To ensure best practice is followed in all activities relating to assessment, that is the process of collecting and interpreting evidence of competence.

2. Assessment

The Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) is committed to identifying best assessment policy and practice in relation to unit standards and qualification registered in the National Qualification Framework (NQF).

3. Principles of Best Practice Assessment

The NQF principles influence the assessment process within the CETA. The CETA subscribe to the concept that best assessment practice will occur when:

	Assessment events are designed at the element level as a minimum
	Assessors has considered all matters contained in performance criteria in the unit standard
	Assessment use the least amount of evidence that is needed for the assessor to make a valid professional judgement that competency has been achieved

4. Management of Assessment

In the Construction Education and Training Authority, the Education and Training Providers are responsible for the management of assessment processes being conducted by assessors registered to assess unit standards and/or qualifications within the primary focus of CETA.

It is important that Education and Training Providers to have high quality assessment practices to ensure that the success and credibility of the outcome-based education and training system.

	Designed and development of assessment tools
	Assessment practices
	Recognition od prior Learning (RPL)
	The registration of Assessor and Moderator
	The process of certifying the learner as proven competent
	The process of lodging an appeal
	Moderation of Assessment
	Storage and retrieval of records

5. Quality Assurance of Assessment

The CETA is responsible for quality assurance of all assessments. This means that it externally evaluates the management of assessment by the education and training provider. The CETA will use the process of verification to maintain the integrity of the unit standards and qualifications within its primary focus.

All assessments must be supported by clear and complete documentation which provides evidence of information gathered and judgement made

6. Issues Underpinning the Principles in Assessment Principles

There are a number of key principles that underpin good assessment practices. It is important that the education and training provider applies all these principles of assessment in a responsible and ethical way.

	Validity: The assessment should measure what it says it is measuring e.g. knowledge, understanding, subject content, skills and behaviours. Assessment should focus on the requirements specified in the registered unit standards and/or qualifications so that they provide evidence of competence to achieve the outcome
	Fairness: The process of assessment should not disadvantage or unfairly advantage learners by assessing them in a way that do not relate to the kind of evidence required. Assessment should not be affected by factors such as race, gender, age, disability, social or ethnic background
	Reliability: The results of assessment should be consistent. This means that if a moderator is moderating across different assessors using the same assessment tools, then the assessment results must be the same
	Consistency: The assessor should be sure that given similar circumstances, they would make the same judgement about a particular learner
	Practical: The assessment process should be cost effective in terms of time, resources and financial cost
	Openness: The learner should understand the assessment process and the criteria that will be used in the assessment

The planning of assessment activities by the assessors is vital to the success of the assessment. It is essential that all assessment practices in the Construction Education and Training Authority are based on the following planned approach:

	Analyse information contained within the elements and performance criteria of the unit standard (s)
	Specify the evidence required and link this to the context in which assessment will occur
	Determine methods for gathering evidence
	Establish the criteria for evaluating performance
	Determine what information is required by candidate, prior to assessment event
	Ensure assessment strategies match the relevant quality procedures including evaluation and pre-assessment moderation requirements

8. The Nature of Type of Assessment

In the Construction Education and Training Authority the assessment process should consists of three stages namely:

	Diagnostic Assessment: Specifically used to identify training needs and to compile the learner development plan
	Formative Assessment: Intends to measure whether the knowledge, skills and attributes which were intended outcomes of the learning intervention are transferred to the workplace
	Summative Assessment: The final assessment against a unit standard or a combination of unit standards to determine whether the learner has achieved integrated competence

9. The collection of Evidence

Evidence can be defined as the proof of a learner’s competence and this can come from a variety of sources. It is the responsibility of the assessor to ensure that enough and appropriate evidence has been collected to make an accurate judgement about a learner’s competence.

The evidence of the learner’s competence can be collected in a variety of ways. Generally the following methodologies are applicable in the context of the Construction Education and Training Authority.

	Observation: This refers to an assessor observing a learner carrying out a particular activity as a normal part of the learner’s workplace responsibility.
	Demonstration: This refers to an assessor observing a structural practical activity that would not form part of the learner’s workplace activities at the specific time
	Role play simulation: Role-plays simulate scenarios which is similar to a type of situation which the learner may encounter in the workplace. Technical complexities, dangerous or costly conditions are suitable for this type of assessment
	Pen and paper test: These test are often used to measure the understanding of factual knowledge
	Oral questioning: These test are also used to measure the understanding of factual knowledge
	Projects: These are activities given to learners which are similar to the unit standards outputs. These are normally unsupervised and carried out in the workplace
	Portfolios: A portfolio is a collection of evidence which relates to the work being assessed

10. Evaluation of Evidence

In the context of Construction Education and Training Authority evidence of learner’s competence can be evaluated through:

In both the above –mentioned cases an effort should be made to ensure that the assessment covers the integration of knowledge and skills as far as possible.

12. Re-assessment of the Learner

Learners should be given every reasonable opportunity to achievement and demonstrate competence. Providers must have a clear policy and procedures relating to re-assessment.

The learner may lodge an appeal if not satisfied with the assessment outcome. An appeal must be registered with assessor. A learner who is not satisfied with the outcome of the internal appeal process, may lodge an appeal to the CETA Regional Office

14. Assessment Documents

Assessment documents should be kept by the training provider at least for a 12 month period. This will ensure that the relevant assessment documents are available for the CETA Regional office to conduct verification.