ProQual Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice

This suite of qualifications provides nationally recognised qualifications for candidates whose role involves assessing competence based units or qualifications:

• ProQual Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practices
• ProQual Level 4 Certificate in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practices

The awarding organisation for these qualifications is ProQual AB. This qualification is regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and the Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) Regulation. The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) includes those qualifications regulated by Ofqual and CCEA Regulation.

These qualifications have been accredited onto the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). Candidates who achieve the Level 4 Award may progress to the Level 4 Certificate or other discipline related qualifications, such as Management.

These qualifications are aimed at those who maintain quality of assessment within organisations or assessment centres.

Aims

• To assess knowledge and understanding of the principles and practices that underpin the internal quality assurance of assessment.
• To assess the candidate’s performance in assuring the quality of assessment from within an organisation or assessment centre.
• To assess performance in leading the work of a team responsible for the internal quality assurance within an organisation or assessment centre.

This qualification is appropriate for candidates who maintain the quality of assessment from within an organisation or assessment centre.

There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification but it is recommended that candidates hold an assessor qualification, such as:

• Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment, or
• Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement, or
• A1 Assess candidate performance using a range of methods, or
• D32 Assess candidate performance and D33 Assess candidate using different sources of evidence.

Centres should carry out an initial assessment of candidate skills and knowledge to identify any gaps and help plan the assessment.

Candidates must complete two Mandatory units.

This qualification is appropriate for candidates who are part of the internal quality assurance processes and who lead a team of internal quality assurance staff.

There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification but it is recommended that candidates hold an assessor qualification, such as:

• Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment, or
• Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement, or
• A1 Assess candidate performance using a range of methods, or
• D32 Assess candidate performance and D33 Assess candidate using different sources of evidence.

Centres should carry out an initial assessment of candidate skills and knowledge to identify any gaps and help plan the assessment.

Candidates must complete three Mandatory units.

Candidates may request credit for non-certificated skills, knowledge or understanding that they already possess, to avoid repetition. This is called ‘recognition of prior learning’ and is the process to follow if learners can demonstrate they meet the assessment criteria of that particular unit.

Centres must be approved to offer this qualification. If your centre is not approved please complete and submit form ProQual Additional Qualification Approval Application.

Staff
Staff delivering this qualification must be appropriately qualified and/or occupationally competent.

Assessors/Internal Quality
Assurance For each competence-based unit centres must be able to provide at least one assessor and one internal quality assurance verifier who are suitably qualified for the specific occupational area. Assessors and internal quality assurance verifiers for competence-based units or qualifications will normally need to hold appropriate assessor or verifier qualifications, such as:

• Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment
• Award in Assessing Vocationally Related Achievement
• Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement
• Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practices
• Certificate in Leading the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practices

Materials produced by centres to support candidates should:

• enable them to track their achievements as they progress through the learning outcomes and assessment criteria;
• provide information on where ProQual’s policies and procedures can be viewed;
• provide a means of enabling Internal and External Quality Assurance staff to authenticate evidence

These qualifications are competence-based, candidates must demonstrate the level of competence described in the units. The qualifications must be assessed internally assessed by an appropriately experienced and qualified assessor.

Each candidate is required to produce a portfolio of evidence which demonstrates their achievement of all of the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for each unit.

Evidence can include:

• observation report by assessor
• assignments/projects/reports
• professional discussion
• witness testimony
• candidate product
• worksheets
• record of oral and written questioning
• Recognition of Prior Learning

Learning outcomes set out what a candidate is expected to know, understand or be able to do.

Assessment criteria specify the standard a candidate must meet to show the learning outcome has been achieved.

Learning outcomes and assessment criteria are included in this document from page 11 onwards.

An internal quality assurance verifier confirms that assessment decisions made in centres are made by competent and qualified assessors, that they are the result of sound and fair assessment practice and that they are recorded accurately and appropriately.

Adjustments to standard assessment arrangements are made on the individual needs of candidates. ProQual’s Reasonable Adjustments Policy and Special Consideration Policy sets out the steps to follow when implementing reasonable adjustments and special considerations and the service that ProQual provides for some of these arrangements.

Centres should contact ProQual for further information or queries about the contents of the policy.

All enquiries relating to assessment or other decisions should be dealt with by centres, with reference to ProQual’s Enquiries and Appeals Procedures.

Candidates who achieve the requirements for qualifications will be awarded:

• A certificate listing all units achieved, and
• A certificate giving the full qualification title –
• ProQual Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practices
• ProQual Level 4 Certificate in Leading the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practices

Claiming certificates
Centres may claim certificates for candidates who have been registered with ProQual and who have successfully achieved the requirements for a qualification. All certificates will be issued to the centre for successful candidates.

Unit certificates
If a candidate does not achieve all of the units required for a qualification, the centre may claim a unit certificate for the candidate which will list all of the units achieved.

Replacement certificates
If a replacement certificate is required a request must be made to ProQual in writing. Replacement certificates are labelled as such and are only provided when the claim has been authenticated. Refer to the Fee Schedule for details of charges for replacement certificates.

The aim of this unit is to assess knowledge and understanding of the principles and practices that underpin the internal quality assurance of assessment.

Assessment

All learning outcomes in this unit must be assessed using methods appropriate to the assessment of knowledge and understanding. There must be valid, authentic and sufficient evidence for all the assessment criteria. However, one piece of evidence may be used to meet the requirements of more than one learning outcome or assessment criterion.

The aim of this unit is to assess the IQA candidate’s performance in assuring the quality of assessment from within an organisation or assessment centre.

Assessment

Evidence for all learning outcomes must come from performance in the work environment. All learning outcomes in this unit must be assessed using methods appropriate to the candidate IQA’s performance. These must include:

• observation of performance
• examining products of work
• questioning

Direct evidence of this kind may be supplemented, where necessary, by discussion, reflective accounts or witness testimony.

There must be valid, authentic and sufficient evidence for all of the assessment criteria. Holistic assessment is encouraged and one piece of evidence may be used to meet the requirements of more than one learning outcome or assessment criterion.

Evidence must come from the candidate’s performance in the work environment. There must be evidence of the candidate monitoring a minimum of two assessors, each with a minimum of two candidates of their own, through components of a qualification.

The aim of this unit is to assess performance in leading the work of a team responsible for the internal quality assurance within an organisation or assessment centre.

Assessment

All learning outcomes in this unit must be assessed using methods appropriate to the candidate IQA’s performance. These must include:

• observation of performance
• examining products of work
• questioning.

Direct evidence of this kind may be supplemented, where necessary, by discussion, reflective accounts or witness testimony.

There must be valid, authentic and sufficient evidence for all the assessment criteria.

Holistic assessment is encouraged and one piece of evidence may be used to meet the requirements of more than one learning outcome or assessment criterion.