Here at Training Qualifications UK, we like to make sure you’re kept aware of all the most important goings-on in the world of End-Point Assessment. With that in mind, this week we provide information about the use of notes during End-Point Assessment, the Level 2 Hair Professional standard and our Assessment Records.
The use of notes during End-Point Assessment
We would like to offer some clarity on the use of notes during an End-Point Assessment.
In preparation for an End-Point Assessment, an Apprentice may wish to create notes on key examples of their working practice, to then include within a response to questions during their End-Point Assessment.
We would like to clarify that bringing in notes to the End-Point Assessment is permitted. However, there are specific guidelines which must be followed in order for the use of notes to be deemed as appropriate for assessment. Our stance on this is below:
- Notes must fit on a single piece of A4 paper.
- Notes must not be aligned to specific Knowledge, Skills or Behaviours or the relevant Pass/Merit/Distinction criteria. For example, the use of Mock Assessment Records with notes written upon them is not permitted.
- Notes should be bullet-pointed, not lengthy paragraphs.
- Notes should not contain key Knowledge elements (e.g. definitions of terms required by Knowledge Criteria).
- Notes must not be pre-scripted responses.
Our updated guidance provides additional supporting information to help clarify our stance on the requirements and use of notes. This supporting document can be viewed here and is also available on our Verve EPA Suite.
Please note: For any Apprentices entering Gateway from the 1st April, it will be required that all Apprentices send any written notes to their End-Point Assessor within 24 hours of the scheduled assessment date, for verification purposes.
Hair Professional Level 2 Statement
The IfATE published an update about the Level 2 Hair Professional standard on 17th March 2021, and our response to it (published on the 18th March) can be seen below.
“Throughout the COVID period, Training Qualifications UK has continued to work actively with the IfATE, Ofqual, the Hair Professional Employer Group, as well as the other relevant End-Point Assessment Organisations, to review EPA and agree on how assessments can take place safely, where possible. In the most recent weeks, discussions have focused on understanding if any further flexibilities to those already published could be approved.
Yesterday, 17th March 2021, the IfATE published an update on their website to confirm that additional flexibilities have been approved. Their statement can be found here.
We remain active in working with the above-named parties to work through and agree the detail of these flexibilities and how they could be applied. We are committed to keeping you as up to date as possible, and as such, further communication will follow next week.
The key message at this stage is that we remain active in taking EPA bookings from 14th April and these updates are not expected to impact this. We hope to confirm the finer details next week, including which Apprentices these additional flexibilities may be applicable to.”
TQUK Assessment Feedback records
As per our previous updates, our assessment feedback records, which are provided with each overall End-Point Assessment result, are currently undergoing a review and change in process to ensure we supply you and your Apprentices with qualitative and concise feedback.
Throughout April we will be introducing our new assessment feedback records, as part of a phased approach, along with each overall Apprentice result.
Should you have any questions in relation to this update. Please feel free to contact us epa@tquk.org, and a member of the team will be happy to support you.
Production Chef COVID Delivery Document Update
As per the approved dispensation for the Production Chef Standard, we would like to offer an update that our EPA Delivery COVID-19 Guidance Document is now Live.
This document can be viewed here and is also available on our Verve EPA Suite.
Withdrawal from Retail Standards
As per our previous communication, we would like to offer an update that we are no longer active on the register for the following three retail standards:
- Level 2 Retailer
- Level 3 Retail Team Leader
- Level 4 Retail Manager
This decision was made following a business review of all our products and services across our End-Point Assessment offer, and we have resolved to focus our resource on other sectors. We will therefore not be accepting any further registrations for this suite of standards. Centres with active registrations have been contacted directly.
If you have any further questions in relation to this update, please feel free to contact us at epa@tquk.org.
