Standard
Code

ST0228 v1.4

Maximum Funding

£9000

Typical
Duration

12 months

Level

2

Standard
EPA Price*

£1300

EQA Provider

Ofqual

*This price represents our maximum charge for the standard EPA (excluding reassessment). Please get in touch to discuss potential discounts and added value.

End-Point Assessment Requirements

English and maths

Before an apprentice can progress to the end-point assessment, the Provider must confirm how the apprentice has met the funding requirements regarding English and Maths

Simulated Practical with Questions

  • As part of the Gateway evidence, the apprentice must submit recipes that meet the requirements of the end-point assessment. Recipes can be from the apprentice’s workplace or sourced from elsewhere.
  • The apprentice must prepare a starter, a main and a dessert:
    • The starter must have at least 3 elements to the dish.
    • The main course must include at least 1 animal protein prepared from whole, a starch, a sauce, and 2 vegetables.
    • The dessert must have at least 3 elements to the dish.
    • At least 1 dish must showcase seasonal ingredients.
  • The simulated practical with questions must take 3 hours (+10% at the discretion of the independent assessor to allow the apprentice to complete a task or respond to a question if necessary).
  • The independent assessor should observe the following:
    • The selection and preparation of ingredients.
    • The cooking, plating and finishing of dishes.
    • The use of kitchen equipment.
    • Maintaining a safe and hygienic working environment.
    • Managing one’s own workload.
  • The independent assessor must ask at least 4 questions during the practical simulation to check understanding of observed knowledge and skills, and to explore how waste can be minimised.
  • This method of assessment has fail, pass and distinction grades.

Interview underpinned by Portfolio

  • The underpinning portfolio is completed during the on-programme period of the apprenticeship and must be submitted to PAL at Gateway.
  • The portfolio must contain evidence related and mapped to each of the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs); typically, 20 discrete pieces of evidence are required for the portfolio. The evidence should be qualitative rather than quantitative, and each piece of evidence is likely to demonstrate more than one KSB.
  • The portfolio may include workplace documentation and records, such as workplace policies and procedures, witness statements, annotated photographs, and video clips, with a maximum total duration of 10 minutes.
  • The portfolio evidence must include a range of dishes that meet the food groups as stipulated in the assessment plan.
  • The portfolio should not include reflective accounts or any methods of self-assessment.
  • The evidence provided must be valid and attributable to the apprentice; the portfolio of evidence must include a statement from both the employer and the apprentice confirming this.
  • The independent assessor will review the portfolio of evidence to identify areas for questioning during the interview; however, the portfolio itself is not directly assessed.
  • The interview must last for 60 minutes (+10% at the independent assessor’s discretion to allow the apprentice to respond to a question if necessary).
  • The interview will assess the apprentice’s competence against the themes of:
    • Prepare, cook, and finish dishes; the independent assessor must focus on 4 completed dishes or plates of food submitted within the portfolio, each from a different food group, each using different preparation and cooking methods. Dishes observed in the practical should be excluded from questions in the interview.
    • Cooking with alternative ingredients.
    • Errors and issues.
    • Self-management and professional development.
    • Teamwork and communication.
    • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
    • Stock Control.
  • The independent assessor must ask at least 10 questions.
  • Webinar or video conferencing software can be used for the assessment.
  • The interview must take place in a quiet room, free from distractions and influence.
  • This method of assessment has fail, pass and distinction grades.
Download Fact Sheet

Available Resources

Previous Version

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.

View the EPA Process Here:

EPA Process