Assessment method 1: Project and presentation with questioning
(This assessment method has 2 components.)
Assessment method 1 component 1: Project
Overview
The project is compiled after the apprentice has gone through the gateway.
The work-based project should be designed to ensure that the apprentice’s work meets the needs of the business, is relevant to their role and allows the relevant KSBs to be demonstrated for the EPA. Therefore, the project’s subject, title and scope will be agreed between the employer and the EPAO within 2 weeks of the gateway being passed. The employer will ensure it has a real business application and the EPAO will ensure it meets the requirements of the EPA (including suitable coverage of the KSBs assigned to this assessment method).
The rationale for this assessment method is:
The occupation of Clinical Scientist involves carrying out clinical projects and research as part of the day-to-day role. The use of a project for assessment is, therefore, considered to be the best method of assessment and demonstrates the use of KSBs in practice.
Delivery
Apprentices will conduct a project in the form of a report.
The project starts after the apprentice has gone through the gateway process. The apprentice will conduct their project and submit it to the EPAO 14 weeks from the date of sign-off of the project title and scope.
The employer should ensure the apprentice has sufficient time and the necessary resources, within this period, to plan and undertake the project.
The EPAO must provide a generic specification for a range of qualifying projects, to enable the employer to select a project that will meet the requirements of the EPA. Note that the employer is not restricted to this selection; however, the project title and scope must be signed off by the EPAO to ensure sufficient coverage of the assigned KSBs.
The project should be in the format of either paper based or electronic.
The project may be based on, but not limited to, any of the examples below. The project may involve research or service improvement and must be linked to the clinical scientific service itself and seek to address or resolve:
- a specific problem
- a recurring issue
- an idea/opportunity.
It must be based on real work-based activities carried out in the employer’s workplace as part of the day-to-day work role of the apprentice.
As a minimum all projects must include:
- an introduction, including a literature review
- the scope of the project (including key performance indicators)
- methodology
- a project plan
- research and findings
- project outcomes
- recommendations and and conclusions.
The project report has a word limit of 6,000. A tolerance of plus or minus 10% is allowed, at the discretion of the apprentice.
Appendices, references, diagrams and tables will not be included in this total.
The project must map, in an appendix, how it evidences the relevant KSBs for this assessment method.
When the project is submitted, the employer and the apprentice should verify that the submitted work is that of the apprentice.
The apprentice must be allowed 14 weeks to complete and submit the project report and presentation following the EPAO’s approval of the project report’s title and scope.
The project report plus materials relating to the presentation (see below) must be submitted together after the gateway.
Marking
The independent assessor will review and mark the project report holistically together with the presentation and questioning as they are both components of the same assessment method. This will be done in a timely manner, as determined by the EPAO, and without extending the EPA unnecessarily. Similarly, all quality control processes will also be conducted in a timely manner, as determined by the EPAO.
The independent assessor will make all grading decisions.
Assessment method 1 component 2: Presentation and questioning
Overview
A presentation with Q&A involves an apprentice presenting to an independent assessor, focusing on a particular topic. It will be followed by questioning from the independent assessor.
Apprentices will prepare and deliver a presentation that covers the KSBs assigned to this method of assessment.
The independent assessor should have 2 weeks to review the report prior to the presentation. The apprentice needs to notify the EPAO at the submission of the project report and presentation of any technical requirements for the presentation component.
The presentation will be based on the project and will cover the following:
- a summary of the project report
- an explanation of how and why the techniques used were selected
- how the outcomes were were achieved.
The presentation will be completed and submitted after the gateway and will be presented to an independent assessor, either face-to-face or via online video conferencing. If using an online platform, EPAOs must ensure appropriate measures are in place to prevent misrepresentation and ensure the apprentice is not being aided in any way e.g. use of a 360-degree camera to allow the independent assessor to view the assessment environment during the presentation.
