End-point assessment (EPA) newsletter updates

Advice, guidance and support

Christmas closure

We’re closing for the Christmas break on Wednesday 24 December 2025 at 12 noon, and will reopen from 8:30am on Friday 2 January 2026. Any Gateway audit request that has been received on or before Friday 19 December 2025 will be processed before the Christmas break. Dates for assessments will be offered following a successful Gateway audit. We’ll continue to process any Gateway audits received after Friday 19 December 2025, but we can’t guarantee assessment dates will be confirmed before the Christmas break.

EPA assessments will be carried out up to Tuesday 23 December 2025, but please note that five working days are still required for results – there is therefore a possibility that some results will be issued following the Christmas break.

epaPRO – SkillTech One

epaPRO has launched SkillTech One, which allows customers to access all of SkillTech’s products using one central login. If you work with multiple EPAOs who use epaPRO, SkillTech One allows you to easily access and switch between different accounts and enjoy a more streamlined user experience.

NCFE has opted in, and you will be able to configure your epaPRO platforms from Monday 1 December 2025. SkillTech will be on hand to support you with this and any questions that you may have.

Apprenticeship reforms: centre-assessed model – approval update

Following our recent Foundation Apprenticeship walkthrough webinars and the Apprenticeship Reform webinar, we’re pleased to share an update on the approval process for centres wishing to access the centre-assessed model. 

To make the process as smooth as possible:

• Automatic approval will be granted, where possible, to existing NCFE-approved centres that already hold approval for technical qualifications within the same Quality Assurance Groups. NCFE will be in touch with customers who express an interest in
• 
  Reduced approval checks will be carried out for centres with similar existing approvals.
• 
  New NCFE centres will be required to complete a full approval process.
  
  

Centres will not be charged for their initial centre approval for apprenticeship assessment standards.

Looking ahead: We are currently reviewing existing NCFE-approved centres and the qualifications for which you already hold approval. As part of this process, we will also be introducing a revised Apprenticeship Assessment Agreement over the coming months and will share further details in due course.

We’re committed to making this transition as seamless as possible and supporting you every step of the way.

Delivery

Changes to assessment recording

Apprentices will be informed of this through the confirmation email they receive for their assessment dates and times.

Learning and Skills Teacher v1.2, v1.3 and v1.4

We have conducted maintenance on the guidance materials for Learning and Skills Teacher, and new versions of these materials are available on epaPRO. The changes made are minor and change the references from IfATE to Skills England, as well as update the English and maths requirements in line with policy changes.

Adult Care Worker v1.2

We have conducted maintenance on the guidance materials for Adult Care Worker, and new versions of these guidance materials are available on epaPRO. These changes include updated sample Situational Judgement Tests which are available within the Sample-Example Materials folder.

Adult Care Worker v1.3

Leisure Team Member V1.1

In line with the correction to the Leisure Team Member v1.1 apprenticeship standard by Skills England, we have updated our Specification and Guidance and Gateway checklist on epaPRO to reflect these changes and will confirm once these are updated.

The correction is in relation to the Pool Lifeguard qualification. You will notice that the Level 2 Pool Lifeguard qualification has been replaced with the updated Level 3 Pool Lifeguard. Along with the First Aid which has been uplifted.

Moving forward, for all apprentices on v1.1 of Leisure Team Member, they will be required to hold a Level 3 Pool Lifeguard qualification.

Reminders from last month’s newsletter

Navigate apprenticeship reforms with confidence

Change is on the way for apprenticeship assessment and we’re here to help you navigate it with clarity and confidence. We held a webinar on 22 October 2025 focused on how we’re supporting you through the apprenticeship reforms.

In this session, we walked through the latest developments in apprenticeship assessment reforms and showed how we’re supporting you through each stage of the transition.

We discussed:

• a breakdown of the first reformed assessment plans and emerging approaches
• what's confirmed, what’s still under review, and expected rollout timelines
• key differences in assessment for the new foundation apprenticeships, including opportunities for centre-based models
• insights from the Ofqual consultation and Skills England updates
• how we’re preparing for the changes, the resources available to you, and answers to common questions from providers like you.

Whether you’re leading delivery, managing quality, or supporting learners, this webinar will give you the insight and confidence to adapt successfully. If you couldn’t attend and would like access to the recording, please get in touch and we’ll share the link to the recording.

