Preparing for an end-point assessment (EPA)
Know what to expect
End-point assessment (EPA) is a mandatory final assessment, undertaken by all apprentices in England. It happens at the end of the apprenticeship programme, when training in all the knowledge, skills and behaviours outlined in the apprenticeship standard has been completed. The EPA is a holistic assessment to understand whether an apprentice is occupationally competent and can be judged as having successfully completed the apprenticeship.
With any major exam or test, preparation is key! The information and end-point assessment guides in this section will help you, as an apprentice, to prepare for your EPA and approach it with confidence.
End-point assessment (EPA) is a mandatory final assessment, undertaken by all apprentices in England. It happens at the end of the apprenticeship programme, when training in all the knowledge, skills and behaviours outlined in the apprenticeship standard has been completed. The EPA is a holistic assessment to understand whether an apprentice is occupationally competent and can be judged as having successfully completed the apprenticeship.
With any major exam or test, preparation is key! The guides on the right will help you, as an apprentice, to prepare for your EPA and approach it with confidence. They focus on the following standards:
Who carries out EPA?
EPAs are carried out by specialised end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs). EPAOs are independent of your training provider (eg your college, private training provider or university). Your employer, with support from your training provider, will select an EPAO that is approved to carry out EPAs for your apprenticeship standard. When the time comes for your EPA a representative of the EPAO will come to your workplace, either physically or virtually, to carry out the EPA. This will be at a time that has been agreed between you, your employer, your training provider and the EPAO.
When will I be ready for EPA?
EPA will typically take place 3–6 months after you have completed the gateway requirements for your apprenticeship. These are summarised in the table below:
| Apprenticeship standard | Gateway requirements |
|---|---|
|
L3 Laboratory Technician |
* Employer is satisfied the apprentice is consistently working at, or above, the level of the occupational standard |
|
L5 Technician Scientist |
* L5 FdSc degree or HND in a scientific discipline |
|
L6 Laboratory Scientist |
* BSc honours degree in a scientific discipline |
|
L7 Research Scientist |
* Employer is satisfied the apprentice is consistently working at, or above, the level of the occupational standard |
What will happen at my EPA?
Every apprenticeship standard has its own specific EPA plan, which has been designed to test that an apprentice is fully competent in their chosen role.
You can find detailed information on the EPA plan for your apprenticeship standard on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) website. Here, you can search to find your apprenticeship standard, and from that page, navigate to a document that tells you everything that you need to know about the EPA you will undertake. This will include information about each assessment method that you will go through, the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will be assessed by each one, and what you need to do to fail, pass or get a distinction (where applicable). It will also tell you how much time is allowed for each part of the assessment.
In addition to looking at the EPA plan, you should also talk to your training provider, who may be able to offer advice and guidance on how to get ready for your EPA. They’ll also help you to know what to expect on the day of the EPA, so there are no surprises! Remember, they will have supported apprentices through this process before, so they will have experience and insight that could help you, too.
EPAOs must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled apprentices, or those with physical or mental health conditions, aren’t disadvantaged during the EPA. These adjustments should mirror the types of reasonable adjustments and additional support that an apprentice has received from their employer and/or training provider during their apprenticeship programme. If you think that reasonable adjustments should be made to your assessment, speak to your training provider, who will work with you to understand the appropriate adjustments, and support the EPAO to make them.
The following guides are designed to complement the information contained in the EPA plan for your apprenticeship standard and are not intended to replace conversations with your training provider, manager and EPAO.
Find your EPA guide
L3 Laboratory technician standard
Find out how to prepare for your end point assessment L3 Laboratory technician standard
L5 Technician scientist standard
Find out how to prepare for your end point assessment L5 Technician scientist standard
L6 Laboratory scientist standard
Find out how to prepare for your end point assessment L6 Laboratory scientist standard
L7 Research scientist standard
Find out how to prepare for your end point assessment L7 Research scientist standard
END-POINT ASSESSMENT GUIDES
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‘I found the assessor wanted to stick to the timings strictly so be prepared for that.’
Amber Johnston, Laboratory Technician. Completed the level 6 laboratory scientist EPA.
‘When preparing for your EPA ensure that all of your hard work is well represented in assessments by covering the full scope of your role and responsibilities and explaining them to EPA assessors in an easily understood way.’
Peter Ferguson, Senior R&D Scientist. Completed level 6 laboratory scientist EPA.