Delivery
The presentation must be submitted with the project report 14 weeks after the EPAO’s approval of the project’s title and scope. The apprentice will be given 2 weeks’ notice of the presentation to allow the independent assessor sufficient time to review the project report and presentation and prepare appropriate questions. The presentation and questioning will take 60 minutes, plus 10% (at the discretion of the independent assessor) if required. The presentation will typically last for 15 minutes, and the questioning will typically last for 45 minutes. The discretionary additional 10% time can be allocated in any proportion across the presentation and questioning.
The independent assessor will ask a minimum of 7 questions at the end of the presentation.
The independent assessor will use the questions from a question bank supplied by the EPAO as a guide to tailor their own questions based on the presentation. They will use them to confirm their understanding of the presentation and how it demonstrates the relevant KSBs. They may ask follow-up questions where clarification is required. The independent assessor must allow the apprentice the opportunity to evidence occupational competence at the highest level available.
To deliver the presentation, the apprentice will have access to:
- PowerPoint
- flip chart
- work products
- videos
- notes
- computer
KSBs met and answers to questions, must be recorded in writing by the independent assessor. The independent assessor will make all grading decisions.
The independent assessor will make all grading decisions based on the holistic assessment of both the project report and the presentation and questioning.
A question bank must be developed by EPAOs. The question bank must be of sufficient size to prevent predictability and the EPAO must review it regularly (at least once a year) to ensure that it, and its content, are fit for purpose. The specifications, including questions relating to the underpinning KSBs, must be varied yet allow assessment of the relevant KSBs.
EPAOs must ensure that apprentices have a different set of questions in the case of re-sits/re-takes.
Independent assessors must be developed and trained by the EPAO in the conduct of questioning and reaching consistent judgement.
Requirements
- Apprentices must receive appropriate notice of their presentation and the available time for questions. There should be a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice of the time, date and venue.
- The venue must have suitable audio-visual
- Audio and video record of the presentation and questioning must be captured.
- The independent assessor must assess the presentation using the grading criteria in this document.
- The independent assessor must:
-
- plan the assessment prior to it taking place
- ensure that the location for the assessment is appropriate
- ensure the presentation and questioning takes place in a room free from distractions with no other people present except those for QA purposes with prior approval from the EPAO
- ensure any special needs of the apprentice are taken into consideration in line with the EPAO’s Reasonable Adjustments Policy
- ensure that the apprentice understands the assessment process, the possible outcomes and the grading system
- do what they can to put the apprentice at ease
- ensure that the grading criteria and relevant documentation are to hand before commencing
- document the outcomes using the EPAO’s standard documentation
- ensure the apprentice is not informed of the outcome of the assessment at this stage
- confirm the specification has been fully covered and the rules have been followed
- send documentation to the EPAO within the agreed
Venue
EPAOs must ensure that the presentation and questioning elements are conducted in a suitable controlled environment in any of the following:
- employer’s premises
- other suitable venue selected by the EPAO (for example a training provider)
The venue should be a quiet room, free from distraction and external influence.
Supporting material
EPAOs will produce the following materials to ensure that this assessment method is marked consistently and accurately:
- outline of the assessment method’s requirements
- examples of project titles
- marking materials
- question bank
- independent assessor training materials
- assessment specifications
- grading guidance
- assessment recording documentation
- examples of projects
Assessment method 2: Professional discussion underpinned by portfolio
(This assessment method has 1 component.)
Assessment method 2 component 1: Professional discussion
Overview
This assessment will take the form of a professional discussion which must be appropriately structured to draw out the best of the apprentice’s competence and excellence and cover the KSBs assigned to this assessment method. Questions asked should assess the KSBs assigned to this assessment method and the apprentice may use their portfolio to support their responses.
The rationale for this assessment method is:
A professional discussion is not simply a question and answer session but a meaningful, in-depth two- way dialogue between the apprentice and the independent assessor. It allows the apprentice to use standardised questions and scenarios as a starting point to explore their own practice and experiences with the independent assessor to show how they demonstrate the occupation’s KSBs and that they are occupationally competent. A professional discussion is a well-recognised method of checking knowledge, skills and behaviours.
