Guidance

Requirements and guidance for apprenticeship assessment

Published 19 June 2026

1. Introduction                    

A 2024 Department for Education (DfE) review found that while apprenticeships deliver strong outcomes, the assessment process can sometimes be overly complex, burdensome and time consuming.

In February 2025, the Department for Education and the Minister for Skills announced the reforms to apprenticeship assessment supported by a new set of assessment principles that apply to all apprenticeships at every level.

The assessment reforms are designed to create a more balanced and proportionate system that works better for employers and apprentices. Improvements include:

• simpler apprenticeship assessment plans (AAPs) aligned to employer designed occupational standards
• less duplication, meaning assessment organisations (AOs) will not be required to assess behaviours, which will be verified once by employers instead
• closer collaboration between AOs and employers in designing assessments, to meet employer needs
• flexible assessment timing during the apprenticeship, not only at the end
• better apprentice experience with assessment at the right time and place
• greater provider involvement in delivering and marking some aspects of assessment where appropriate, which will reduce duplication, enable assessment during training, and create a more streamlined experience while AOs maintain quality
• more innovation, enabling AOs to design assessments which meet industry needs and encouraging modern digital assessment methods

This document sets out and explains the features of AAPs, what is required of all apprenticeship assessments, and provides information and guidance to ensure apprenticeship assessments are valid and reliable.

1.1 Approach to assessment reform

The preparation of revised AAPs will be done on a standard-by-standard basis, in consultation with Skills England’s Occupational Groups, including employers, training providers, and AOs to ensure they continue to meet the needs of both the employer and apprentice.

Skills England’s approach is flexible, working on a sector-by sector basis to ensure assessment is rigorous, proportionate, and always grounded in sector expertise and employer confidence. This will ensure assessments demonstrate full occupational competence, maintain quality (including in safety-critical roles) and recognise specific sector needs.

Apprentices will continue to learn all knowledge, skills and behaviours in the occupational standard and assessments must always fully cover all assessment outcomes.

Skills England works with Occupational Groups to identify the mandatory knowledge and skills that must always be assessed in each version of assessment, and this content is identified clearly in the AAP. The amount of mandatory content will vary by standard, depending on what each occupation requires. Content identified as mandatory presents a starting point for AOs to develop valid assessments of occupational competence which fully cover all the assessment outcomes. All knowledge and skills statements are subject to assessment over time, using content sampling, where appropriate (see sections 5 and 6 for more information).

Where appropriate, training providers may deliver and mark parts of the assessment, helping apprentices to be assessed at the right time and place, improving the apprentice experience. AOs are responsible for designing and quality assuring these assessments in line with regulatory conditions and statutory guidance.

For occupational standards where a mandatory qualification sufficiently covers all knowledge and skills outcomes, there is no requirement for further assessment. In some cases, a mandatory qualification will only cover some of the standard’s content, and an apprenticeship assessment will be required to cover the remaining elements (see section 9 for more information).

Behaviours remain a core element of every occupational standard. Employers, who observe apprentices in their day-to-day roles, are best placed to confirm that these behaviours are being demonstrated. Behaviour verification should align naturally with existing performance management and staff development processes. It is not intended to create new assessment tasks or additional administrative burden — rather, it formalises the good practice employers already undertake. To avoid unnecessary duplication, AOs and providers are not required to assess behaviours. Instead, employers are responsible for reporting their verification of behaviours to the organisation claiming the apprenticeship certificate (see section 10 for more information).

AOs will build on the approved and published AAPs to develop detailed assessment strategies and specifications which support high quality assessments of occupational competence. AAPs are designed to support comparability of outcomes.

1.2 A note on additional qualifications mandated within occupational standards for the purposes of apprenticeships (mandatory qualifications)

In some cases, apprenticeships will contain additional qualifications (sometimes referred to as ‘mandatory qualifications’ or MQs). The requirements set out in this document do not apply to these additional qualifications, irrespective of the size of the qualification and its role in assessment for the apprenticeship.

For occupational standards where a mandatory qualification sufficiently covers all knowledge and skills outcomes, there is no requirement for further assessment.

