The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) have been produced by DNA Awarding to support training providers and employers as the new apprenticeship assessment arrangements are introduced. It explains, in practical terms, what the reform may mean for you – including how assessment will work, when and how centres may be involved in marking, and how the new Gateway to completion and certification processes will operate.
What are the apprenticeship assessment reforms and why are they happening?
The Department for Education (DfE), Skills England and Ofqual are introducing a new approach to apprenticeship assessment. Underpinned by
DfE’s new apprenticeship assessment principles the key drivers of change are to:
The principles in full can be found here.
Ofqual is putting in place a specific regulatory framework for apprenticeship assessment. This includes new Conditions and guidance (the AA
Conditions) on assessment design, marking approaches, and Centre Assessment Standards Scrutiny (CASS).
For you as a training provider or employer, the big differences are:
How are assessment plans changing?
Assessment plans are being redesigned to be shorter, clearer and more flexible, while still making sure apprentices are fully competent in the occupation. The government’s new Apprenticeship Assessment Principles explain that plans are being streamlined so that assessment is more proportionate to the competency being tested, removes unnecessary duplication, and can be designed to allow some assessment to take place on-programme rather than everything at the very end.
The new Apprenticeship Assessment Plans (AAPs) set out the minimum requirements for assessment in a standard. They now:
Plans are also being developed with stronger input from employers, assessment and delivery experts, regulators and assessment organisations, and are expected to be high-level (around two pages) with only the essential prescription needed to demonstrate occupational competence. They will consider the best use of digital tools and will make clear when assessment can happen during the programme as well as at the end.
What is DNA Awarding’s role in the new system?
DNA Awarding will remain an Ofqual-regulated apprenticeship assessment organisation. Our responsibilities will include:
DNA Awarding are also members of a number of Group of Persons (formerly known as Trailblazer groups), allowing us to actively contribute to the design of assessment plans and be more informed when designing assessments.
When will the changes take place?
Assessment plans are being revised in batches from November 2025 over a 12–18-month period, so not all standards will move to the new approach at the same time. As each revised assessment plan is approved, it will be published in its new format. DNA Awarding will then confirm to you when that standard will be ready for assessment under the new arrangements, and from which dates new starts will normally follow the new approach. As is currently the case, you may choose to transfer existing apprentices to the new version and assessment approach, subject to any funding rules and in agreement with us on a standard-by-standard basis. Typically, there is a 6-month lead in period for an assessment plan to be live for new starts, allowing assessment organisations time to develop materials.
Can we choose what we want to assess?
Not entirely. The overall assessment design for each apprenticeship standard is set by the national assessment plan and by DNA Awarding’s Apprenticeship Assessment Strategy. Within that framework, DNA Awarding will consult with employers and other stakeholders and then confirm, for each standard, whether centre-assessment is permitted and, if so, for which assessment method this is allowed.
In most cases we expect each standard to have two assessment methods. Our default approach is that centre-assessment may be permissible for one of these methods, with the other being marked directly by DNA Awarding to meet Ofqual’s requirement that a substantial proportion of the overall assessment is marked by the assessment organisation assessment. Once this is agreed for a standard, it will be set out clearly in our guidance to you.
However, even where centre-assessment is permitted, you do not have to assess that component yourselves. You may choose for DNA Awarding to carry out all apprenticeship assessment, including components that could be centre-assessed, if that is more appropriate for your organisation. What you cannot do is choose your own pattern of who assesses what outside the approach defined by DNA Awarding for that standard.
Moreover, the assessment plan will state a required method that must be assessed, as well as a list of additional methods that can be chosen from. DNA Awarding offer a choice of methods that will be carefully designed and comparable.
When can the assessments take place?
Under the reformed arrangements, apprenticeship assessment no longer has to take place after all on-programme learning is complete. Assessment can be spread more flexibly across the apprenticeship, as long as it aligns with the assessment plan for the standard.
DNA Awarding is responsible for designing the assessment methods, so it is clear which knowledge and skills are being assessed in each method. For every standard, this will be set out in the standard-specific guidance, so you know exactly what each assessment method is targeting.