Delivery
The independent assessor will conduct and assess the professional discussion.
Apprentices must be given at least two weeks’ notice ahead of the professional discussion. The underpinning portfolio will have been submitted in line with EPAO requirements and at the gateway and must evidence all of the KSBs mapped to this assessment method. The independent assessor can use the contents of the portfolio to identify discussion topics for the professional discussion.
The professional discussion must last for 90 minutes. The independent assessor has the discretion to increase the time of the professional discussion by up to 10% to allow the apprentice to complete their last answer. Further time may be granted for apprentices with appropriate needs, in-line with the EPAO’s Reasonable Adjustments policy.
During this method, the independent assessor must combine questions from the EPAO’s question bank and those generated by themselves.
The professional discussion will be conducted as follows:
It will be undertaken by an independent assessor. The independent assessor’s role will be to manage, open and close the session, ask independent assessor generated questions and make the final assessment decision based on their own assessment and following any EPAO guidance. The professional discussion is underpinned by the portfolio submitted as a gateway requirement.
Questioning should be used to assess KSBs mapped to this method and to explore the apprentice’s ability to deal with KSBs in a variety of circumstances. Apprentices will be expected to refer to examples in their portfolio to support their answers. A minimum of 15 questions should be asked.
Independent assessors must use the question bank as a source for questioning and are expected to use their professional judgment to tailor those questions appropriately.
The apprentice and the independent assessor will have access to their own copies of the portfolio throughout the professional discussion and both can refer to it as needed.
Independent assessors must be developed and trained in the conduct of professional discussions, how to design their own questions from reviewing portfolio content, and in reaching consistent judgement by their EPAO. The independent assessor will make notes of the apprentices’ response to questions.
The professional discussion should be graded fail, pass or distinction. The portfolio underpins the professional discussion and will not be assessed or graded. Independent assessors must allocate grades using the grading criteria.
The independent assessor must use the assessment tools and procedures that are set by the EPAO to record the professional discussion.
The independent assessor will make all grading decisions.
Requirements
- The EPAO will circulate a bank of questions to assess the KSBs addressed by the professional discussion
- The independent assessor must assess the professional discussion using the grading criteria in this document.
- The independent assessor must:
-
- plan the assessment prior to it taking place
- ensure that the location for the assessment is appropriate
- ensure the professional discussion takes place in a room free from distractions with no other people present except those for QA purposes with prior approval from the EPAO
- ensure any special needs of the apprentice are taken into consideration in line with the EPAO’s reasonable adjustments policy
- ensure that the apprentice understands the assessment process, the possible outcomes and the grading system
- do what they can to put the apprentice at ease
- ensure that the grading criteria and relevant documentation are to hand before commencing
- document the outcomes using the EPAO’s standard documentation
- ensure the apprentice is not informed of the outcome of the assessment at this stage
- send documentation to the EPAO within the agreed time
Venue
The professional discussion should take place in a quiet room, free from distractions and influence.
The professional discussion can take place in any of the following:
- employer’s premises
- a suitable venue selected by the EPAO (for example a training provider’s premises)
Video conferencing can be used to conduct the professional discussion but the EPAO must have processes in place to verify the identity of the apprentice and ensure the apprentice is not being aided in some way.
Other relevant information
Independent assessors are responsible for generating suitable questions in line with the EPAO’s training and standardisation process. A question bank must be developed by EPAOs. The ‘question bank’ must be of sufficient size to prevent predictability and the EPAO must review regularly (at least once a year) to ensure that it, and its content, are fit for purpose. The questions relating to the underpinning KSBs, must be varied yet allow assessment of the relevant KSBs.
EPAOs must ensure that apprentices have a different set of questions in the case of re-sits/re-takes.
Independent assessors must be developed and trained by the EPAO in the conduct of professional discussion and reaching consistent judgement.
EPAOs will produce the following material to support this assessment method:
- outline of the assessment method’s requirements
- Independent assessor training materials
- Assessment recording documentation
- marking materials
- question bank