EPA 2025-2026: End-of-year timeline

Every year, we produce an end of year timeline to support you with planning for your end-of-year achievements. You will find a copy of the end-of-year timeline on epaPRO under the Support Materials section and ‘End-of-Year Timeline 2025-2026'.

This includes a breakdown of all SLAs across the apprenticeship standards. We have also included a specific breakdown around the Teaching Assistant and Learning and Skills Teacher standards, due to the school/college closures at the end of the academic year taking place prior to 31 July 2026, to support with when they should be registered and requested for EPA to complete prior to the closure of their workplace.

If your apprentices are already registered on epaPRO, please ensure you keep the expected EPA start date up to date in order for NCFE to provide the required resource and ensure capacity is available. If your apprentices are not yet registered, please ensure these are registered at least 90 days prior to the apprentice being requested for EPA.

You can contact your dedicated point of contact in the EPA Relationship team or contact our support team on 0191 2408950 or via email at [email protected].

EPA apprentice guidance

To support apprentices in understanding the EPA journey, we have produced a guidance video and document. These guidance materials walk through the various stages of EPA from the Gateway meeting through to certification.

It will support apprentices in understanding what to expect and how to prepare for EPA. You can find this new guidance on epaPRO under the Support Materials section and ‘Apprentice Support Materials’.

Foundation apprenticeship walkthroughs

The Health and Social Care and Data and Software foundation apprenticeships are here, and we’re ready to help you make the most of them with our new assessment offer.

Watch our on-demand webinars to see what’s changed, what to expect, and how we can support you and your apprentices.

To gain access to these webinars, simply complete the short webform at the right-hand side of the page and you will gain access to these recordings.

We’re here to support you, guide you through the assessment process, and help you make the most of the resources available.

Re-sit/Re-take Policy appendix

Available within our EPA mandatory policies, you will find our EPA Re-sit/Re-take Policy and Appendix A. The Appendix A document provides an overview of each standard requirements – this includes information on timescales for the maximum EPA period of each standard, number of re-sits an apprentice can have, and timescales for re-sits of assessments and other key information relating to EPA durations and re-sits.

This is a valuable resource which allows you to see what timescales apply to apprentices who are in EPA or require a re-sit of an assessment. You can also see whether these stipulations are assessment plan conditions or in line with NCFE policy.

Community Activator Coach v1.3

Skills England have released an updated assessment plan for Community Activator Coach v1.3. Any new apprentices who start on programme on or after 28 October 2025 will need to be enrolled on this version.

The guidance materials are available in the Support Materials section and is available for registrations for those who have delivered previous versions of this standard with NCFE. If you would like to add this standard to your offer, please contact your Relationship Colleague or [email protected].

Business Administrator – Guidance materials update

We’ve received an update from Skills England regarding the Business Administrator apprenticeship standard. Previously, the assessment plan has stated that the project must be started no sooner than month 9 of the apprenticeship.

With the update to the funding rules from 1 August 2025 reducing the minimum duration to 8 months, we queried with Skills England around the Business Administrator project requirements as if apprentices could not start their project until month 9, they would be unable to complete at the minimum duration timescale. Skills England have now confirmed that apprentices who started their apprenticeship after 1 August 2025 who want to reduce their apprenticeship duration to 8 months, may begin their Project at month 6.

We have updated our specification and guidance document to reflect this update from Skills England, and the updated guidance is available on epaPRO under the Support Materials section.

Please note, this only applies to those who enrolled on the apprenticeship after 1 August 2025. Any apprentices who were previously enrolled on this apprenticeship must continue to follow the previous assessment plan ruling of not beginning their apprenticeship until 9 months after their enrolment date.

Advice, guidance and support

Navigate apprenticeship reforms with confidence

Change is on the way for apprenticeship assessment and we’re here to help you navigate it with clarity and confidence. We recently held a webinar on 22 October focused on how we’re support you through the apprenticeship reforms.

In this session we walked through the latest developments in apprenticeship assessment reforms and showed how we’re supporting you through each stage of the transition.

We discussed:

• a breakdown of the first reformed assessment plans and emerging approaches
• what's confirmed, what’s still under review, and expected rollout timelines
• key differences in assessment for the new foundation apprenticeships, including opportunities for centre-based models
• insights from the Ofqual consultation and Skills England updates
• how we’re preparing for the changes, the resources available to you, and answers to common questions from providers like you.

