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Guidance
End-point assessment
guide for apprentices
Published 7 February 2024
Applies to England
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Home Education, training and skills Further and higher education, skills and vocational training
Apprenticeships, traineeships and internships
End-point assessment guide for apprentices 2024
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
Ofqual
Contents
Introduction
Introduction
This guide is for apprentices. It will help you find out about what to expect from your
end-point assessment (EPA). EPA is an independent assessment at the final stage
of your apprenticeship. It tests the knowledge, skills and behaviours that you have
gained during your apprenticeship programme. You will not be able to achieve your
apprenticeship without passing your EPA.
Your EPA is a regulated qualification. This means you can expect timely, fair and
consistent assessment at the end of your training, and protection if things go wrong.
Regulated qualifications include GCSEs, A levels and vocational and technical
qualifications including Functional Skills Qualifications and EPA.
Roles and responsibilities
Preparing for your EPA
What to expect from your EPA
Additional support
Malpractice
How to report suspected malpractice 
What happens after you have taken your EPA? 
Getting your results  
Resits and retakes 
If you have concerns about your results 
Mental health support 
Equalities: Equality Advisory and Support Services (EASS) 
Useful contacts 
Roles and responsibilities
In this guide, we talk about awarding organisations (sometimes called EPAOs, exam
boards or awarding bodies). Organisations that offer regulated qualifications are
awarding organisations, including those offering EPA. The awarding organisation is
responsible for managing and quality assuring the EPA process, from processing
your registration and running the assessment to providing results and claiming the
certificate that is awarded to you when you have successfully completed your
apprenticeship.
We call the organisation that supplies the off-the-job training element of your
apprenticeship a training provider in this guide. The training provider is jointly
responsible with the employer for keeping you on track with your apprenticeship. The
training provider is also responsible for registering you with the awarding
organisation and booking the EPA.
PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES
Who does what?
Each of the organisations listed below has a part to play in protecting quality
in apprenticeships. This ensures every apprentice has the best experience
and the opportunity to reach their potential.
Department for Education (DfE)
manages the apprenticeship funding system
has overall responsibility for the quality of apprenticeships
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical
Education (IfATE)
works with employers (trailblazers) to approve, develop and review the
content of apprenticeships
has responsibility for the quality assurance of EPA
Office for Standards in Education, Children’s
Services and Skills (Ofsted)
inspects the quality of apprenticeship training provision
publishes the findings from these inspections
Office of Qualifications and Examinations
Regulation (Ofqual)
regulates qualifications (for example, GCSEs, A levels and vocational and
technical qualifications including Functional Skills Qualifications and EPA)
in England
maintains standards and confidence in regulated qualifications
Office for Students (OfS)
monitors quality and standards of higher education providers
ensures that EPA for integrated degree apprenticeships meets high
standards
Preparing for your EPA
Once you have enrolled on your apprenticeship, you will have an induction. During
your induction, you should discuss your EPA as part of an overview of the
apprenticeship. The EPA is different for each apprenticeship. At your induction, you
should be given the EPA plan for your apprenticeship and approximate timescales
for completion. This helps you to know what to expect from the start so that you
begin with the goal of achieving the best grade possible.
To ensure you receive the appropriate support and training during your
apprenticeship, you, your training provider and your employer will sign a commitment
statement. If you did not do this at enrolment, you will sign it at your induction
meeting.
Apprenticeships are based on occupations recognised by employers. IfATE works
with employers to make sure apprenticeships are of the highest quality, so that you
have the skills you need to succeed.
Each apprenticeship has an occupational standard. You can view occupational
standards for a particular route via the occupational maps.
The occupational standard describes what someone in the occupation does. It
includes the expected knowledge, skills and behaviours that you should have
achieved by the end of your learning period. The occupational standard is
developed by employers and is used by them to design and deliver on- and off-the-
job training. Awarding organisations use assessment plans based on occupational
standards to develop EPA.
The occupational maps illustrate progression routes and how occupations at
different levels link together.
Some tips to help you prepare for your EPA
Before you take your EPA, you will complete the on-programme stage of your
apprenticeship. This will involve you completing a series of activities and tasks with
your employer and training provider to help you practise skills, knowledge and
behaviours set out in the occupational standard.  During the on-programme stage,
you should be given time to practise all the required skills and tasks, including
through mock assessments, so that you feel confident in showing what you know
and can do when you take your EPA.
