Delivery
Centres must ensure that qualifications are delivered effectively and efficiently. Well considered and detailed course planning is a critical feature of effective delivery. Centres must have, and be able to demonstrate, a robust documented internal process for coherent course design, development and delivery.
A key feature of many of our qualifications is the flexibility they offer centres to contextualise them to meet the specific needs of their learners. This flexibility promotes strong learner engagement and meaningful learning experiences.
Centres should ensure that detailed schemes of work and session plans are in place which consider all aspects of the qualification specification. These should include details of strategies and resources required for teaching and assessment that meet learners’ needs.
Teaching and learning approaches must be consistent with the context, level and stipulations of the qualification and be designed to engage, stimulate and motivate learners.
Assessment
Centre devised assessments must meet the qualification specification. Assessments must enable the assessor to differentiate accurately and consistently between the levels of attainment demonstrated by learners. Assessment must only include content that is drawn from the knowledge, skills and understanding in the specification and that the level of demand must be consistent.
Assessment must:
- make it possible for learners to demonstrate the extent to which they have the knowledge, skills and understanding required by the qualification
- allow the specified level of attainment to be reached by a learner who has attained the required level of knowledge, skills and understanding
- be fit for purpose, valid and appropriate to the knowledge, skills and understanding being measured
- effectively differentiate between learners (on the basis of the knowledge, skills and understanding being assessed)
- accurately measure the knowledge, skills and understanding that it is intended to measure
Centres are required to ensure that centre devised assessments are kept under review, amending them where necessary, to ensure they remain fit for purpose, for example by reflecting new requirements, good practice or legislation.
Some qualifications and their units will prescribe the assessment methods that must be used. These prescribed methods will be highlighted within individual units.
Where the methods are not prescribed, centres should use a variety of assessment methods to assess learners as this will allow learners to demonstrate their knowledge and/or skills competency. The most important factor is that the assessment methods are appropriate for the intended outcome.
Centres must adhere to Agored Cymru’s assessment requirements when delivering qualifications, a unit or units.
For guidance on assessment, please refer to the Agored Cymru Guide to Assessment.
Assessors must:
- have current and/or relevant experience in assessing;
- have undertaken relevant training if new to assessing (Agored Cymru Introduction to Assessment courses);
- have good knowledge and understanding of Agored Cymru assessment requirements;
- be familiar with the level of the qualification and its unit(s);
- have good subject knowledge and understanding and/or experience of the unit(s)/qualification(s) being assessed.
Assessors do not currently need to have a formal assessment qualification* to assess Agored Cymru units and / or qualifications, unless stated in the qualification guide or unit specification. However, Agored Cymru strongly recommends that assessors work towards formal accreditation (e.g. Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement). In addition, Agored Cymru strongly recommends that assessors attend Agored Cymru’s Introduction to Assessment training.
Specific Assessor Requirements
Specific evidence requirements and assessment guidance:
Unit: Assess Occupational Competence in the Work Environment (GB83CY020) – the aim of this unit is to assess the practitioner’s performance in assessing occupational competence in an individual’s work environment. There must be evidence to cover all of the assessment methods listed in the unit.
As a minimum, there must be performance evidence for the following assessment methods:
- observation of performance in the work environment;
- examining products of work;
- questioning the learner.
Simulations are not permitted for this unit.
Other forms of evidence will be acceptable for the remaining assessment methods:
- professional discussion with the practitioner;
- use of others (witness testimony);
- looking at practitioner statements;
- recognising prior learning.
The practitioner’s performance evidence must be assessed by observation, examining the products of work and questioning or professional discussions.
There must be evidence of the practitioner carrying out at least two assessments of two learners’ occupational competence (four assessments in total). This occupational competence must not be in assessment itself. In other words, evidence for this unit must not come from the trainee assessing another trainee assessor who in turn is assessing someone else.
Unit: Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding (GB83CY021) - the aim of this unit is to assess the practitioner’s performance in assessing vocational skills, knowledge and understanding in a workshop, classroom or other training environment rather than assessing competence in a work environment.
There must be evidence to cover all of the assessment methods listed in the unit.
As a minimum, there must be performance evidence for at least three of the following assessment methods:
- assessments of the learner in simulated environments
- skills tests
- oral and written questions
- assignments, projects, case studies
- recognising prior learning.
Simulations are not permitted for this unit.
Other forms of evidence will be acceptable for the remaining assessment methods. The practitioner’s performance evidence must be assessed by observation, examining the products of work and questioning or professional discussions.
There must be evidence of the practitioner carrying out at least two assessments of two learners’ occupational competence (four assessments in total).