Whether you’re leading delivery, managing quality, or supporting learners, this webinar will give you the insight and confidence to adapt successfully. If you couldn’t attend and would like access to the recording, please get in touch and we’ll share the link to the recording.

EPA 2025-2026 End of Year Timeline

epaPRO – SkillTech One

epaPRO has launched SkillTech One, which allows customers to access all of SkillTech’s products using one central login. If you work with multiple EPAOs who use epaPRO, SkillTech One allows you to easily access and switch between different accounts and enjoy a more streamlined user experience.

NCFE has opted in, and you will be able to configure your epaPRO platforms from 1 December 2025. In November, we will send you further information on how to do this. SkillTech will be on hand to support you with this and any questions that you may have.

EPA Apprentice Guidance

Foundation apprenticeship walkthroughs

The Health and Social Care and Data and Software foundation apprenticeships are here, and we’re ready to help you make the most of them with our new assessment offer.

Watch our on-demand webinars to see what’s changed, what to expect, and how we can support you and your apprentices.

To gain access to these webinars, simply complete the short webform at the right-hand side of the page and you will gain access to these recordings.

We’re here to support you, guide you through the assessment process, and help you make the most of the resources available.

Re-sit/Re-take Policy Appendix

Available within our EPA mandatory policies, you will find our EPA Re-sit/Re-take Policy and Appendix A. The appendix A document provides an overview of each standard requirements, this includes information on timescales for the maximum EPA period of each standard, number of re-sits an apprentice can have, and timescales for re-sits of assessments and other key information relating to EPA durations and re-sits.

This is a valuable resource which allows you to see what timescales apply to apprentices who are in EPA or require a re-sit of an assessment. You can also see whether these stipulations are assessment plan conditions or in line with NCFE policy.

Delivery

Product 

Community Activator Coach v1.3

Skills England have released an updated assessment plan for Community Activator Coach v1.3. Any new apprentices who start on programme on or after 28 October 2025 will need to be enrolled on this version.

The guidance materials are available in the Support Materials section and is available for registrations for those who have delivered previous versions of this standard with NCFE. If you would like to add this standard to your offer, please contact your Relationship Colleague or [email protected].

Leisure Team Member V1.1

Skills England have applied a correction to the Leisure Team Member v1.1 apprenticeship standard. As this is a correction, a new version of the assessment plan has not been released, but instead, the correction applied to the existing version.

The correction is in relation to the Pool Lifeguard qualification. You will notice that the Level 2 Pool Lifeguard qualification has been replaced with the updated Level 3 Pool Lifeguard. Along with the First Aid which has been uplifted.

Moving forward, for all apprentices on v1.1 of Leisure Team Member, they will be expected to hold a Level 3 Pool Lifeguard qualification. We are currently in the process of updating our Specification and Guidance and gateway checklist on epaPRO to reflect these changes and will confirm once these are updated.

Business Administrator – Guidance materials update

We’ve received an update from Skills England regarding the Business Administrator apprenticeship standard. Previously, the assessment plan has stated that the project must be started no sooner than month 9 of the apprenticeship.

With the update to the funding rules from 1 August 2025 reducing the minimum duration to 8 months, we queried with Skills England around the Business Administrator project requirements as if apprentices could not start their project until month 9, they would be unable to complete at the minimum duration timescale. Skills England have now confirmed that apprentices who started their apprenticeship after 1 August 2025 who want to reduce their apprenticeship duration to 8 months, may begin their Project at month 6.

We have updated our specification and guidance document to reflect this update from Skills England, and the updated guidance is available on epaPRO under the Support Materials section.

Please note, this only applies to those who enrolled on the apprenticeship after 1 August 2025. Any apprentices who were previously enrolled on this apprenticeship must continue to follow the previous assessment plan ruling of not beginning their apprenticeship until 9 months after their enrolment date.

Reminders from last month’s newsletter

Teaching Assistant - Q&A Re-sit Pilot

From 8 September 2025, we have introduced a pilot to enhance our communication through the booking process for when an apprentice needs to re-sit/re-take the Teaching Assistant v1.1 Observation (Q&A).

