We get a lot of questions about the Adult Care Worker EPA.

After all, the Adult Care Worker standard is by far one of the most popular apprenticeships in the UK. The shortage of skilled workers in adult care and other healthcare sectors makes a subsidised apprenticeship program all the more attractive. Hospitals, care homes, day centres and other employers are jumping on the opportunity.

If your Adult Care Worker apprentices are about to go through EPA, this blog will take you through all of the assessment activities that this standard entails to help you ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible.

Situational Judgement Test

First up, knowledge. This is the assessment activity that will primarily assess your apprentice’s knowledge against all of the standards set out in the Apprenticeship Standard. Your apprentice should ideally be reviewing the Apprenticeship Standard regularly to make sure they’re fulfilling all of the required standards.

The Situational Judgement Test is a multiple choice question test containing 60 questions. These questions are drawn from a question bank created by TQUK EPA and are specifically designed to address all knowledge standards. The test will primarily focus on higher-order competencies.

The questions asked are situational in nature – that is, they will present scenarios based on real-life work-based activities to which the apprentice will have to provide an in-depth answer or solution.

The grade for the Situational Judgement Test is determined based on the following thresholds:

• Pass: 40-49 correct answers
• Merit: 50-55 correct answers
• Distinction: 55+ correct answers

In order to help your apprentice achieve the best possible result in their Situational Judgement Test, here are some things you can do to help them along the way:
Top Tips

• Do a mock test: In order to familiarise your apprentice with the format of the Situational Judgement Test, your apprentice can take a mock test. This test will include questions created by TQUK designed to be similar to the questions that your apprentice will encounter in their real Test. Doing the mock test will give your apprentice a sense of what the test criteria will be, the format and the types of questions they will be asked. Get in touch with TQUK if you’d like to do a mock test.
• Review knowledge standards with your apprentice: Check out the full Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship Standard to see all of the knowledge standards included. You might be able to provide some insight into the standard that your apprentice may find valuable.
• Help your apprentice relax: Not everyone is great at sit-down tests. Nerves can take over and your apprentice may not perform at their very best. Here are some tips to help your Adult Care Worker get in the right frame of mind for their EPA.
• Get the time and date right: The test might take place on your premises, or it may take place at a registered TQUK test centre. Either way, make sure your apprentice knows where to go and what to do.
• Get a paper exam if needed: Although most Situational Judgement Tests will be completed online, paper exams can be provided to those who need them.

Professional Discussion

Once the Situational Judgement Test has been achieved, your Adult Care Worker will move on to the second half of their EPA: the Professional Discussion. This is where your apprentice’s skills and behaviours will be assessed, along with some bits and pieces of knowledge here and there.

The Professional Discussion is a structured discussion between the apprentice and the End-Point Assessor. It will last approximately 45 minutes.

The Discussion addresses many areas of the apprentice’s prior learning and experience during the apprenticeship. During the assessment, the End-point Assessor will ask the apprentice a series of standardised questions. These questions are developed by TQUK and are designed to address the skills and behaviours outlined in the Apprenticeship Standard. The answers the apprentice provides should be supported by self-assessments, supporting evidence and testimonies from service users, which they will bring to the Discussion.

The grading criteria used by TQUK will also be freely available to all parties so that employers and apprentices can prepare for the assessment. Please contact TQUK EPA if you have any questions about the Professional Discussion.

Top Tips

• Do a mock discussion: Doing a mock Professional Discussion with your apprentice will help prepare them for the format of the assessment and will give them a better idea of the questions. Please contact TQUK EPA for further guidance on how to conduct a mock discussion.
• Review all ACW terminology: The adult care sector has a lot of terminology and jargon. Be sure to review commonly-used terms so that your apprentice is using them correctly. After all, it’s vital that your apprentice demonstrates that they know what they’re talking about!
• Get reasonable adjustments made: Your apprentice might need to have adjustments made to the assessment, for instance, if they have any disabilities. Be sure to anticipate whatever needs they may have.
• Seek guidance from the End-Point Assessor: The End-Point Assessor is there to help you and the apprentice, and will provide whatever guidance and information they can supply about the EPA.

Grading

The final grade for the apprentice will be determined based on the following table.

		Professional Discussion
		Pass	Merit	Distinction
Situational Judgement Test	Pass	Pass	Merit	Merit
	Merit	Pass	Merit	Distinction
	Distinction	Merit	Merit	Distinction

 

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And that’s all! We hope this gives you a better idea of what’s involved in the Adult Care Worker EPA and what you and your apprentice can do to prepare.

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See you around The Hive!