What do I need to become an Independent End-Point Assessor?
Interested in becoming an Independent End-Point Assessor? Well, come the end of this post, you will know what you need or at least where you can find out exactly what you need.
What do I need to become an Independent End-Point Assessor?
To become an Independent End-Point Assessor, you will definitely need:
- A certain amount of experience working within your area of expertise;
- A valid assessor qualification – we suggest the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement.
There is also a good chance that you will need:
- An IQA Qualification – for this we recommend the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice OR the Lead IQA course.
- A relevant vocational qualification to back up your industry experience.
But to be perfectly honest, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all‘ answer to this question. This is because the requirements for IEPAs often vary based on two things;
- The Apprenticeships you would be competent to offer End-Point Assessments in;
- The End-Point Assessment Organisation themselves (These are the companies that have been approved to offer EPAs).
All that being said, to answer that question for you; if you don’t hold a valid assessor qualification, you will need to get one in order to become an IEPA. Likewise, if you don’t hold an IQA qualification, adding one to your CV will also stand you in good stead when it comes to applying for IEPA roles.
Which assessor qualification do I need?
So as we mentioned above, ideally you need the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA). This is the most current and highly regarded assessor qualification.
The CAVA course would qualify you to carry out both knowledge-based and competency-based assessments. These are fundamental skills for Independent End-Point Assessors.
Which IQA qualification do I need?
There are 3 Internal Quality Assurance qualifications available. The ones that you should look to add to your qualification armoury are the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practices or the Lead IQA Certificate.
Qualifying as an IQA can be hugely beneficial for helping you to become a better assessor effectively. By understanding assessment from a quality assurance perspective, it can help to improve skills like time management and holistic assessment. Both of which are crucial for anyone looking to become an Independent End-Point Assessor.
Are there any Independent End-Point Assessor courses available?
Yes, there are EPA courses available – but there are not currently any EPA qualifications that alone will qualify you to End-Point Assess. You will still need that all important CAVA qualification.
At Brooks and Kirk, we have actually created our very own EPA course.
Award in End-Point Assessment Principles and Practice
A few years ago, not too long after the Apprenticeship reform, we started running End-Point Assessment Workshops in London and Manchester. Due to the fantastic feedback we received on these workshops, we decided to turn it into an online version to make it accessible to anyone who wanted to learn more about End-Point Assessment.
Our End-Point Assessment Online Award is completely unique, as it’s exclusive to Brooks and Kirk. Not only that, but it also counts for 6 hours of verified CPD. This course will give you all the knowledge and skills you need to become an End-Point Assessor, and show you the difference between traditional assessing and end-point assessing.
Where can I find out ‘exactly’ what I need to become an IEPA?
To find this out, you would need to have a look at the relevant ‘Assessment Plan’.
In the context of Apprenticeships, an Assessment Plan details everything there is to know about the EPA, including the requirements IEPAs must meet. So all you need to do, is find the Apprenticeship(s) you believe you will be competent in. From there you can find the Assessment Plan for the respective Apprenticeship and consequently, the requirements you would need to meet.
If you want to become an End-Point Assessor, then we would recommend enrolling on to our End-Point Assessor course bundle. Alternatively, if you already hold a valid assessor qualification, then we would recommend our online EPA CPD course. If you have any questions, please get in touch on 01205 805155 or email us at training@brooksandkirk.ac.uk.
Other EPA blogs in this series:
- What is End-Point Assessment?
- The Purpose of End-Point Assessment – What is it?
- What can an End-Point Assessor assess?
- What does an End-Point Assessment involve?
- Where can I find information on specific End-Point Assessments?
- How do I find an End-Point Assessment plan?
- Who do End-Point Assessors work for?
- Who are End-Point Assessment Organisations?
- How can I find End-Point Assessment Organisations?
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.