Where an MQ does not cover the knowledge and skills of the apprenticeship sufficiently and some apprenticeship assessment is necessary, the requirements of this document apply to the apprenticeship assessment only. Please refer to section 9 for more information.

1.3 Regulation and external quality assurance of apprenticeship assessment

Ofqual and The Office for Students (OfS) regulate apprenticeship assessment through their regulatory frameworks. Several other industry-specific bodies also deliver external quality assurance (EQA), monitoring assessment quality.

1.4 Status of this document

This document will be reviewed regularly, usually on an annual basis, to reflect any policy or regulatory changes and feedback from Skills England’s Expert Network, AOs, training providers and employers. Where we propose any changes, we will work in consultation with the sector to determine an appropriate period before such changes come into effect.

2. The process for developing an AAP, including the role of employers

To develop AAPs, Skills England works with Occupational Groups. Occupational Groups consist of sector experts drawn from the wider membership of Skills England’s Expert Network. They include:

• employers
• assessment organisations
• training providers
• regulators
• industry bodies
• trade unions

The role of Occupational Groups is written into legislation, which refers to them as ‘Groups of Persons’. They are convened and administered by Skills England.

Every apprenticeship will have an AAP tailored to the occupational standard and the specific requirements of that occupation.  We will support the Occupational Group to prepare the AAP with an initial draft of the assessment outcomes and performance descriptors. Assessment outcomes and performance descriptors articulate the content of the occupational standard in a way that supports the design of assessments by the AO.

We will work with the Occupational Group, in an iterative process that takes account of its expert feedback. We provide guidance and criteria to ensure the final AAP is consistent and meets its intended purpose. Employers, through their role in Occupational Groups, can influence:

• assessment outcomes
• performance descriptors
• mandatory knowledge and skill
• assessment methods (mandatory and additional)
• English and maths content where required
• any relevant additional requirements (where the evidence supports this)

We will also conduct a public survey, finalise and approve the AAP and publish it on Skills England’s Apprenticeship Finder.  AOs then use the information in the AAP, alongside the guidance contained in this document and the appropriate regulatory framework, to develop detailed specifications, assessment strategies and assessment materials for the apprenticeship.

3. The general requirements for apprenticeship assessment

These requirements will apply to all apprenticeship assessments.

3.1 Content of an apprenticeship assessment plan

AAPs set out the requirements for the assessment of a specific apprenticeship. AOs must design apprenticeship assessments that comply with the expectations set out in an AAP, as well as any requirements described here, or in other regulations.

Table 1 shows what, as a minimum, each AAP must contain.

This applies to all AAPs, except where an MQ replaces the apprenticeship assessment.

Table 1: AAP Contents

Section	Description
Introduction	Explains the AAP’s purpose, status and relationship to other documents
Assessment outcomes	Assessment outcomes describe the core requirements of the occupation that an apprentice should be able to know and demonstrate. Each knowledge and skill statement is mapped to one assessment outcome. Where there is an additional qualification mandated, these outcomes describe the content (if any) that is not  assessed by the qualification. All assessment outcomes must be fully assessed in every version of the assessment. This section also sets out the mandatory knowledge and skills statements that must be assessed in every version of the assessment that is made available. This content is identified clearly in  the AAP. Other statements must still be assessed but where appropriate, this can happen across different versions of the assessment over time. (NB all assessments must be valid assessments of occupational competence.) Knowledge and skills statements which offer opportunities to develop functional English and maths are identified with an asterisk.
Assessment requirements	Outlines the mandatory assessment method that must be used in every version of the assessment that is made available, together with optional, additional assessment methods as appropriate. Outlines any additional requirements regarding the setting, marking or timing of assessments.
Performance descriptors	Describes the level of performance to achieve a pass and distinction. Performance descriptors provide a bridge between the assessment outcomes and the grading approach that will be developed by AOs.

3.2 Assessment Outcomes

AOs must ensure that all assessment outcomes are fully assessed in each version of the apprenticeship assessment that they make available.

3.3 Purpose of Assessment Outcomes

Apprenticeship assessment must continue to assess an apprentice’s occupational competence. It evaluates an apprentice’s ability to perform their role effectively, determining whether they have the knowledge and skills to undertake the required tasks at the right level.

