What You Need to Know to Become a Lead IQA
If you are currently working as an Assessor and are finding yourself twiddling your thumbs in your current role, then it may be time to start looking at how to become a Lead IQA. This is a natural career progression for Assessors who are looking to take the next step. It is the responsibility of a lead IQA to uphold the quality of the qualification standard that is being delivered. Here are a few key roles that regularly perform:
- Applying standardised practice that has been agreed during a standardisation meeting.
- Providing constructive feedback to Assessors in order to help them improve.
- Plan, schedule and designate an IQA to monitor parts of the assessment.
- Take samples of learner work, assessment records and grading decisions to check for quality and consistency.
As you can see, the role of an IQA is a managerial one. If you have already worked as a manager or a supervisor, then this could be the role for you. It all depends on the size of the company as to how many Assessors you will manage as a lead IQA; it could be anywhere from a few to 20.
How To Become A Lead IQA
At the end of the day, it is down to the training provider themselves to judge whether you are the right fit for a Lead IQA role. Pearson Edexcel state that ‘centres should review the application’s prior qualifications and/or experience, considering whether this profile shows they have the potential to achieve the qualification’.
Of course this statement is very broad, and is open to interpretation; particularly when measuring the ‘potential’ that someone has. It is a case of being sensible, if you have no industry experience and want to assess learners in the Health & Social Care industry for example, you won’t be able to be an IQA in that specific sector. It is also important to mention that you will need an Assessor qualification before undertaking the Lead IQA qualification too.
Internal Quality Assurer
Let’s have a quick recap of the qualifications needed to become both an IQA and a Lead IQA.
In order to become an IQA you will need to achieve the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice which contains two core units:
- Unit 1: Understanding the Principles & Practices of Internally Quality Assuring the Quality of Assessment
- Unit 2: Internally Assure the Quality of Assessment
It is the perfect stepping stone for an Assessor who is on their way to becoming a Lead IQA. Usually salaries start around the £28,000 mark. After gaining a few years of experience this can increase by around £10,000 (unless you go down the Lead IQA route).
Lead Internal Quality Assurer
This is a more senior position. In order to become a Lead IQA you would need to have the Level 4 Certificate in Leading the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice qualification. If you are considering running your own training centre, then this qualification is also recommended for whoever will have the head role.
This qualification consists of three units:
- Unit 1: Understanding the Principles & Practices of Internally Quality Assuring the Quality of Assessment
- Unit 2: Internally Assure the Quality of Assessment
- Unit 3: Plan, Allocate & Monitor Work in Own Area of Responsibility
Once you have achieved this qualification, you can lead and manage the quality assurance process for a training centre. This includes developing and writing IQA policies and procedures. It is also worth remembering that awarding bodies will want to see an EQA visit to make sure everything is all on track as it should be.
Salary for a Lead IQA position is substantially higher. It starts around the £30,000 mark and increases to around £40,000 after you have a few years of experience under your belt. Of course there are external factors such as location and experience that will affect these figures. So, just use them as a guide.
We hope this has given you a good insight into what you need to know in order to become a Lead IQA. If you have any further questions at all, please feel free to call us on 01205 805155.