Your employer should help you prepare for your EPA during review meetings,
setting targets that are clearly linked to the assessment requirements and giving you
study leave for, and feedback on, your assignments.
The awarding organisation may provide resources to support you as you prepare for
your EPA. For example, a ‘how to’ guide for video conference software, if it is used
during part of your EPA. This may include a link to check you can access the
software ahead of your assessment.
Read the occupational standard and assessment plan for your
apprenticeship
1
Make sure you understand the knowledge, skills and behaviours you
need to learn
2
Familiarise yourself with the EPA requirements before, during and as
you finish your learning period
3
Stay up to date with logging your off-the job time for any activities you
want to use as part of your evidence for EPA (record the type of
activity, the time and the date it took place)
4
Ask your training provider and employer about the resit or retake policy5
What to expect from your EPA
You, your employer and your training provider will make a joint decision about when
you are ready to progress to your EPA. This stage is called the ‘gateway’. Gateway
takes place before an EPA can start. Each assessment plan clearly states the
requirements you must meet at the point of gateway.
Talk to your employer and training provider so that you are clear about what you will
be doing for each part of your EPA and whether you need to receive results for any
part of your EPA before progressing to another part of the assessment.
EPAs are set and run by awarding organisations. The awarding organisation ensures
the gateway requirements have been met before they accept you into EPA.
The assessment plan for your apprenticeship details how you will be assessed
against the appropriate criteria. For example, you may complete some or all of these
as part of your EPA:
a practical assessment
an interview
a project
PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES
written and/or multiple choice tests
a presentation
This four-minute film explains different types of assessment methods for EPAs:
This four-minute film explains different types of assessment methods for EPAs.
In addition to taking your EPA, you may need to complete or pass other
assessments and/or qualifications to gain your apprenticeship, for example, English
and maths qualifications or licensing qualifications. You will discuss this at your
induction.
Talk to your employer and training provider at the gateway meeting so that you know
when you can expect to take your assessments and what will happen if any part of
your assessment is delayed or rescheduled.
If you have concerns about the quality of your EPA and how it is run, you can talk
to your employer and training provider. You can also check the awarding
organisation’s complaints procedure, which should be published on its website,
and get in touch to tell it where things have not met your expectations.
Additional support
Reasonable adjustments
If you have a particular disability, such as a physical or mental impairment that has a
substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-
day activities, you may need support when you take your EPA. Reasonable
adjustments are adjustments made to an assessment so that you can demonstrate
your knowledge, skills and understanding to the level required by the assessment
plan.
Reasonable adjustments may include:
flexibility of time of assessment or extra time allowance
timed rest breaks
someone to write your dictated answers
someone to read the questions for you
a personal support worker in attendance during your assessment
Tell your training provider as soon as possible if you think you need to apply for
reasonable adjustments. It is likely you will be using the reasonable adjustment as
part of your training. Awarding organisations must have arrangements in place for
reasonable adjustments and will review the request in line with their
arrangements.
Special consideration
Sometimes something happens that is beyond your control. Special consideration
can be applied if something happens that temporarily affects your ability to take or
show what you can do in your EPA, or your ability to demonstrate occupational
competence.
Special consideration is only given for something that happens immediately before
or during the EPA. It is given if there is a significant effect on your ability to take the
assessment, or on how you performed. For example, if you have temporarily
experienced a serious illness or injury or some other event outside your control.
To qualify for special consideration, you must have covered the requirements of the
assessment plan.
Tell your training provider as soon as possible if you think you need to apply for
special consideration. Awarding organisations must have arrangements in place
to consider requests for special consideration and will review the request in line
with their arrangements.
IfATE has published guidance on reasonable adjustments and special
consideration.
Malpractice
Malpractice often involves cheating, or some other form of wrongdoing. Examples
include: 
sharing answers with others taking the assessment 
not following the rules of the assessment 
getting someone to take your assessment for you 
leaking assessment materials or using leaked materials 
copying or rephrasing information from another source, including artificial
intelligence (AI) tools, for example ChatGPT or Google Bard 
When you take your EPA, the work you submit must be your own. If you commit
malpractice you could face serious sanctions, including being disqualified from the
EPA. Your training provider and awarding organisation will have further information
on malpractice.