Apprenticeship assessment assesses apprentices on the content of the occupational standard.

To support the implementation of the Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP’s) apprenticeship assessment principles, how we translate that content into assessment plans has changed.

One of the key changes is the introduction of assessment outcomes, which describe, in broad terms, how an apprentice will demonstrate through their assessment that they are occupationally competent as a result of their training.

Each assessment outcome groups a subset of knowledge and skills to describe how they will be demonstrated in the assessment.

Each knowledge and skill statement is mapped to only one assessment outcome. The outcomes are a clear and measurable way of grouping the knowledge and skills in the occupational standard for the purposes of assessing occupational competence.

Assessment outcomes support AOs to design high quality assessments that are:

• balanced (not over or under-assessing content areas)
• proportionate (aimed at what matters most)
• flexible (supporting content sampling, a range of valid assessment approaches)

AOs will design assessments using the assessment outcomes to achieve a proportionate, and balanced assessment of the knowledge and skills in the occupational standard, enabling an apprentice to demonstrate occupational competence.

Assessment outcomes support comparability of outcomes. They also support content sampling, where appropriate, by indicating broad occupational functions within which sampling is permitted. Further guidance on content sampling is provided in sections 5 and 6 below.

AOs will ensure that any content sampling results in the valid and reliable assessment of occupational competence (as evidenced by meeting all of the assessment outcomes), whilst mitigating any risks to predictability.

Assessment outcomes are not a replacement for grading descriptors. AOs will develop their own grading approaches to support the marking of individual assessments.

3.4 Characteristics of Assessment Outcomes

Each assessment outcome:

• has a title and short description
• is mapped uniquely to a group of knowledge and skill statements
• states what an occupationally competent apprentice knows and can demonstrate by the end of their training in relation to the knowledge and skills mapped to the assessment outcome
• does not include quality descriptors such as ‘efficiently’ and ‘accurately’
• does not include the measure of performance such as ‘in line with industry requirements’ as this is better suited to the grading approach which will be developed by AOs
• places an emphasis on practical command verbs that describe what an apprentice can do but also acknowledges the underpinning knowledge

Collectively, a set of assessment outcomes:

• cover every knowledge and skill statement in an occupational standard (except those assessed by a mandatory qualification, where applicable)
• represent all of the assessment to be designed for the occupational standard

Whilst each assessment should be reasonably balanced in terms of distribution, some assessment outcomes will require a higher proportion of knowledge and skills statements to reflect the core duties of the role.

3.5 How assessment outcomes interact with other elements of the AAP

Assessment outcomes are only one part of the AAP, and the assessment plan itself is only one part of the final assessment design.  Skills England will work with the Occupational Group to prepare the AAP, including assessment outcomes which meet the specific needs of each occupation. AOs will then develop their detailed assessment approaches with input from employers to ensure these meet occupational needs.

Assessment outcomes tell AOs what proportion of the overall assessment should target which knowledge and skills. Any one assessment method could partially or wholly cover several assessment outcomes. Equally, any one assessment outcome could be covered across two or more assessments or assessment methods.

AOs will determine how their assessment methods provide coverage of the assessment outcomes, in line with their assessment strategy (or equivalent documentation) and subject to any additional requirements in the AAP.             

3.6 Performance Descriptors

AOs must design assessments that align with the expectations of the performance descriptors. Assessments must also give apprentices sufficient opportunity to demonstrate both pass and distinction grades.

3.7 Purpose of Performance Descriptors

Performance descriptors describe the level of performance required to achieve a pass or distinction.

Performance descriptors provide a bridge between the assessment outcomes and the grading approaches developed by AOs.

They are designed to support comparability of outcomes across different assessments and different organisations.

Apprentices are not directly assessed against the performance descriptors. AOs must design assessments so that the apprentice is able to achieve the grades specified in the assessment plan in line with the relevant performance descriptors.

AOs must provide clear criteria against which an apprentice’s level of attainment can be assessed. Where assessment design includes content sampling, an apprentice must meet all the requirements for a pass and distinction as outlined by the assessment.

