FAQs - Apprenticeship Assessments Reforms

Not necessarily. Each apprenticeship is being considered against its own occupational and assessment requirements, so the nature and scale of change will vary by standard. Providers should check the revised assessment plan for each standard they deliver rather than assuming that all apprenticeships will change in the same way.

The responsibility and process for certification will follow the requirements that apply to the apprenticeship once all completion conditions have been met. Open Awards will confirm what evidence or completion information we need and who must provide it. Providers and employers should not assume the current process is unchanged for every reformed standard.

The practical period is the part of the apprenticeship in which the apprentice develops and demonstrates the knowledge and skills needed for their occupation and, under some revised assessment plans, may also complete permitted assessment activity. The exact structure and terminology should always be checked against the relevant apprenticeship requirements.

Readiness should be agreed in line with the assessment plan and the responsibilities assigned to the provider, employer and apprentice. Before assessment takes place, the relevant party must make sure any required learning, workplace experience, evidence and eligibility conditions have been met.

The apprentice should not be recorded as having met that requirement until the employer can make the required confirmation. The provider and employer should identify what further workplace development or evidence is needed. The apprentice can then progress once the requirement has been met in line with the assessment plan.

Where the assessment plan requires employer confirmation of behaviours, the employer should make that judgement using the criteria and evidence requirements specified for the standard. Open Awards has provided guidance to support employers, including information on who can make the confirmation and what records must be retained or submitted.

The employer will continue to play an important role in confirming that the apprentice is ready to complete their apprenticeship and may have additional responsibilities where the assessment plan requires employer confirmation of particular behaviours or workplace evidence. The exact responsibilities will be set out for each standard.

It may. The evidence required will depend on the revised assessment plan and on which assessment activities are carried out by the provider, employer or Open Awards. We will set out the required records, evidence, declarations and submission process for each affected standard before the new arrangements are used.

Registration requirements may change where a reformed standard uses different assessment arrangements or data requirements. Open Awards will confirm any changes before they take effect. Providers should continue using the current registration process unless they are specifically advised to do something different.

You may need to operate both sets of arrangements at the same time. Each apprentice should be assessed against the plan that applies to them, with the correct materials, assessment methods, records and quality assurance requirements kept separate. Open Awards will provide transition guidance where a standard moves from one version to another.