If you are thinking of starting on your journey to become an Assessor, it is a good idea to see what you are letting yourself in for! The main role of an Assessor is to carry out assessments of your learners, against the criteria set by the qualification specification. Depending on the Assessor qualification that you took, these assessments will be carried out in either the learner’s workplace (ACWE), or within a classroom environment (AVRA).

Being an Assessor requires you to take an interest in the progress of your learner, and support them throughout their qualification. You will need to provide them with goals and record their achievements along the way.

Core Responsibilities

As well as the planned assessments, you will be required to carry out some additional tasks:

1. Planning and delivering training and workshops
2. Observing candidates in their workplace
3. Examining a candidate’s portfolio of evidence
4. Providing well-rounded feedback to the candidate
5. Keeping a record of the candidate’s progress
6. Keeping your CPD record up to date
7. Coaching learners through difficult times

Whilst the majority of your time will be spent with learners, assessing should not be a lonely job. Just have a look at what some of our freelance assessors get up to in the day – you will see they are in regular communication with their learners and their support team.

Learning Environments

We touched on this earlier on, but the type of assessments carried out mainly depends on the environment. It is the role of the Assessor to select the most appropriate method of assessment. Here are some examples depending on the environment:

• Classroom: methods of assessment usually include essays, multiple-choice tests & presentations.
• Workplace: this often involves observing the learner, questions and internal paperwork.
• Outside environment: practical activities and tasks are usually best for the outdoors.
• Library/home: assessments usually take the form of research projects, assignments and online assessments.

Of course, if you have undertaken the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) you will be able to assess learners in all of these different environments.

Motivation

Being motivated is key when you are an Assessor. You need to be driven and able to motivate yourself (particularly if you are a freelance Assessor and manage your own time). You also need to be able to give your learners motivation to do the best that they can too. If you are enthusiastic and passionate about what you do, you are more likely to inspire your learners. Taking the time to understand what motivates each individual is key. Some people are financially motivated (i.e. working towards a pay rise), whilst others are motivated by progression.

One of the best parts about being an Assessor is the relationships that you build with your learners. You are their main point of contact and should be on hand to guide them through their qualification. For further information on the Assessor qualifications that we provide, please give our team a call on 01205 805 155.