Performance descriptors support standard setting and grading that:

• provides comparable outcomes across different AOs
• is fair to apprentices regardless of assessment approach
• is transparent to employers and stakeholders

Performance descriptors help achieve this by providing a shared reference point for what meets pass and distinction-level performance at each level. They are not intended to be used directly by assessors to mark assessments. Instead, they inform the development of assessments and assessment criteria, including AOs’ grading approaches.

3.8 Characteristics of Performance Descriptors

Generic performance descriptors describe the expected level at which an apprentice must demonstrate their knowledge and skills at ‘pass’ and ‘distinction’ grades, appropriate to the level of the apprenticeship. They do this across six performance categories:

• applied knowledge
• applied skills
• regulatory and procedural awareness
• communication and collaboration
• information use and decision making
• responsibility and autonomy

There is a single set of generic performance descriptors for each level between Level 2 and Level 7 (inclusive). See Annex 2 for all performance descriptors.

These generic descriptors are then developed and refined to reflect the specific needs of an occupation, including information and insight prepared by employers, AOs, training providers and other relevant organisations. This includes ensuring the performance descriptors reflect role-specific qualities, align with the assessment outcomes, and accurately describe the quality and effectiveness of an apprentice’s performance.

In AAPs where some of the knowledge and skills statements are assessed by an MQ and the remainder are included in an AAP and require apprenticeship assessment; the performance descriptors will only apply to the knowledge and skills statements which also require an apprenticeship assessment.

4. Passing the assessment

The available grades for a revised apprenticeship assessment will be ‘pass’ and ‘distinction.’

Where there is an exception to this it will be set out in the AAP. AOs will use the performance descriptors set out in the AAP when designing their assessments.

To achieve a pass, an apprentice must demonstrate all assessment outcomes to the level described in the performance descriptors. An apprentice must achieve a pass in all assessments to achieve a pass in their apprenticeship.

Previously, a merit grade was available in some occupational standards. The lack of consistency between apprenticeships presented problems for apprentices and employers, including the ease of understanding outcomes and fairness. Standardising grades by removing the availability of a merit grade will help to address these issues.

Where an apprentice has not met the requirements of a pass, the AO will record a ‘fail’ grade. Where a training provider delivers and marks an assessment, the training provider will need to record a ‘fail’ grade and provide that information to the AO. Information on resits and retakes is provided in section 14 below.

5. Assessment of mandatory knowledge and skills statements

To ensure appropriate coverage of the occupational standard and give confidence to users of the apprenticeship, each AAP specifies an appropriate subset of knowledge and skills statements that are mandatory. This content is identified clearly in the AAP. This means that the identified content must be assessed in each version of the apprenticeship assessment(s) that an AO makes available.

The proportion of mandatory content identified will be appropriate, and likely to vary from standard to standard, depending on the specific needs of the occupation. Skills England will work closely with the Occupational Group, including employers, AOs, industry regulators and professional bodies, to ensure the correct content is identified, including the knowledge and skills statements which are most important for each assessment outcome.

Content identified as mandatory presents a starting point for AOs to develop valid assessments of occupational competence which fully cover all the assessment outcomes. It does not present the minimum content to be assessed and does not mean the non-mandatory statements are optional. All knowledge and skills statements are subject to assessment (although not necessarily in every version of the assessment) except in the MQ only model, see section 9 for more information.

6. Content sampling

Content sampling is a planned and structured approach which assesses across a broad range of content effectively and efficiently over time. The apprenticeship assessment reforms permit AOs to use content sampling where it is appropriate to do so. It will not usually be necessary for all knowledge and skills statements in the AAP to be assessed in every version of the assessment.

AOs are permitted to develop assessments that sample content only between those knowledge and skills statements which are not identified as mandatory in the AAP. These statements, do not need to be assessed in every version of the assessment unless the AO deems them to be essential to ensure full coverage of the assessment outcome. Knowledge and skills statements not identified as mandatory must still be assessed.

When determining any approach to content sampling, an AO must build on the requirements set out in the AAP, developed with the Occupational Group, including employers. AOs should consider the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that the apprentice can demonstrate all the assessment outcomes and the specific needs of the occupation, including consideration of any safety critical elements. An AO may decide to assess additional knowledge and skills every time. AOs should also consider the appropriate period of time or number of assessment versions over which to ensure that the full range of knowledge and skills statements will be assessed.

