A

Action Plans
At the end of each visit, your Assessor will sit with you to discuss and agree with you what you need to do before the Assessor’s next visit. This plan is like a stepping stone across a river – each time to complete the actions in your plan, you will be one stepping stone closer to reaching completion. The action plan is sometimes known as an ‘Individual Learning Plan’ or ILP.

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)
You may have completed previous learning activities which may be used towards your qualification award providing that your current competence can be proved in accordance with the NVQ requirements.

Assessor
An assessor is a person who has previously worked in a similar company to yours and who understands the nature of the job you do. He or she will have achieved their own professional qualifications to assess people against the standards in the NVQ in order to reach a decision as the whether or not you are competent at doing a particular task. If you are not, your Assessor will plan your training with you to ensure that you will soon be competent.

C

Competent
Capable, able, experienced, skilled.

Consistent
Your ability to perform tasks, over a period of time, not just once. Consistency and competence should be seen together.

Current
What you are able to do now and in the near future.

D

Direct Observation (DO)
This refers to your Assessor observing you carrying out tasks that relate to the standards. This observation can only be carried out be a trainee/ qualified assessor, and is the basis for demonstrating competence across the whole qualification.

E

Element
The description of a particular task which says how competence must be met. A part of a unit.

Essential skills
Sometimes referred to as Basic skills - these are the skills that all people need both in their work and personal life and can improved through taking Essential Skills learning programme finishing with a test before getting the qualification. Essential skills are available to help people improve their reading, understanding and writing ability of the English language or improve their maths and number skills. Essential skills are available at different levels of difficulty from Entry Levels 1,2 and 3 for people who need a lot of help with reading, understanding, writing, maths and numbers rising up to level 3 for people who just want to ‘brush up’ their skills. People from all walks of life and jobs have help to improve their essential skills and it is a fact that over 7 million people in the UK today require such help.

External Verifier (EV)
As the main link between the awarding body and Network Learning Centres, the External Verifier normally visits twice a year. He or she requires access to all information on the Network Learning Centres’ activities. The External Verifier provides feedback and support. He or she helps to develop internal quality systems and encourages continuous improvement.

F

Feedback
A short report of what you did well and what could be improved upon.

I

Initial assessment
This is an assessment of your current skills and abilities before you start your course. It can be written or completed using a computer. It will help to identify what you can already do and what areas you might need further training in and tells your Tutor or Assessor how much time you might need to complete your full course. The more relevant skills you have, the less time it could take for you to finish and achieve your qualification.

Internal Verifier
Also known as an IV. He or she ensures quality and fairness is maintained at all times. The IV will make sure that your Assessor is being fair in their decisions regarding your work and reviews how well your Assessor is performing their role.

K

Knowledge Evidence
Demonstrating understanding of a task by performance, questioning or other method.

N

NVQ
This stands for National Vocational Qualification. It is a programme of learning that leads to the achievement of a nationally recognised qualification. You work with your tutor or assessor identifying opportunities to observe you at work. You complete written work to show that you understand why you are required to perform particular tasks. Your observations and your written work are assessed against the standards required for the qualification.

O

Occupational qualifications
These are related to a specific job and are based on the knowledge and skills needed in that job. For example, administration, commercial horticulture, food preparation and cooking, retail operations or using information technology. Many student combine different types of qualifications at different levels to suit their purpose and progression.

Occupational Standards
A set of national statements designed by people who have worked in your industry and who know and understand the skills needed to ensure that businesses are successful. You will be assessed against these national standards.

Oral Questioning (OQ)
Questions may be asked during or after the direct observation to provide extra knowledge evidence (KE) in relation to the performance criteria (PC)

P

Performance Criteria
How an activity/task should be demonstrated to show competence in that particular area to a specific standard.

Performance Evidence (PE)
Performing the task consistently and demonstrating knowledge evidence to a particular standard.

Planned start date
The date that has been agreed for you to start your course.

Planned end date
The date that has been agreed for you to complete your course by.

Portfolio
This is a folder of your work, observations and feedback that is submitted to prove your competencies against all the standards in the NVQ qualification.

Projects (Pr)
These can be used to cover a wider area where alternative assessment methods have failed to generate the required evidence.

R

Relevant
Appropriate to show competence.

T – Z

Unit
The smallest part of an NVQ that can be accredited. Covers a particular function (e.g. health and safety)

Valid
Evidence is relevant overall to element(s) and unit(s) being assessed, not just individual performance criteria.

Vocational qualification
Qualifications that introduce learners to a broad sector of industry and business, encouraging understanding of the sector and developing capability in some skills to industry standard of competence.

Witness Testimony (WT)
Observations carried out by a client, colleague or relative.

Written Questions (WQ)
Assessors may provide written questions for candidates to cover areas where other methods of assessment have not been helpful, or to expand on the knowledge evidence required.