It is likely that we will follow an approach that allows the apprentice to complete a given assessment method as soon as you and the apprentice feel the knowledge and skills assigned to it have been acquired. We recognise this may vary from apprentice to apprentice and from cohort to cohort, depending on the structure of training and workplace opportunity.
In practice, this is likely to mean that one assessment method can be completed at some point during the programme, when the relevant knowledge and skills have been developed, likely to be the latter half of the programme. The other assessment method will still be completed at the end of the apprenticeship, to draw together and test the apprentice’s performance against the remaining knowledge and skills. Below is an indication of what a programme could look like under the reformed apprenticeship assessment plan.
What does this mean for Gateway?
Under the new arrangements, the traditional Gateway point after all on-programme learning will no longer be required in the same way. Instead of one single Gateway before all assessment, it is likely that we will ask you to confirm an apprentice’s “readiness” before each assessment method. In practice, this means all parties (training provider, apprentice, and employer) agree that the apprentice is competent in the knowledge and skills linked to that specific assessment method before it takes place.
There will also be a new Gateway to completion process that happens after all on-programme learning, after all assessment methods have been completed, and prior to claiming the certification from DfE. At this point, DNA Awarding will check that all required assessments have been completed and recorded, that English and maths (where applicable) have been achieved, that the employer has confirmed the required behaviours have been demonstrated, and that any other requirements set out in the assessment plan have been met. Only once these checks are complete will the apprenticeship be confirmed as complete and the certificate requested.
What will “verifying the behaviours” involve for the employer?
Under the new arrangements, the behaviours are no longer part of the apprenticeship assessment itself. Instead, it is recognised that the employer is in the best position to confirm whether the apprentice has achieved and consistently demonstrated the required behaviours in the workplace.
It is likely that we will ask you to provide an employer declaration at the point of Gateway to completion, confirming that the apprentice has met and demonstrated the behaviours set out in the apprenticeship standard. We envisage this being a simple declaration, designed to make the process as straightforward as possible, and our assessment management system, Proficient (formerly EPA Pro), will support you to complete and submit this electronically.
If we decide to assess one of the assessment methods ourselves (where allowed) can we decide when we do this?
Yes, within the framework set out for each standard. As mentioned earlier, DNA Awarding will issue clear guidance on which knowledge and skills are aligned to each assessment method. An apprentice will be able to take an assessment method once all parties agree and confirm that the apprentice is competent in the knowledge and skills linked to that method.
For any centre-assessed assessment method, this means that once readiness has been confirmed for that specific method, you may proceed to assess the apprentice in line with the centre guidance.
To help us plan our own activity, we will ask you to provide an indication at registration of when, according to the design of your programme, the apprentice is likely to complete each assessment method. This doesn’t need to be exact, but it allows us to build our capacity for both our own assessment/IQA activities and the EQA/CASS of centre-assessed methods at the right times.
How do we get set up as an approved centre, so that (where allowed) we can assess our apprentices?
To assess apprentices yourselves (where centre-assessment is allowed for a standard), you will first need to be approved as a DNA Awarding “centre”, in a similar way to the qualifications model used by other awarding organisations. This will involve a centre approval process, which is likely to include enhanced due diligence checks, a review of your key policies and procedures, an evaluation of your capacity and resources, and confirmation that your staff have the required competencies and experience to deliver and assess apprenticeship assessment.
Once you are approved, you will normally follow a programme of training with DNA Awarding so that your staff understand the assessment model, the specific requirements for each standard, and our expectations for internal quality assurance (IQA) and CASS. We will provide you with a Centre Handbook that explains the overall framework, as well as assessment guidance for each standard so you can confidently and compliantly assess apprentices where this is permitted.
How will these changes affect pricing?
At the moment, DNA Awarding charges a single assessment fee once the apprentice passes Gateway and enters end-point assessment. Under the new arrangements, we are still finalising our pricing model, but it is likely that we will move to a structure where we charge a separate cost for each assessment method, invoiced when that assessment is scheduled.
