Preparing for EQA

Our role is one of critical friend, and it is our desire to make your journey to delivery as pain free as possible. If you have been approved for entry onto the Register of End Point Assessment Organisations (RoEPAO) for delivery of an apprenticeship standard for which NSAR is the nominated EQA, you need to get in touch with us straight away to let us know.

 

Email us at eqa@nsar.co.uk to tell us which standard(s) you have been approved against and provide an idea of when you intend to start delivering assessments.

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Your readiness check, is conducted in two stages:

 

Stage 1 – The Skills Funding Agency Readiness Check

The Agency will work with you over the course of the 9-12 months from your acceptance on to the RoEPAO to ensure that you are making appropriate progress towards being ready to deliver by the date indicated in your application to the RoEPAO. The Agency’s operational readiness work will include:

  • a readiness checklist
  • an evaluation of your capacity and capability to deliver assessment

The Agency will evaluate your progress and provide a report including a readiness rating using the four-point scale.

Providing you achieve a grade of 1-3, the Agency will formally hand-over responsibility for Stage 2 of the readiness check to NSAR as the EQA provider.

 

Whilst the Agency is accountable for working with the EPAO during Stage 1 of the readiness check, we will look to have discussions with you as early as possible so that we can provide guidance and constructive support to enable the development of assessment instruments and the delivery of a high-quality, reliable assessment experience.

We’ll share good practice and lessons learnt from other EQA activity undertaken on the standard that you’re looking to offer assessment services for.

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Stage 2 – NSAR Readiness Check

Following handover from the Agency, the NSAR will then undertake a full readiness check for the standard in question. The check will also take into account the readiness rating awarded by the Agency and any issues or actions raised at Stage 1.

For the readiness check, we will review relevant evidence gathered by the Agency in Stage 1 and may request additional documents and/or undertake a visit the EPAO.

For more information on our Readiness Check, please read out Readiness Check Overview guidance which can be found below.

Remember, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have recently been approved for entry onto the Register of End Point Assessment Organisations (RoEPAO) for delivery of an apprenticeship standard for we are the nominated EQA, or just have a question about the process or standards, email us at eqa@nsar.co.uk.

Deadlines To Remember

Apprenticeships with a duration of between 12-24 months:

  • EPA support materials: must be in place within nine months of your registration
  • Final assessment instruments and tools: must be ready three months in advance of the first EPA taking place.

Apprenticeships with a duration of between 12-24 months:

  • EPA support materials: must be in place within nine months of your registration
  • Final assessment instruments and tools: must be ready three months in advance of the first EPA taking place.

Contact our development team for more information.

Talk to us about how we can help you develop and sustain a highly skilled workforce.

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