End-Point Assessment: Ensuring That Apprentices Are Confident and Ready to Work

Apprenticeship standards all have a requirement for end-point assessment (EPA). An EPA is the name given to a series of assessments an apprentice must complete to prove their ability to do the job they have been training for. These assessments take place at the end of the apprenticeship. EPAs must be provided by an approved end-point assessment organisation.

Assessments are carried out in accordance with an assessment plan which supports the apprenticeship standard.

Find out more about the register of end-point assessment organisations here.

An IEPA is a specialist who is sub-contracted to carry out the end-point assessment on behalf of BIIAB. All of our IEPAs have the required occupational experience to undertake the role and are trained in carrying out assessments.

An External Quality Assurance Organisation (EQAO) is responsible for quality assurance of the End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO). There are several EQAOs that support end-point assessment (EPA). For example, the EQAO for the hospitality sector is currently carried out by People 1st, however from summer 2022, all EQA will be conducted by Ofqual. 

As an EPAO, BIIAB is closely monitored to make sure we provide high-quality, effective and consistent EPA service across all employers and training providers.

We can offer a range of support, including the following:

• Our relationship managers can can offer advice on our product range, including end-point assessment (EPA).
• We have a dedicated EPA team. Named officers are available to support customers.
• We have regular communications via our website, social media, email newsletters and annual conference.
• We provide a dedicated EPA email address.

The following are the benefits of working with us:

• You will be working with an End-Point Assessment Organisation that is part of Skills and Education Group, which has over 100 years of experience of supporting vocational education and training.
• You will gain access to our dedicated end-point assessment (EPA) team, who will provide you support with your EPA journey.
• We provide clear guidance and resources to help you through the EPA process, including what to expect and how the assessments are carried out.
• We allow staged payments to ensure no unnecessary upfront charges.

As soon as an apprentice completes and achieves their end-point assessment, we will apply to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for your final certificate to be issued by them. Whilst we cannot guarantee any timelines for processes undertaken by the ESFA, we can assure you that our part of the process will be undertaken quickly and efficiently.

During the assessment process, we will provide a certificate in respect of completion of each component. Whilst this is not a formal certificate of completion, it does recognise success as apprentices go through the process.

Please get in touch with our End-Point Assessment team, and we will be happy to provide further information. You can email epa@BIIAB.co.uk or telephone us on 0115 854 1620.

Fees are paid in two stages, with a small amount paid at the beginning of the process and the remainder of the fee payable at Gateway.

Fees vary by standard. View the list of standards to find out more information, including the fees payable.

End-point assessment costs are paid for by the training provider on the employer’s behalf as part of their contract with BIIAB.

There are additional charges in respect of resit and retake fees. These vary by standard. Please contact us, and we will be happy to provide the relevant prices for the standard you are interested in.

Costs in excess of the money available from the funding band to pay for the end-point assessment must be met by the employer.

You should let us know as soon as possible that you would like us to provide end-point assessment services so that we can set you up on our system and enable you to access the relevant support materials you need to help you and your apprentice prepare for their assessment.

For each apprentice, please provide at least three months’ notice of their expected Gateway progression date so that we can plan to support this process at the right time.

The venue will depend on the requirements set out in the assessment plan for the standard. This is often the training provider or employer’s location. We will let you know of any particular requirements you might need to fulfil in order for the assessment to be carried out. For example, the assessment might require the use of a quiet room free of any distraction, or require the use of particular equipment.

To register for a standard, email epa@BIIAB.co.uk or telephone us on 0115 854 1620.

In order to access end-point assessment, the employer must select us as their End-Point Assessment Organisation, at which time we will set in place a contract with the training provider/employer in respect of the service. This is a quick and straightforward process.