If an apprentice has failed on less than three criteria, we will book a Q&A only. The Q&A will be carried out remotely through Microsoft Teams and will focus on the failed criteria from the previous assessment. The assessment will be scheduled for an hour to allow our IEPA time for introductions and set up.

If the apprentice has failed more than three criteria, they will be required to complete the re-sit as a full observation and Q&A face to face.

You will not need to change how you apply for a re-sit/re-take, our team will automatically process this when we receive the re-sit/re-take form.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your relationship contact who will be happy to support you.

Post-Gateway requirements and submissions

Where apprentices are required to submit evidence during their EPA period such as a project, case study or presentation, please could you ensure that apprentices submit these as attachments to an email. We have experienced a higher volume of apprentices sharing access to these through cloud storage systems such as OneDrive, however, we do not have access to their work or personal cloud storage systems so cannot access these files. This causes delays in evidence being submitted while this is resolved.

We have updated our guidance to apprentices in the emails they receive to confirm this should be submitted as an attachment to an email to provide additional support to apprentices in submitting these types of evidence.

If an apprentice does experience issues in attaching files to an email, there is guidance in the emails provided to them on how to gain support in submitting this evidence.

Apprenticeship duration – policy change

Skills England have provided an update on their website reflective of the policy change regarding apprenticeship durations:

For new starts from 1 August 2025, the minimum duration has reduced to 8 months (from 12 months). This policy change supersedes any reference to 12-month durations as currently set out in End-Point Assessment plans. For those apprentices that started before 1st August 2025, the 12-month minimum duration still applies.

We are currently in the process of updating our guidance materials and solution briefs to reflect the updated policy and will confirm when these are available.

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

Assessment ID checks

At the start of each assessment, our IEPA's will ask apprentices to complete a quick ID check. We understand that, for religious or personal reasons, some apprentices may prefer this to be done by a female or male IEPA. We’re more than happy to arrange this.

To help us get everything set up smoothly, just let your Relationship Manager know before the assessment, and we’ll make sure the right support is in place.

Foundation Apprenticeships

We’re pleased to confirm that we have received Ofqual approval for the following Foundation Apprenticeships.

• Software and data foundation apprenticeship
• Health and social care foundation apprenticeship

These standards are now available on epaPRO for registration, with supporting guidance materials also accessible. We are currently planning a webinar to help you understand the assessment plans and outline our approach to apprenticeship assessment.

If you’re interested in partnering with us on either of these standards, please contact your Relationship team contact or [email protected].

New assessment plan: Healthcare Support Worker V1.2

Skills England have released an updated assessment plan for Healthcare Support Worker v1.2. Any new apprentices who start on programme on or after 1 August 2025 will need to be enrolled on this version.

The guidance materials are available in the Support Materials section and is available for registrations for those who have delivered previous versions of this standard with NCFE. If you would like to add this standard to your offer, please contact your Relationship Colleague or [email protected].

Advice, guidance and support

Teaching Assistant - Q&A re-sit pilot On Monday 8 September, we introduced a pilot to enhance our communication through the booking process for when an apprentice needs to re-sit/re-take the Teaching Assistant v1.1 Observation (Q&A).

If an apprentice has failed on less than three criteria, we'll book a Q&A only. The Q&A will be carried out remotely through Microsoft Teams and will focus on the failed criteria from the previous assessment. The assessment will be scheduled for an hour to allow our IEPA (Independent End Point Assessor) time for introductions and set up.

If the apprentice has failed more than three criteria, they will be required to complete the re-sit as a full observation and Q&A face to face.

You won't need to change how you apply for a re-sit/re-take, our team will automatically process this when we receive the re-sit/re-take form.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your relationship contact who will be happy to support you.

Post-Gateway requirements and submissions

Where apprentices are required to submit evidence during their EPA period such as a project, case study or presentation, please ensure that apprentices submit these as attachments to an email. We've experienced a higher volume of apprentices sharing access to these through cloud storage systems such as OneDrive. We don't have access to their work or personal cloud storage systems so can't access these files. This causes delays in evidence being submitted while this is resolved.

We've updated our email guidance that is sent to apprentices to clarify that evidence should be submitted as an email attachment, and how to resolve common technical issues.

