Standard
Code
STO843 v1.1
Maximum Funding
£5000
Typical Duration
12 Months
Level
2
Standard EPA Price*
£1000
EQA Provider
Ofqual
End-Point Assessment Requirements
English and maths
Effective from 11 February 2025, the government has removed the mandatory English and maths functional skills requirement for apprentices aged 19 and above at the start of their apprenticeship training. This change includes apprentices who are currently on the programme.
The new ruling applies to apprentices on programme and all apprentices starting their programmes from February 2025.
Employers and apprentices must agree by 1st April 2025 whether apprentices aged 19 and above on programme will continue studying English and maths.
- Providers must record the decision in the training plan.
- Apprentices must continue their studies until an agreement is made.
It is worth noting that the mandatory requirement for English and Maths has been removed. However, apprentices and employers can still choose to receive English and Maths training and participate in the associated tests.
For apprentices under the age of 19 at programme commencement, there is still a requirement to undertake Maths and English training and take functional skills tests.
Knowledge Test
● The test will comprise of 24 multiple choice questions.
● Apprentices will have 50 minutes to complete the test.
● The test is closed book (apprentices cannot refer to reference books/materials).
● Set and marked by the end-point assessment organisation.
● This method of assessment has fail and pass grades.
Observation with Questioning
● The observation of the apprentice completing their day-to-day duties under normal working conditions must take 2 hours (+10% at the discretion of the independent assessor).
● The independent assessor should observe the following:
o Prepare for cleaning (Core)
o Perform cleaning (Core)
o Policy and legislation (Core)
o Perform cleaning in a healthcare setting or perform cleaning in a commercial setting (Option)
● The independent assessor must ask at least 5 questions to clarify any elements of the observation.
● This method of assessment has fail, pass and distinction grades
Interview
● The interview must last for 30 minutes (+10% at the independent assessor’s discretion).
● The interview will assess the apprentice’s competence against the themes of recording results, and soil classification and contaminated waste.
● The independent assessor must ask the apprentice at least 5 questions.
● This method of assessment has fail, pass and distinction grades.
Available Resources
- Training provider resource library
- EPA Specification (click to view)
- PAL Guide – Making the Apprenticeship Journey Successful (click to view)
How to engage with PAL.
Engaging with PAL couldn’t be easier. Simply contact us at info@professionalassessment.co.uk or on 0800 1601899. Our senior team will contact you to find out about your requirements in more detail and discuss how we might need to adapt our approach to meet your needs. Once you are happy that PAL is the right fit for your programme, we set up your account, share our library of resources and support you to register your apprentices. You can then rest assured that you have a dedicated team on hand to guide you through your EPA journey and provide a responsive service when your apprentices are ready to be assessed.