Quality Assurance Job Qualifications
Quality assurance plays a vital role in vocational training, ensuring that assessments are fair, consistent and meet industry standards. Without strong quality assurance, learners could receive qualifications that don’t reflect their skills. This can impact their career prospects and the credibility of training providers. By the end of this blog, you’ll know exactly what steps to take to become an IQA, what quality assurance job qualifications you need, and how to get them.
What Does an IQA Do?
An Internal Quality Assurer, or IQA, plays a crucial role in maintaining high standards in vocational training and assessment. Their job is to ensure that assessments are fair, consistent and meet the required industry standards. Without IQAs, there would be a risk of assessments being marked incorrectly, leading to learners receiving qualifications they haven’t fully earned or missing out on the success they deserve.
Ensuring Assessment Quality and Consistency
One of the main responsibilities of an IQA is to check and review assessments to ensure they are accurate and reliable. This means making sure that different assessors apply the same standards and that every learner is assessed fairly. IQAs help maintain the credibility of qualifications by making sure learners genuinely meet the required competency levels.
Supporting Assessors and Standardising Assessments
IQAs don’t just check assessments, they also support and guide assessors. They provide feedback, training and standardisation meetings. This is to help assessors improve their practice and ensure that everyone is working to the same high standard. This helps create a fair and structured assessment process across different assessors and learners.
Compliance with Awarding Body and Industry Standards
Every vocational qualification must meet specific awarding body and industry regulations. IQAs are responsible for making sure these requirements are followed by assessors and training providers. This includes keeping records, monitoring assessment decisions and ensuring best practices are in place.
Quality Assurance Job Qualifications
To become an Internal Quality Assurer, you need the right qualifications to develop the skills required for quality assurance. There are different levels of IQA qualifications depending on how involved you want to be in the process. The most common starting point is the Level 4 Award in Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice.
Level 4 Award in Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice
The Level 4 Award is the essential qualification for anyone looking to become an IQA. It focuses on monitoring and supporting assessors to ensure they conduct assessments fairly, consistently and in line with awarding body requirements.
This qualification is perfect for current assessors who want to step into an IQA role, those looking to enhance their career prospects in vocational training, and professionals who want to improve the overall quality of assessments in their organisation.
Level 4 Certificate in Leading Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice
For those looking to take on a senior role in quality assurance, the Level 4 Certificate in Leading the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice is the next step. This is a more advanced qualification designed for individuals who want to lead and manage IQA processes within an organisation.
The qualification covers managing multiple assessors and ensuring consistency across all assessments, setting and maintaining quality standards within a training centre or organisation, and liaising with awarding bodies to ensure compliance with industry regulations.
The Level 4 Certificate is ideal for those who already work as an IQA but want to progress into a leadership role, people who want to oversee entire assessment teams and manage internal quality assurance processes, or aiming for higher-level quality assurance positions within vocational training.
How to Get Qualified as an IQA
If you’re ready to take the next step towards becoming an Internal Quality Assurer, it’s important to understand the qualification process and what to expect. To enrol in an IQA qualification, you’ll need an assessor qualification, such as the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement, also known as CAVA. As well as experience in vocational assessment and occupational competence.
To ensure your qualification is recognised by employers and awarding bodies, you must complete your training through an approved and accredited provider. Make sure to look for experienced providers with a strong track record in vocational training. Courses that meet the requirements of Ofqual-regulated awarding bodies and positive reviews and learner feedback to ensure high-quality training.
The time required to complete an IQA qualification varies depending on your chosen course. Most learners complete the Level 4 Award within a few months, while the Level 4 Certificate may take longer.
During your training, you’ll need to complete coursework and written assignments, observe and support assessors in real or simulated environments, and demonstrate knowledge of quality assurance principles and procedures.
How Brooks and Kirk Can Help
At Brooks and Kirk, we specialise in high-quality assessor and IQA training, helping professionals advance their careers in vocational education and quality assurance. Whether you want to gain your first IQA qualification or progress into a leadership role, we have the right course for you. We offer both the Level 4 Award and Level 4 Certificate in IQA.
Our courses are designed and delivered by industry experts with years of experience in assessment and quality assurance. You’ll receive specialist support and guidance throughout your training, ensuring you develop the skills needed to excel as an IQA.
We understand that everyone learns differently, which is why our courses are delivered fully online, allowing you to study at your own pace while receiving ongoing tutor support. This means that you can fit your learning around your existing commitments, get expert feedback to build confidence in your role, and access resources whenever you need them.
Our practical, real-world approach to training ensures that by the time you complete your course, you’ll be fully equipped to take on an IQA role. You’ll not only gain a recognised qualification but also the knowledge, confidence and experience needed.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your career, Brooks and Kirk are here to help! Get started today by either calling us on 01205 805 155 or sending an email to training@brooksandkirk.ac.uk and we’ll be happy to help!