Apprenticeship Assessment Reform

Find the latest changes and updates below:

• March 2026: Update on Apprenticeship Assessment Plan Activity

  Skills England have recently been undertaking a series of Group of Persons meetings to review Apprenticeship Assessment Plans across several key occupations. These meetings have covered:

  
  •    Land-Based Engineering
  •    Commercial Vehicle and Public Services
  •    Service and Maintenance Operative Technician
  •    Construction Equipment Maintenance Mechanic
  •    Vehicle Damage Assessor and Panel Technician (Accident Repair routes)
  
  In addition, Skills England have updated the Revisions and Adjustments Status Report to include the following standards:
  
  •    Construction Equipment Maintenance Mechanic
  •    Paint Technician
  •    Autocare Technician

  You can view the updated report here.
  
  The IMI will continue to actively engage with Group of Persons meetings, offering feedback and insight to support the design of high quality Apprenticeship Assessment Plans (AAPs). When the AAPs are finalised, we will work closely with employers and training providers to develop assessments that:
  
  •    Meet Ofqual and Skills England requirements, and
  •    Give employers confidence that apprentices are being assessed robustly on their competence, knowledge, and skills.

• February 2026: England Apprenticeship Reforms Webinar, downloadable slides and Q&A

   

   

  Download slides

  FAQs from the webinar:

  Question	Answer
  Are you going to work with other awarding bodies such as City and Guilds to almost standardise the 2 assessment methods, because if one apprenticeship is easier to achieve, then it may affect the other?	We will have 1 mandatory assessment method in common. However, we have challenged Skills England and Ofqual on this, i.e. as to how consistency is achieved. We have suggested SE convene AO groups and Ofqual approve assessment methods prior to going live.
  Are the new assessment methods applicable to anyone already on an apprenticeship?	New assessment methods will only apply if an apprentice transitions to the new reformed apprenticeship. Transition arrangements are not finalised by DfE/Skills England/Ofqual yet.
  Which tranche will Land-based Service Engineer Level 2 and level 3 be in?	Draft plans for land-based level 2 and level 3 have been developed to approximately 90% completion. We would be very surprised if they are not included in level 3.
  What tranche will Auto Care Level 2 or Motorcycle will be in?	We have had no confirmation on this and so it is unknown at the moment.
  Is there any pushback on only one mandated assessment method? It feels like it's all moving quickly away from EPA. Is that a good thing?	It doesn't seem likely that there will be any more than one mandated assessment, but the IMI's position is that we need quality output, we are pushing for independently assessed skills.
  What will funding look like if training providers become responsible for on-programme assessment?	If the assessment duration or content changes, then Assessment Organisations will have to change what they charge.

• October 2025: Changes to the Apprenticeship Sector

  The next 12 to 18 months will represent a transitional phase for the apprenticeship sector

  • DfE announced the Apprenticeship Assessment Principles in February 2025 to guide the redesign of apprenticeship assessment to better reflect the needs of employers and apprentices. These include reduced minimum duration, simplified assessment and English/Maths flexibility.  
  • New funding rules were also introduced in August 2025 for fixed minimum off-the-job (OTJ) training hours and clearer guidance on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
  • Skills England (in collaboration with DfE, Ofqual and OfS) is leading on the implementation of simplified apprenticeship assessment plans (AAPs) from September 2025, with revisions to all 650+ apprenticeship standards’ assessment plans expected to be completed by August 2026.  
  • New terminology: ‘apprenticeship assessment’ replaces ‘end-point assessment,’ and ‘assessment organisations’ replaces ‘EPAOs (end-point assessment organisations).’ A written agreement between providers and assessment organisations will be mandatory at the start of each reformed apprenticeship.
  • Skills England has been testing the policy, content and guidance required for the new assessment plans, with 5 ‘test’ plans (Assistant Accountant, Adult Care Worker, Data Technician, Early Years Educator and Carpentry & Joinery).  These 5 AAPs are due to be published in the ‘late autumn’ to ‘demonstrate the principles that will underpin revised assessment plans’ (but not live for use), alongside timeline information about upcoming batches of apprenticeship assessment planned for revision.
  • DfE is developing a ‘Companion Document’ to be used in conjunction with the latest version of the apprenticeship funding rules.  This document will help providers, assessment organisations, employers, regulatory bodies, and apprentices to understand and navigate the changes to assessment and how this aligns with the funding rules. It will include practical guidance and the roles and responsibilities for those delivering apprenticeship assessment. The document is due to be published in October with version 3 of the funding rules. 
• Roles and Responsibilities

  Apprenticeship Assessment Organisations (AAOs):

  • Develop assessment materials in accordance with AAP requirements and with adherence to Skills England and Ofqual design rules, to ensure the validity of outcomes. AAOs are required to include some synoptic assessment and independent assessment and will still play a key role in quality assurance and validation.

   

  Employers:  

  • Work with assessment organisations to develop and agree suitable assessments.
  • Verify that an apprentice’s behavioural competence, outlined in the occupational standard, has been demonstrated.  This must be complete before a certificate can be requested. - Skills England is developing guidance for employers.  
  • At the time of writing, Skills England have stated that AAOs and providers are not required to quality assure employer judgements.

   

  Providers:

  • Where appropriate, a revised AAP may allow specific assessment elements to be undertaken by providers to take place on programme. Should assessment and marking occur on programme, AAOs are required by Ofqual to implement Centre Assessment Standards Scrutiny (CASS) to validate outcomes and ensure provider staff are appropriately trained. 
• Current Timelines
  • Oct 25: DfE Apprenticeship Funding Rules (Version 3) and first draft ‘Companion Document’.
  • Autumn 25: Skills England and DfE update on Apprenticeship Assessment due, including the publication ‘General Requirements’ guidance, 5 ‘test’ plans and a list of the first batch of apprenticeships to be revised.
  • Autumn 25: Ofqual Technical Consultation for Regulatory Framework for Apprenticeship Assessment.
  • Autumn 25: Updated DfE Apprenticeships Accountability Framework (AAF).
  • January 2026: Level 7 Apprenticeship changes to funding.
  • Spring 2026: Ofqual Regulatory Framework for Apprenticeship Assessment launch.  
  • August 2026: Skills England revisions to all assessment plans due to be completed.