Assessment Strategy, Version 5
Knowledge Component: Facilities
Management Apprenticeship
Level 3 Certificate in Facilities Management
Assessment Strategy
Version 5, June 2014
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Assessment Strategy, Version 5
Contents
1. Assessment Strategy for Knowledge Component Qualifications ....................................................... 2
1.1 Teaching/Training Requirements.................................................................................................. 2
1.2 Assessor Requirements ................................................................................................................. 3
1.3 Internal Moderator Requirements ............................................................................................... 3
1.4 External moderator: ...................................................................................................................... 4
2. Centre Assessment Principles ............................................................................................................. 5
3. Methods .............................................................................................................................................. 6
3.1 Case Studies .................................................................................................................................. 6
3.2 Replication / Simulation ................................................................................................................ 6
3.3 Presentations ................................................................................................................................ 6
3.4 Assignments .................................................................................................................................. 6
3.5 Time-Constrained Tests ................................................................................................................ 7
3.6 Work-Related Technical Projects .................................................................................................. 7
3.7 Assessment in the Workplace ....................................................................................................... 7
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Assessment Strategy, Version 5
1. Assessment Strategy for Knowledge Component
Qualifications
This assessment strategy has been designed specifically for the Level 3 Certificate in Facilities
Management qualification which forms the knowledge component of the Asset Skills Facilities
Management Apprenticeship.
Approved WAMITAB Centres can design and manage their own assessment programme for this
qualification, providing that they maintain the quality systems and procedures required by
WAMITAB.
Candidates must provide evidence that successfully demonstrates the skills, knowledge and/or
understanding of all of the outcomes against the stated assessment criteria.
Centres must prepare and agree individual assessment plans for each candidate. This plan may be
modified during the course of the programme where necessary to ensure that the candidate has full
and fair opportunity to complete his/her course of study.
There is no specific format required; however, Centres should ensure that the following minimum
information is shown:
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Units and/or qualification
Candidate name and WAMITAB student registration number
Date study commenced
A list of the outcomes covered by each of the units selected
The purpose of assessment method for each of the outcomes
The proposed assessment method for each of the outcomes
The name of the assessor for the subject matter covered by the outcomes concerned
The proposed date/s of assessment
The name of the planned internal verifier
Date of initial completion of the work by the candidate
All evidence to demonstrate the outcomes can be paper based, in electronic format or in a
combination of both methods of submission.
WAMITAB does not enforce the use of paper-based portfolios to submit evidence of outcomes but
allows Centres and Candidates to agree on the most appropriate method of presentation.
1.1 Teaching/Training Requirements
Legislative regulations covering qualification requirements for FE teachers were revoked in
September 2013. WAMITAB expects that trainers/tutors/teachers delivering knowledge and
understanding qualifications and units should have relevant competence and experience in the
subject that they are delivering and have experience of delivering vocational learning.
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1.2 Assessor Requirements
The assessment or marking of candidate output must be undertaken by suitably qualified and
competent assessors, who are not the tutors or the individuals responsible for delivering learning
material to the candidate being assessed. Each assessor should maintain professional competence
by an effective programme of recorded Continuing Professional Development.
The assessor must also have an appropriate assessor qualification, and though it is not a
requirement for assessors to hold the most recent version of the assessor qualification, it is
considered best practice for assessors to have achieved the relevant VRQ assessment unit: Level 3
Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding or the L3 Award in Assessing Vocationally
Related Achievement.
Alternatively, assessors may hold appropriate teaching qualifications, recognised to give them
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Qualifications such as Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning
Sector (DTLLS), Qualified Teacher Learning Skills (QTLS), and Post Graduate Certificate of Education
(PGCE) will be acceptable, though these are not a regulatory requirement for assessment of these
qualifications provided that the assessor has an alternative assessor qualification. All assessors,
regardless of qualification background, should assess according to the standards set by Level 3
Assess Vocational Skills, Knowledge and Understanding. The Assessor must not be the trainer who
delivered the unit content.
1.3 Internal Moderator Requirements
An Internal Moderator is someone appointed by the Centre to internally moderate the Assessment
standards and accuracy of the marker. This should be done by a complete re-Assessment of a
sample of the work using the Assessment content and requirements. It is completely different from
the Internal Verification process used for NVQ/QCF qualifications, as its purpose is to ensure
consistency and accuracy of the actual Assessment using the Assessment criteria. Moderation
should happen as soon as possible after the initial Assessment so that certification is not held up.
The moderation should be recorded and made available to the External Moderator at the next visit
or earlier if requested.
Internal Moderators must hold a relevant Internal Verifier qualification to ensure that the complete
re-assessment of a sample is done to recognised standards. Whilst it is not a regulatory requirement
to hold the most recent version of this qualification, it is considered best practice for Internal
Moderators to have achieved the relevant VRQ quality assurance unit: Level 4 Internally Assure the
Quality of Assessment
Alternatively, internal moderators may hold appropriate teaching qualifications, recognised to give
them Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Qualifications such as Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong
Learning Sector (DTLLS), Qualified Teacher Learning Skills (QTLS), and Post Graduate Certificate of
Education (PGCE) will be acceptable, though these are not a regulatory requirement for internal
moderation of these qualifications provided that the internal moderator has an alternative internal
verifier qualification. All Internal Moderators, regardless of qualification background, should quality
assure to the standards set by the unit L4 Internally Assure the Quality of Assessment.
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1.4 External moderator:
Someone appointed by WAMITAB to sample Internal Moderation of the Unit assessments to ensure
consistency of assessment and proper application of the Assessment requirements. This person may
also be the Centre EV although that is not always the case. Centres will be told who the External
Moderator is for their qualification(s). This person will review the Internal Moderation results during
routine visits or earlier as agreed. The external moderator should quality assure to the standards of
Level 4 externally assure the quality of assessment.