When content sampling is used, the AO, as experts in assessment design, must devise an approach that results in apprentices demonstrating full occupational competence and:

• reliably assesses occupational competence across all assessment outcomes
• mitigates risks to validity, predictability and comparability of outcomes
• meets regulatory requirements

Where justified by evidence of risk, regulation or recognised industry standards, the AAP may sometimes set out limitations to AOs’ freedom to sample knowledge and skills statements. In these cases, the AAP will provide additional information.

6.1 Sampling within knowledge and skills statements

Individual knowledge and skills statements can sometimes cover a wide range of content, for example different outputs, outcomes, products or procedures. In these cases, AOs are permitted to sample within individual knowledge and skills statements, and the assessment will not require apprentices to demonstrate all the outcomes, products or procedures in the statement.

For example, a catering apprenticeship might include a single skill statement requiring several different pastry types, such as choux, sweet, short, puff and sable. To sample within a statement would mean that an apprentice could demonstrate their competence by producing a selection of these pastry types, rather than being required to demonstrate them all in their formal assessment.

Sampling within individual knowledge and skills statements is also permitted for mandatory statements, when appropriate. In all instances, AOs must strike an appropriate balance between proportionality and validity in any sampling approach they adopt.

7. Assessment methods and number of assessments

To support innovation, flexibility and efficiency, each AAP will set out one mandatory assessment method which must be used in each version of an assessment. AOs will select appropriate methods from a list of options to assess the remaining content where required, balancing validity and reliability with delivering proportionate assessments that reduce assessment burden.

The mandatory assessment method and the list of optional methods will be chosen with advice from the Occupational Group based on the specific needs of each occupation. This is to give users confidence in assessment outcomes by ensuring that apprentices will have one common feature in their assessment, regardless of where and when the assessment takes place.

The mandatory and additional assessment methods will, typically, be chosen from the below methods:

• demonstration, simulation, presentation and, or observation
• interview, professional discussion and, or question and answer
• written assessment and, or project
• portfolio, showcase and, or journal

Further information on the available assessment methods is included within Annex 1.

AOs must consider the proportionality and efficiency of any assessment it makes available as well as the potential burden on apprentices, employers and providers, in line with the DWP principles. It is the responsibility of the AO to design apprenticeship assessment that is reliable, valid, and meets the requirements of both the AAP and any relevant regulations.

Typically, the AAP will not combine assessment methods. However, AOs are provided with the flexibility to combine assessments, where this is suitable for the occupation and maximises an apprentice’s opportunity to demonstrate coverage of assessment outcomes. In designing their approach to assessment, AOs will seek input from employers to ensure that assessment meets the needs of the occupation.

AOs can only use assessment methods listed in the AAP when designing their assessments.

When combining assessment methods, AOs may assign assessment outcomes or parts of the assessment outcomes to the combined assessment method or to each component of the combined assessment method.

AOs decide how assessment methods are combined.

For example, when a portfolio is combined with a professional discussion, the portfolio may either underpin the professional discussion, where it is not directly assessed, or be directly assessed alongside the professional discussion.

8. Regard to external documents

Where appropriate, AAPs may require AOs to consider other relevant guidance or follow other relevant requirements appropriate to the occupation. This may include industry regulations, guidance, professional standards, frameworks and other documents of similar purpose and standing. These will usually be official publications from industry regulators, professional bodies or other representative groups.

9. Additional qualifications mandated within occupational standards

Where necessary, one or more additional qualifications may be mandated as a completion requirement for an apprenticeship (sometimes referred to as ‘mandatory qualifications’ or MQs). These are determined on a case-by-case basis for individual standards for one of the following reasons:

• the qualification is a regulatory or legal requirement to operate in that occupation
• the qualification is required for professional body membership
• the qualification has such currency in the labour market that an apprentice would be at a significant disadvantage without it

MQs will be carefully mapped by Skills England against the knowledge and skills statements set out in the occupational standard and may be used in revised apprenticeship assessment in one of three ways, shown below.

A. An MQ(s) is comprehensive, and an apprenticeship assessment is not required.

Skills England’s mapping activities demonstrate a comprehensive level of coverage, and the MQ(s) will provide the sole assessment for the apprenticeship.