This approach would apply whether the assessment method is AO-assessed by DNA Awarding or centre-assessed. However, where an assessment method is centre-assessed, the charge for that method may be lower than the charge for a method that is fully assessed by DNA Awarding.
It’s important to remember that even where you assess an apprentice for some assessment methods, DNA Awarding remains responsible for the overall quality and regulatory compliance of the apprenticeship assessment. This includes our external quality assurance activity in line with CASS arrangements to check your marking and IQA. That activity is risk-based, but it will be substantial for all centres in the early stages of the new arrangements while we build a strong evidence base about how the new model is working in practice for each centre.
Who within the training provider will be able to assess and IQA?
DNA Awarding will issue detailed guidance in due course on the competencies required for staff who carry out assessment and internal quality assurance (IQA) where centre-assessment is permitted. In broad terms, we expect assessors and IQAs to have relevant sector experience and to hold, or be working towards, a recognised qualification in assessment or IQA, depending on their role.
We will also issue clear guidance on potential conflicts of interest that can arise when assessing apprentices within your own organisation (for example, line managers assessing their direct reports), and what mitigations are required. These may include using different staff to assess and IQA, applying additional internal checks, or in some cases building in extra external quality assurance from DNA Awarding, in line with our CASS approach, to make sure that assessment decisions remain fair, impartial and robust.
If assessments are completed at different points in the apprenticeship, do apprentices still need a planning meeting?
Potentially, yes – but the purpose may shift slightly. We recognise that planning meetings are valuable for more than just agreeing assessment dates. They give the apprentice a chance to meet their assessor, understand what is required, ask questions and feel prepared, which remains important even if assessment methods are taken at different stages of the programme.
As we move into the new arrangements, we are exploring options for planning meetings including different formats and structures. This will include asking for your thoughts and feedback so that whatever we put in place continues to meet your needs and those of your apprentices, while also fitting with the new, more flexible assessment model.
If we assess our apprentice how will our assessments be externally quality assured?
Where centre-assessment is allowed and you choose to assess your apprentices yourselves, all assessments will still be subject to external quality assurance (EQA) by DNA Awarding on a sampling basis. This is part of our Centre Assessment Standards Scrutiny (CASS) arrangements and is designed to make sure that apprentices have been given a fair assessment opportunity and that reliable, consistent outcomes have been determined across different centres, assessors and cohorts.
Our EQA/CASS activity will take place before any grade is issued and before Gateway to completion, so that any issues can be identified and corrected prior to results being finalised or certificates being requested. This may include remote sampling of assessed work and IQA records, and in some cases in-person visits and live observation of assessment or marking.
How will you design the assessments to meet the needs of employers?
We are committed to designing apprenticeship assessments that genuinely reflect what employers need from competent apprentices in the workplace. To do this, we will consult with employers at various points in the design process, including seeking feedback on the assessment methods used, where and how assessment outcomes are assessed (for example, in the workplace or a simulated environment), and the grading criteria and grading approach we propose to use.
We will work with subject matter experts (SMEs) from industry to develop assessment criteria, question banks and assessment materials that are rooted in real job roles and tasks, enabling a synoptic assessment as much as possible. We will also ask employers and providers to review and comment on our assessment guidance documentation, so that the expectations and standards we describe are clear, realistic and aligned with how the role works in practice.
Once assessments are in use, we will monitor and review them on an ongoing basis. This includes analysing outcomes, gathering feedback from employers, providers and apprentices, and using our quality assurance and CASS findings to check that assessments continue to produce fair, valid and consistent outcomes. Where we identify issues or opportunities to improve alignment with employer needs, we will update our assessment design and guidance accordingly.
What flexibility will there be within the assessment?
There will be more flexibility in when assessment can take place and, in some cases, how it takes place. As outlined earlier, assessment methods no longer all have to be taken at the very end of the apprenticeship, so there is flexibility to complete certain assessment methods during the programme once the apprentice has developed the required knowledge and skills. In addition, for some standards there may be the option to choose one assessment method from a list of options, so that you and the employer can select the method that best fits the role, workplace context and apprentice. The specific flexibilities available for each standard will be set out in the standard-specific guidance.
