Training Provider Preparation for the new system of Apprenticeship Assessment

The forthcoming world of apprenticeships assessment marks a significant change in the way apprenticeship assessments are designed and delivered.  For non-integrated apprenticeships it will be…

How to Seek and Analyse Feedback When Designing Apprenticeship Assessment

In the current apprenticeship end-point assessment model, end-point assessment organisations (known as awarding organisations to Ofqual – AOs) collect feedback to support the ongoing review,…

Hints and Tips on Preparing for the new Approach to Apprenticeship Assessment

After a brilliant day at the EP/AO conference on 23rd September, I thought I would share some reflections / ideas from the presentations, panel discussions…

Tackling The Confusion Of The Apprenticeship Assessment Reforms

In February 2025, the government announced large scale and wide reaching reforms to apprenticeship assessment, yet, in the months that have followed, detailed information has…

Preparing for Change: What Ofqual regulated EPAOs Need to Know About Assessment Strategies

This is the second article from Sarah Sutcliffe and Jackie Stark from ProAssess and Jacqui Molkenthin from JEML Consulting designed to support EPAOs/AOs understand the…

The New Apprenticeship Funding Rules: Next Steps for EpAOs

3 months on from the monumental policy announcements around apprenticeship end-point assessment and following today’s launch of the new apprenticeship funding rules I thought I…

Navigating the Changing EPA Landscape: A Need for Clarity on Recent Announcements

Well its certainly been a tumultuous week or so in relation to apprenticeship policy and rules! As a result,  I thought it would be good…

EpAO business planning in 2025: Part 1: Ten quality assurance tips

Adaptability and resilience are two words I would use to describe the apprenticeship sector. Words that will continue to resonate in 2025 as we see…

EPA and Ofqual, Learning lessons from 2023 – Part 2

Continuing my theme of learning lessons from 2023, here are my next set of hints and tips that may help the EpAO sector. Whilst some…

Hints and Tips on Ofqual Compliance - Lessons Learnt from 2023 - Part 1

During 2023 I supported many EpAOs with their ongoing compliance and commitment to continuous improvement, so I thought I’d share some of the themes that…

End-point Assessment in the new world of Generative AI

I have been a mixture of excited, fascinated, and terrified by the sudden explosion of generative AI tools. We are all currently finding our feet…

Measuring the Quality of EpAOs

In this article Jacqui discusses ideas and options around developing public facing metrics to measure the quality of EpAOs, and to support employer / provider…

Safeguarding and welfare in end-point assessment

In my previous article on end-point assessment, I touched on the lack of direct reference to safeguarding in the ESFA conditions for EpAOs, the DQB…

Are there “too many cooks” in apprenticeships?

I don’t think I have ever known an educational scenario where at least 5 agencies are involved in the funding, policy and quality of one…

Turning an assessment plan into assessment tools – top 10 hints and tips

I have worked with many EpAOs designing and developing assessment tools and materials, so I thought I would share some of my hints and tips…

EpAOs - Getting to grips with the Rules, Conditions & Regulations

I am often asked by EpAOs to review policies, processes and procedures against the plethora of official documents and guidance that relate to end-point assessment.…

Responding to AAC conference points to support EpAOs

Following on from Catherine Large’s speech at the Annual Apprenticeship Conference in March 2022, I thought it may be helpful to share some of my…

The Rise and Fall of End-point Assessment

At the EPAO conference on 24th Feb in Birmingham, I shared some insights in to the trends from the past 3 years of apprenticeships and…

Understanding and building effective governance in end-point assessment organisations

One of the most common areas I get asked for support from #EpAOs relates to how to meet @Ofqual’s requirements on governance and governing body,…

10 ways Ofqual, the ESFA and the IfATE can bring fairness and equity to the process of Ofqual recognition

In July 2021 I carried out an independent survey of end-point assessment organisations (EpAOs) to capture their views on their journey toward Ofqual recognition. The…

Ensuring the correct level in end-point assessment design

One of the most common areas of difficulty I find when working with End-point Assessment Organisations (EpAOs) is in the development (design and testing) of…

Considerations for those interested in becoming an end-point assessment organisation

Back in 2019 I wrote “Interested in becoming an End-point Assessment Organisation? Top Ten things you need to consider“, for organisations interested in becoming end-point assessment…