The qualification(s) provides the scope to assess all the knowledge and skills set out in the occupational standard and mapping identifies that a comprehensive proportion of the apprenticeship content is covered.

B. An MQ(s) is sufficient, and an apprenticeship assessment is not required.

In this case, a small number of knowledge and skills statements are not covered, but these are not sufficient to create a separate apprenticeship assessment.

The qualification(s) assesses a sufficient proportion of the knowledge and skills set out in the occupational standard and a sufficient proportion of the apprenticeship content is covered to provide confidence of occupational competence. The qualification(s) serve as the sole means of assessment for the apprenticeship. However, there are a small number of knowledge and skills statements which are not covered by the qualification(s). These will be outlined in the AAP. These will not require assessment but do require training.

This approach will be used when any remaining knowledge and skills statements are not sufficient to support the creation of further, valid and reliable assessment. This could include, for example, where there is insufficient content to develop meaningful assessment outcomes or differentiate levels of performance or enable AOs to develop valid assessments.

C. Apprenticeship assessment is required alongside the MQ(s)

In some instances, mapping will identify that the MQ assesses an insufficient proportion of the knowledge and skills set out in the occupational standard. In this case, there are a significant number of unmapped knowledge and skills statements that need to be assessed.

This means that the MQ(s) will not provide the sole assessment for the apprenticeship. For example, a small health and safety qualification, usually taken at the start of an apprenticeship or in other cases where there are sufficient knowledge and skills statements remaining to support the creation of a valid and reliable apprenticeship assessment.

In these cases, apprenticeship assessment will also be required alongside the MQ(s) and assessment outcomes will apply to describe the content that is not assessed by the qualification(s).

9.1 Grading

Where an apprenticeship is assessed solely by an MQ, the apprenticeship will be graded on a pass or fail basis. A pass must represent full occupational competence in the relevant occupation, ensuring that the apprentice meets all required knowledge and skills as defined in the occupational standard.

Whilst the apprenticeship certificate will record a pass, the mandatory qualification may operate with grading approaches that are different to the apprenticeship. This means that the qualification could award grades above a pass.

9.2 Assessment Outcomes

Assessment outcomes apply to all AAPs, except where an MQ replaces the entire apprenticeship assessment.

Where apprenticeship assessment is required alongside the MQ(s), assessment outcomes will apply to describe only the content that is not assessed by the qualification.

Further information about assessment outcomes is set out in section 3.2.

In some cases, such as when more than one qualification has been mandated within the occupational standard, there may be differences in the mapping of the knowledge and skills, which demonstrates a variation in the coverage between these qualifications.

In these cases, apprenticeship assessment may be required alongside the MQ(s) so that apprentices are able to demonstrate full occupational competence.

To ensure an appropriate balance of valid and proportionate assessment, the apprenticeship assessment will assess the smallest common set of unmapped knowledge and skills statements.

9.3 Post publication

If a mandated qualification is updated after the apprenticeship has been published, or if a new equivalent qualification enters the market, a light-touch revision process of the apprenticeship will be applied. This process will determine whether the updated or new qualification can be mandated and used for assessment purposes without requiring a full redevelopment of the occupational standard.

10. Verification of behaviours

To prevent unnecessary duplication within apprenticeship assessment, employers will hold primary responsibility for verifying that apprentices have demonstrated the behaviours required by the occupational standard. Employers are best positioned to make these judgements because they observe apprentices consistently, over time, and within real workplace contexts.

Behaviours remain a mandatory component of every occupational standard. To progress to gateway to completion, the employer must confirm that each behaviour statement has been sufficiently demonstrated during the programme. This requirement sits alongside other gateway conditions, including the completion of on-programme assessments, achievement of MQs (where applicable), and meeting English and maths requirements.

Under the previous gateway to end-point assessment arrangements, employers were required to confirm that apprentices had sufficiently demonstrated the required knowledge, skills, and behaviours. Behaviour verification should therefore be integral to existing performance management and staff development processes. It is not intended to introduce new assessment systems or additional burden. Instead, it formalises routine and established employer practices, such as supervision, feedback, induction conversations, and regular check-ins, which naturally support and evidence apprentices’ behavioural development. 