What is your approach likely to be for grading?
Our aim is to keep grading as simple and transparent as possible, while still adhering to the assessment plan for each standard and upholding the integrity and credibility of apprenticeship assessment. The starting point for any grade will be whether the apprentice has demonstrated competence against the assessment outcomes, with grades then reflecting how well they have met the performance descriptors.
For each standard, we will design assessment criteria that sit under the overarching assessment outcomes and are aligned to the specific knowledge and skills being assessed. Each knowledge and skill will have both a pass assessment criterion and a distinction assessment criterion, so it is clear what “competent” looks like at different performance levels.
Our grading approach is:
A Fail grade will be awarded where the apprentice fails to demonstrate competence against all required pass criteria. This approach is intended to ensure that every apprentice who passes is fully competent, while also allowing genuine higher performance to be recognised in a consistent and defensible way.
So, you’re not assessing apprentices directly against the knowledge and skills then?
Our approach is to offer pass and distinction grades for each assessment method where possible (unless the assessment plan specifies otherwise).
To do that, we design assessment criteria that are mapped directly to the knowledge and skills that sit underneath the overarching assessment outcomes. Each knowledge and skill will have its own or form part of a pass assessment criteria and a distinction assessment criteria and our grading then reflects how the apprentice performs against those descriptors. In other words, the apprentice’s grade still depends on how well they have demonstrated the required knowledge and skills – we just express this through clear pass/distinction criteria, which are informed by performance descriptors.
Do you need to assess every knowledge and skill?
The reforms don’t remove the need to assess what’s in the standard – they change how that’s done. The assessment still has to ensure that the apprentice can demonstrate full competence across all of the assessment outcomes in order to pass, and the knowledge and skills sit within those outcomes.
For many standards, the assessment plan now distinguishes between knowledge and skills that are mandatory (must always be assessed) and those that can be sampled over time. That means some knowledge and skills do not have to be assessed for every apprentice, provided the overall design still gives us enough evidence to be confident they meet the assessment outcomes.
However, we still have to make sure there is complete assessment outcome coverage across the programme. To do this, DNA Awarding will determine, for each assessment method:
This will be set out clearly in the standard-specific guidance for each standard, so you know what must always be covered and where there is flexibility to sample.
What does it mean where knowledge and skills are mapped to English and maths?
In the new-style assessment plans (for Level 2 and Level 3 standards only), some knowledge and skills statements are flagged (with an asterisk) to show that they provide an opportunity to develop essential, occupationally relevant English and maths skills as part of the job.
This mapping does not mean there is an extra, separate English or maths test hidden inside the apprenticeship assessment. The government is clear that the purpose is to show where English and maths naturally sit within the occupation, not to introduce additional standalone
English/maths assessments.
For you as a provider or employer, this means:
DNA Awarding will make clear in our standard-specific guidance which knowledge and skills are mapped to English and maths, and how this may be reflected in the assessment tasks, so you can build this into your programme planning and apprentice support.
When will we have some further guidance on the new approach?
Once an assessment plan is published, DNA Awarding will begin work on the detailed design and development of the assessment approach for that standard, including consultation with employers and other stakeholders. If you would like to be involved in consultation, please email developments@dnaawarding.co.uk
Following this design stage, we will publish:
We will also provide regular updates and webinars as appropriate, making it clear from which point apprentices will be able to start being assessed via the new approach for that standard.
If you wish to undertake centre-assessment (where this is allowed), we will then invite you to go through our centre approval process so that you are set up and trained before delivery begins. As further reformed assessment plans are published, we will continue to release standard-specific guidance so that you have firm, detailed information for each standard in good time.
Further reading
DfE – Principles Announcement
Ofqual – Regulatory Framework for Apprenticeship Assessment
Requirements and Guidance for Apprenticeship Assessment
Apprenticeship Behaviour Verification Guidance for Employers
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