Assessment by Centres must be designed to seek consistency of the outcomes. Although
assessment methods may vary, rigour, consistency and quality of application of the assessment
criteria must be paramount for the award of the qualification. Centres should also ensure that
methods of assessment are designed to enhance the candidate’s development and to ensure that
the assessment criteria are met.
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2. Centre Assessment Principles
Whichever assessment regime is followed, the detailed assessment strategy employed by the Centre
must be in accordance with certain basic principles. These are:
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Utility: the type of assessment used must not be unduly complex and must not require an
amount of time and effort on the part of the candidate or the assessor disproportionate to
the outcome to be achieved.
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Sufficiency: there must be enough evidence presented to satisfy the requirements of the
Assessment Criteria. This may be achieved by one large piece of evidence or by several small
ones but the important factor is that the candidate provides enough evidence for the
Assessor (and Verifiers) to conclude that the required Learning Outcomes have been
achieved.
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Authenticity: any material produced by the candidate must be ascertained to be exclusively
the work of the candidate presenting it. This poses a major problem when the form of
assessment allows candidates access to external information sources and the quality
assurance system will then have to include steps to detect plagiarism, for example; copying
from books, other candidates, the internet, etc.
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Relevance: the assessment process must test only that which it is proper to test, in
accordance with the Assessment Criteria, and must not include anything that is not included
in the Unit or test it to a higher (or lower) level than required – no matter how desirable the
assessor may feel that to be.
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Reliability: the assessment must provide a fair indication of the candidates’ achievement as
required by the Assessment Criteria. To be reliable, assessments must be designed so that
the required outcome can be achieved by any candidate without the need for special
knowledge not included in the Unit and that there is no in-built bias on racial, cultural, etc
grounds.
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Realism: the assessment must use the most suitable way of determining that the outcome is
achieved, bearing in mind the nature of the outcome and its practical application.
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3. Methods
WAMITAB does not have any specific requirements concerning the number of assessment
opportunities offered per unit, and there may be as few or as many as is necessary to meet the
requirements of the Assessment Criteria. Any particular assessment opportunity may relate to any
number of the outcomes for a particular unit or even for a number of units where that is
appropriate.
The following list represents a range of possible assessment methods but it is not exhaustive or
prescriptive, and Centres may use any suitable method of assessing candidates’ performance.
3.1 Case Studies
There are numerous types of case study that can be used, in a variety of environments, and all
should allow the candidate to replicate a real-life scenario and produce appropriate outcomes.
3.2 Replication / Simulation
Replication or simulation of a business scenario can be a practical and effective tool for establishing
skills and understanding where naturally occurring evidence is unavailable or infrequent. This is
typically the ‘last resort’ option for assessment but is warranted where certain considerations apply;
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Health and safety considerations
Infrequently occurring activities
Activities that would cause serious inconvenience or loss to an employer
Equality of access
Where centres use such an approach, the replication should offer a realistic working environment
where the skills to be assessed are normally employed. Simulations can have high realism and
authenticity but the utility may be poor.
3.3 Presentations
Candidates may present the results of some elements of their work to the assessor or to a wider
audience and this provides an effective way for Centres to integrate Key/Functional Skills and some
elements of Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) into the assessment of the knowledge based
outcomes. Questions asked by the audience can provide a further opportunity to test
understanding. Presentations can also demonstrate competence in areas where communication
skills are being assessed but it is important to ensure that assessment is strictly in accordance with
the requirements of the standards, and that a candidate’s lack of presentational skills are not
allowed to influence the assessment of outcomes to which they are not relevant.
3.4 Assignments
Candidates may undertake assignments either individually or as part of a group. The evidence from
an individual assignment can readily be assessed but where group assignments are used the assessor
should only accept evidence that can be attributed directly to particular candidates.
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3.5 Time-Constrained Tests
Time-constrained tests may be used for the assessment of the outcomes. Such tests should be taken
under supervised examination conditions using either conventional or technology-based techniques.
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Unseen, closed-book, examinations have a high utility and very high authenticity but poor
realism.
Open-book examinations improve on realism by making available standard reference
sources for candidates to consult. Where this is used, expectations about what constitutes a
satisfactory level or performance must be raised accordingly.
Pre-circulated case studies with unseen examinations allow candidates three to six weeks
to consider a case study in their own time and make notes. These notes may be taken into
the examination room and referred to by the candidate when answering the unseen
examination questions.
3.6 Work-Related Technical Projects
A work-related technical project could be acceptable for assessment provided that the employer
requirements match the Learning Outcomes for the Unit. The project should be based on current
issues relating to the work of the individual and be in line with employer needs. In addition to the
formal assessment process, an important element of the assessment would be employer feedback
on the project.
3.7 Assessment in the Workplace
The candidate’s normal work activities may be able to provide evidence of at least some of the
required outcomes and as a method of assessment has a high utility, at least as far as the candidate
is concerned.
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Direct assessor observation where a required outcome can be covered by workplace
observation there is no reason why it should not be. As an assessment method this rates
highly not only for utility but also for realism and authenticity.
Normal outputs from work activities in the form of reports, minutes of meetings, etc may
also be used to provide evidence. While this scores highly for utility and realism,
appropriate steps must be taken to ensure authenticity, especially where reports, etc are
produced by a team.
If these methods are used there must be a written statement by the assessor listing the outcomes
demonstrated and the criteria used to assess effective performance.
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Notes
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Assessment Strategy, Version 5
WAMITAB
Peterbridge House
3 The Lakes
Northampton
NN4 7HE
Tel: 01604 231950
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.wamitab.org.uk
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