How do I become a fully qualified Assessor?
There are two requirements to become a fully qualified assessor:
- You must demonstrate ‘occupational competence’
- You must hold an assessor qualification.
That’s all there is to 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 current course that makes you a fully qualified Assessor.
Become a fully qualified Assessor with CAVA
In order to become a fully qualified Assessor these days, you’ll need the CAVA course. This is also known as the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement. The CAVA course is part of the TAQA suite of qualifications. It also used to be called the A1 assessor award/a1 assessor course. Before that, it was better known as the D32 assessor qualification. As everything does, over the years the qualification has changed. With the changes came new names. However, you don’t need to worry about any of that. To become a fully qualified Assessor, you will need the CAVA course.
What’s involved in the CAVA course?
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.
Am I eligible to become a fully qualified Assessor?
As long as you’re over the age of 18, you’re eligible to become a fully qualified Assessor. Apart from the age limit, there are no requirements to enrol on to the CAVA assessor course. However, in order to get a job as an Assessor, there is 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.
So how do I become a fully qualified Assessor?
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.
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 25 years! We can offer expert advice no matter what your industry or career goals. Give us a call on 01205 805 155 or send an email to training@brooksandkirk.ac.uk.
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.