Learning and Skills Mentor Level 4

Version 1.2  |  ST1379

EPA Overview

End-Point Assessment (EPA) is the final stage of the apprenticeship and provides an opportunity for apprentices to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and behaviours they have developed during their Learning & Skills Mentor Level 4 apprenticeship.

The assessment for a Learning & Skills Mentor Level 4 apprentice includes an Observation with Questioning and a Professional Discussion Underpinned by a Portfolio of Evidence.

An apprentice cannot achieve their apprenticeship without passing the End-Point Assessment.

The End-Point Assessment for Learning & Skills Mentor Level 4 can be carried our remotely or face-to-face.

Gateway Requirements

Gateway requirements for Learning & Skills Mentor Level 4 apprentices includes:

• Evidence of achieving relevant maths and English qualifications if required by funding regulations or the employer

• A completed Portfolio of Evidence

• Typically, 12 months on programme

Assessment Methods

The EPA for the Learning & Skills Mentor Level 4 apprenticeship is made up of two assessment components, both of which must be passed to achieve the apprenticeship.

Observation with Questioning

Apprentices will be observed within their workplace over the course of a 2-hour period, with 90 minutes allocated for the observation and 30 minutes for the questioning session.

The independent assessor can increase the time of the observation by up to 10% if necessary.

Apprentices will be observed conducting one live 30-minute mentoring session. In addition, the apprentice will provide the independent assessor with two 30-minute recordings of mentoring sessions that must have been recorded post Gateway.

This will then be followed by the questioning session lasting where the independent assessor will question the apprentice in order to clarify information observed during the assessment, and to allow the apprentice to add depth and detail to their evidence against the KSBs.

Professional Discussion Underpinned by a Portfolio of Evidence

The Professional Discussion will last 60 minutes (+10% if needed) and be a structured discussion between the apprentice and the independent assessor, following the Observation component, to establish the apprentice’s understanding and application of the knowledge, skills and behaviours.

The assessor will ask at least 8 questions relating to the criteria highlighted in the methods table. Follow-up questions are allowed where clarification is required.

Results

NQual will communicate results within 10 working days of the final assessment.

If an apprentice Fails one or more component, they will be offered the opportunity to re-sit / re-take the component(s). It is then up to the apprentice’s employer how many attempts an apprentice is given.

The timescale for a re-sit typically takes 2 months and a re-take 3 months (dependent on how much re-training is required). All assessment methods must be taken within a 6-month period, otherwise the entire EPA will need to be resat / retaken.

Where any assessment method must be re-sat or re-taken, the apprentice will be awarded a maximum EPA grade of Pass. Re-sits and re-takes are not offered to an apprentice wishing to move from Pass to a higher grade.

View NQual's Support Pack document for full details about the Learning & Skills Mentor Level 4 apprenticeship assessment.