Employers are responsible for reporting their behaviour verification to the organisation requesting the apprenticeship certificate. AOs and training providers are not required to assess behaviours or quality assure employer decisions.

Behaviours do not contribute to apprenticeship grading. They must be demonstrated at a sufficient level for a certificate to be issued, but they do not influence whether an apprentice achieves a pass or distinction.

Employers must therefore monitor behavioural development throughout the programme and confirm sufficient demonstration of all required behaviours before an apprenticeship certificate can be requested. A certificate cannot be issued without this employer confirmation.

The training provider will confirm this with the AO (where they are the organisation requesting the apprenticeship certificate). 

If an employer determines that an apprentice has not demonstrated the required behaviours, an apprenticeship certificate cannot be issued.

11. Gateway to completion

Before an apprenticeship certificate can be requested, the AO requesting the certificate must confirm that the apprentice has achieved the requirements set out in an AAP. Where an apprenticeship is assessed solely by one or more MQ, the training provider will request the apprenticeship certificate.

These requirements include confirming that the employer has verified that the apprentice has sufficiently demonstrated the required behaviours (described in the occupational standard). They may also include:

• the achievement of any additional qualifications and requirements mandated within the occupational standard
• the achievement of English and maths qualifications, as per the latest version of the apprenticeship funding rules

To reflect that apprenticeship assessment can take place at any stage of the apprenticeship, the previously used term ‘gateway’ or ‘gateway to assessment’ has been replaced by ‘gateway to completion’. More information is available in DWP’s Changes to apprenticeship assessment .

Gateway to completion will continue to be used as a checkpoint at the end of an apprenticeship programme to ensure that the apprentice has completed all necessary requirements and is ready to receive their certificate.

Necessary requirements still include:

• the completion of English and maths qualifications (where applicable)
• any additional qualifications (where applicable)
• satisfactory evidence (as determined by the employer, in consultation with the main provider) that the apprentice has achieved the necessary knowledge, skills and demonstrated the behaviours (as verified by employers) set out in the occupational standard

Employers and training providers should have ongoing conversations throughout the learning period about assessment readiness, mandatory qualifications and competence, with regular progress reviews also including the apprentice. Gateway to completion should be used as the final opportunity to check that the apprentice has met all the requirements for completion rather than used as the singular review point.

12. English and maths in Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships

The current DWP funding rule requirements in relation to English and maths continue to apply.

Essential English and maths skills underpin many Level 2 and Level 3 occupational standards. AAPs for these levels will identify knowledge and skills statements that provide an opportunity to develop essential, occupationally relevant English and maths skills in a workplace setting. In AAPs, these statements are marked with an asterisk (*) to provide visibility for employers, apprentices, AOs, and training providers.

Assessment of underpinning English and maths skills already occurs in apprenticeship assessment. This is most obvious where the knowledge or skills explicitly references these skills, for example ‘Communication methods, formats and techniques to help audiences understand data findings and their implications, for example written, verbal, non-verbal, presentation, email, conversation, storytelling and active listening.’ (L3 Data Technician.)

In some apprenticeships, the skills are implied or described more subtly, especially in older occupational standards. In those cases, it may be appropriate to highlight essential occupationally relevant English and maths skills within the AAP.

This approach is intended to set out where occupationally relevant English and maths skills are developed, not to introduce additional assessment requirements for English and maths content, such as standalone assessments of English and or maths. This will enable employers, AOs, providers and apprentices to understand where English and maths skills are likely to be important when demonstrating occupational competence (for example, to tailor teaching and learning accordingly).

As described in section 5, AAPs will set out mandatory knowledge and skills which must be assessed in every version of the apprenticeship’s assessment. Where a mandatory knowledge or skill statement includes underpinning English or maths, AAPs may in some cases signal specific tasks that must be undertaken as part of the assessment, to ensure suitable coverage of those statements. For example, it may require direct assessment of an apprentice’s verbal communication skills, or a demonstration of having performed a calculation.

13. English and maths in apprenticeships at Level 4 and above

Apprenticeships at Level 4 and above become increasingly specialised and the nature of the English and maths skills within them changes to reflect this. The order of English and maths skills within these apprenticeships is often considerably higher, moving away from foundational skills and into increasingly expert usage.