How to report suspected malpractice 
Everyone involved in delivering and taking EPA has a role to play in preventing and
reporting malpractice, including you. This is to make sure that assessments are fair
for everyone.  
If you see or suspect malpractice, we encourage you to report it to your training
provider or the awarding organisation, as appropriate.  
Awarding organisations must have arrangements in place to deal with malpractice
and will investigate in line with their arrangements. All allegations of malpractice
are taken extremely seriously. 
You can also contact Ofqual.
What happens after you have taken your
EPA? 
After you have taken all the parts of your EPA, the awarding organisation will mark or
assess your work and send the results to your training provider.
Getting your results  
You will be awarded with a certificate if you: 
pass your EPA 
complete or pass any requirements in English and maths set out in the
assessment plan 
complete or pass any other required qualifications 
successfully complete your apprenticeship 
If you want further information about taking the next steps in your career, you can
speak to your employer or training provider. You can also visit the National Careers
Service website, which offers advice and support.
PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES
Resits and retakes 
If you fail one or more parts of the EPA, talk to your employer and training provider
about the opportunity to resit or retake it.  
If you fail one or more of the assessments, you, your training provider and your
employer can discuss the feedback provided by the assessor. You can then draw up
an action plan to help you prepare for a resit or a retake.  
A resit usually involves you resitting one or more of your assessments without further
training. 
A retake usually involves you doing further training before you do the assessment
again. 
You cannot resit or retake a particular part of the assessment to try to get a better
grade if you have already passed that part of the assessment.
If you have concerns about your results 
If you have concerns about your results or want to appeal against your grade, speak
to your employer or training provider, who will be able to help you.  
You can also check the awarding organisation’s complaints and appeals procedure,
published on its website, and get in touch to tell it about your concerns.
Mental health support 
Always make sure you speak to somebody you trust if you are feeling anxious or
struggling with your mental health.  
You may find it helpful to read IfATE’s guide, Welfare and wellbeing in the
apprenticeship 
You can also contact: 
NHS England support for apprentices: I’m a current apprentice; what support is
available for me? 
Mind 
Young Minds 
NHS 111 online
Equalities: Equality Advisory and
Support Services (EASS) 
You can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) for advice on
discrimination concerns. EASS advises and assists individuals on issues relating to
equality and human rights, across England, Scotland and Wales. 
Useful contacts 
The Department for Education (DfE) provides information on finding an
apprenticeship, including higher and degree apprenticeships and a glossary of
terms for explanations of words or phrases that you may come across during your
apprenticeship. The apprentice guide to assessment is a best practice guide with
information about how you will be assessed during your EPA. You can also read
these overviews about understanding EPA and preparing for EPA. 
DfE also provides information on redundancy support for apprentices.  
Make sure you know about your rights as an apprentice and where to get support.
DfE contact form for general enquiries 
Telephone: 0370 000 2288  
Opening times: Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm, (excluding bank holidays)  
You may get a quicker answer by calling between 9:30am and 10am, or between
Telephone: 0808 800 0082 
Textphone: 0808 800 0084
4pm and 5pm. 
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) publishes
standards approved for delivery, including approved assessment plans.  
You can search apprenticeships using the Apprenticeship Search. 
You can find explanations of words, phrases or abbreviations used in
apprenticeships in the glossary of terms.
The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) 
You can read this blog about how Ofqual acts in the interests of apprentices. 
Ofqual sets out its regulation of apprenticeship end-point assessment in this guide
for awarding organisations. 
The Ofqual Student Guide is updated every year and provides information about
arrangements for qualifications regulated by Ofqual, for example GCSEs, AS or A
levels, Technical Qualifications within a T Level and Vocational and Technical
Qualifications taken alongside GCSEs and A levels in subjects such as engineering,
health & social care and digital media. It also explains what support is in place when
taking exams and assessments.
The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of higher education in
England. If you are doing an integrated degree apprenticeship, you can read the OfS
degree apprenticeships – guide for apprentices.
Amazing Apprenticeships provides information and resources, network and
support for apprentices. This Rapid Read is a bite-sized overview of EPA.
Association of Apprentices provides apprentices (past and present) with
opportunities to support each other.
Youth Employment UK provides information on careers, employers and free skills
training. You can read about how to handle apprenticeship transfers, restarts, and
breaks in learning. You can also find out about preparing a portfolio of evidence for
your EPA.
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End-point assessment guide for apprentices : Published 7 February 2024

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