End-Point Assessment. So inevitably, almost every one is different. But generally speaking, EPAs involve 2 or 3 one-off assessments; each requiring the use of a different assessment method.
What do I need to become an Independent End-Point Assessor?
Just like what the EPA involves changes with each apprenticeship, as does the requirements for the IEPAs. More often than not, most End-Point Assessments require the assessor responsible for delivery to:
- hold a recognised assessor qualification;
- have extensive and current experience in the respective occupation;
- have a thorough understanding of the apprenticeship standard the EPA is based on.
However, the requirements do vary. So just make sure that you find out what you need to be an independent assessor for apprenticeships you are competent in.
The Plans and the Providers
Where can I find all of the information like ‘what the requirements are’ and ‘what’s involved’ for certain EPAs then?
You can find the answers to all of these kind of questions in the ‘Assessment Plan’ for the respective apprenticeship. It’s important to know that since the apprenticeship reform, every single apprenticeship now has two documents; an ‘Apprenticeship Standard’ and an ‘Assessment Plan’.
What is an Assessment Plan?
In the context of EPA, the Assessment Plan is the document that informs the relevant End-Point Assessment Organisations (EPAOs) on everything they need to know about the EPA for a particular apprenticeship.
In a nutshell, it’s basically a specification for an End-Point Assessment.
How do I find an Assessment Plan?
All you need to do, is find the Apprenticeship you are interested in on the Institute for Apprenticeships’ website. Once you have found an apprenticeship you would be competent in, as long as it says “Approved for delivery”, click on it. Then on the right-hand side of your screen (or towards the bottom of the page, if you’re on a mobile), you will see the button to view the Assessment Plan. It will look something like this…
Who do End-Point Assessors work for?
As an Independent End-Point Assessor, you can only work for End-Point Assessment Organisations. Simply because these are the only organisations that have been approved to offer End-Point Assessments.
Who are End-Point Assessment Organisations?
EPAOs are organisations that have been approved by the government to offer End-Point Assessments in specific apprenticeships. Currently, the majority of EPAOs are either Awarding Organisations, Training Providers or Professional Bodies.
How can I find End-Point Assessment Organisations?
You can find EPAOs relevant to you using the Register of End-Point Assessment Organisations. If you are interested, we have a simple 2-part process that you should find useful.
How can we help you to become an IEPA?
We have several solutions for anyone looking to become an Independent End-Point Assessor. However, because the requirements for IEPAs varies, as does the answer to “how can we help you?”.
Below you will find three solutions. You may find that you need all of them or you may only need one of them. It entirely depends on your experience level and existing qualifications…