Where appropriate, AAPs will still identify underpinning English and maths skills, as outlined above for Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships.

For some apprenticeships, this will be unnecessary, for example where higher-level maths skills comprise a significant amount of the occupational standard’s content. In these scenarios, we may include specific guidance on how the English and maths content must be addressed in an assessment but will not identify underpinning knowledge and skills.

14. Resits and retakes

Resits do not require the apprentice to undertake any further training or learning to pass the assessment.

Retakes require further training and learning for the apprentice to demonstrate they are working at or above the level set out in the occupational standard.

AOs are responsible for designing their resits and retakes policy, in line with the requirements of the appropriate regulatory framework.

The approach to resits and retakes must not limit an apprentice’s ability to achieve a distinction grade or place a cap on the grade an apprentice can achieve unless there is a justifiable industry or regulatory requirement for such an approach. This is because there are many reasons an apprentice may not perform to their full ability in an assessment, and to cap a grade may mean their attainment is not evidenced by their outcome. This may disproportionately affect apprentices with a protected characteristic (for example, disability) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Where apprenticeship assessment consists of more than one assessment, wherever possible, apprentices should only resit or retake the assessment(s) in which they have been unsuccessful or in which they wish to improve their grade.

Where training providers deliver and mark assessments and an apprentice needs to resit or retake one or more assessments, AOs should set out the requirements for resits and retakes, including the reporting of grades.

15. Degree-apprenticeships

A degree can be mandated as a completion requirement for an apprenticeship (referred to as a ‘degree-apprenticeship’). The degree must be aligned with the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) in the occupational standard. This means the degree can provide the sole assessment for the apprenticeship and achievement of the degree confirms completion of the apprenticeship.

A degree can be mandated in an apprenticeship on a case-by-case basis for one of the following reasons:

• a Level 6 degree can be mandated in a Level 6 apprenticeship covering a ‘degree level entry’ occupation 
• a master’s degree can be mandated in a Level 7 apprenticeship covering a ‘master’s level entry’ occupation

The development of bespoke degrees is required to support a degree-apprenticeship.   Learning outcomes of the degree must be aligned with the KSBs in the occupational standard and all KSBs must be taught. Behaviours are verified by employers and do not contribute to the apprenticeship grade. See Section 10 for more information about behaviours.

A small number of pre-existing Level 5 foundation degrees meet the requirements for degree-apprenticeships and may continue to operate. These degree-apprenticeships are regulated by the Office for Students (OfS).

15.1 Assessment Outcomes

Assessment outcomes apply to all AAPs, except where a mandated qualification or a degree, replaces the entire apprenticeship assessment. The degree’s assessment outcome will confirm completion of the apprenticeship.

Further information about assessment outcomes can be found in Section 3.2.

15.2 Grading

Where an apprenticeship is assessed solely through a degree, the apprenticeship will be graded on a pass or fail basis. A pass must represent full occupational competence in the relevant occupation, ensuring that the apprentice meets all required knowledge and skills as defined in the occupational standard.

Whilst the apprenticeship certificate will record a pass, the degree may operate with grading approaches that are different to the apprenticeship. This means that the degree could award grades above a pass and retain the degree classification system.

15.3 Delivery Arrangements

Higher Education Providers (HEPs) operating under sub-contractual and validation arrangements may deliver degree-apprenticeships, including the apprenticeship assessment. Where a degree-apprenticeship is delivered through validation or sub-contracting, the HEP holding the degree-awarding power is responsible for awarding the degree-apprenticeship.

The assessment of degree-apprenticeships must be delivered by a HEP acting in its role as an AO. AOs must comply with regulatory requirements and be registered with the OfS for each degree-apprenticeship they assess.

There are broadly three arrangements recognised by the OfS through which registered HEPs may deliver higher education. HEPs must operate under at least one of the following:

• the provider holds degree awarding powers and awards its own degrees
• the provider doesn’t hold degree awarding powers and delivers provision through a validation arrangement with a provider that does
• the provider doesn’t hold degree awarding powers and delivers provision through a sub-contractual arrangement with a provider that does