S/NVQ assessors warned - Look for degrees of competence

David Morgan of the national training standards organisation, ENTO has warned that S/NVQ candidates may be experiencing difficulties in achieving their qualifications due to the rigid assessment processes currently used by some assessors.



Communicating via a posting on The Learning Network, the support network for all of those involved in the delivery of S/NVQs, David stressed the importance of measuring the competence of learners through continuous assessment ñ not just on their ability to build a portfolio.

ìI am not suggesting that qualifications are made easier, simply that assessors should seek to evaluate the competence levels of those undertaking S/NVQs in a way that is more suited to the continuous on the job assessment that they are receiving,î explained David.

ìPerhaps one of the failings of the past in relation to the quality of S/NVQs, has been the reliance on a portfolio of evidence rather than a portfolio of decisions of the assessor. It is the candidateís competence over a period of time which should be assessed, not their ability to build a portfolio.

ìAll decisions of the assessor must be backed by a sufficient level of evidence for the qualification being assessed - but that evidence should simply be left where it naturally occurs ñ whether it is in the workplace, personnel file or in a personal computer ñ to name but a few.

ìJudgements should be made as the assessment activity occurs and the decision fed back to the candidate at an appropriate time and location. There is then no need for the common practice of portfolio assessment at the end of the qualification ñ saving time for the assessor and their accredited organisation.

ìIf an organisationís internal verification of S/NVQs is as rigorous and robust as it should be, the assessor should be completely trusted to make such assessment decisions on a candidateís competence levels throughout the learning experience ñ allowing for a more flexible, ongoing and accurate assessment, which isnít just based on a single portfolio submission.

ìAll of these decisions should be recorded in some way, with supporting evidence, and their cumulative effect should provide the final outcome for each candidate.

ìFollowing the process described above makes the quality assurance of the S/NVQ qualification more straight forward, giving more time for internal verifiers to devote to other key aspects of their role and hopefully providing a fairer, more consistent assessment process for work based learning candidates.î