Apprenticeship duration – policy change

Skills England has provided an update on their website reflective of the policy change regarding apprenticeship durations:

For new starts from Friday 1 August 2025, the minimum duration has reduced to 8 months (from 12 months). This policy change supersedes any reference to 12-month durations as currently set out in EPA plans. For those apprentices that started before Friday 1 August 2025, the 12-month minimum duration still applies.

We're currently in the process of updating our guidance materials and solution briefs to reflect the updated policy and will confirm when these are available.

Delivery and assessments

At the start of each assessment, our IEPAs will ask apprentices to complete a quick ID check. We understand that, for religious or personal reasons, some apprentices may prefer this to be done by a female or male IEPA. We’re more than happy to arrange this.

To help us get everything set up smoothly, just let your Relationship Manager know before the assessment, and we’ll make sure the right support is in place.

Product and resources

Foundation apprenticeships

We’re pleased to confirm that we have received Ofqual approval for the following foundation apprenticeships.

• Software and data foundation apprenticeship
• Health and social care foundation apprenticeship

These standards are now available on epaPRO for registration, with supporting guidance materials also accessible. We're currently planning a webinar to help you understand the assessment plans and outline our approach to apprenticeship assessment.

If you’re interested in partnering with us on either of these standards, please contact your Relationship team contact or [email protected].

New assessment plan: Healthcare Support Worker V1.2

Skills England has released an updated assessment plan for Healthcare Support Worker v1.2. Any new apprentices who start on programme on or after Friday 1 August 2025 will need to be enrolled on this version.

The guidance materials are available in the Support Materials section and is available for registrations for those who have delivered previous versions of this standard with NCFE. If you'd like to add this standard to your offer, please contact your Relationship colleague or [email protected].

Reminders from last month

Improvement to the gateway audit process

As part of our continuous improvements, if a gateway audit is rejected, we’ll now be able to lock sections of the checklist that are not related to the reason for rejection. This change is designed to help us focus the re-audit process solely on the areas previously flagged, ensuring a more efficient and streamlined experience.

If you require any part of the checklist to be unlocked before the learner is accepted, please contact us at [email protected]. Our team will be happy to support you.

Supporting apprentice mental wellbeing

We understand that EPA can sometimes be a source of stress or anxiety for apprentices. To help, we’ve created a dedicated support document offering practical advice and guidance on maintaining mental wellbeing during EPA.

This resource is available in the Support Materials section of epaPRO for apprenticeship providers, and it’s also sent directly to apprentices in their introduction email when their assessments are scheduled.

Our aim is to help apprentices feel more confident, reduce stress and approach their assessments with a positive mindset.

ESFA apprenticeship certification

We’ve seen an increase in cases where the apprentice information in epaPRO doesn't match the details held by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) through the individualised learner record (ILR). When this happens, it prevents apprenticeship certificates from being claimed.

Common issues include:

• name changes during the apprenticeship not reflected on both systems
• incorrect unique learner numbers (ULNs)
• double-barrelled names (with or without hyphens).

These discrepancies cause delays because we may need to confirm the correct details with you, and you may need to update the ILR before the claim can be submitted. To avoid this, please ensure that all information entered in epaPRO exactly matches the ILR. This will help ensure a smooth claim process and prevent delays in apprentices receiving their certificates.

ESFA apprenticeship certificate delivery

 By default, apprenticeship certificates are sent to the workplace address listed in epaPRO. If you would prefer certificates to be sent to the apprenticeship provider address instead, this can be arranged at a provider level (but not on an apprentice-by-apprentice basis).

If this is not already set up and you would like to make this change, we've created a form you can submit to let us know your preferred certification location. The three options are:

• apprentice – sent to the workplace address, addressed to the apprentice
• apprentice mentor – sent to the workplace address, addressed to the mentor
• training provider – sent to the provider address, addressed to the main contact.

Updated English and maths requirements in apprenticeships guidance

The Department for Education (DfE) has updated the guidance in line with the announcements made during National Apprenticeship Week. You can find the updated guidance here. The equivalent qualifications remain the same as previous guidance.

This has replaced the previous spreadsheet produced by the DfE, please ensure that you use this updated guidance when reviewing English and maths requirements.

What apprentices can take into assessments

As part of an apprentice’s assessment, they may be allowed to take in documents to support. Detailed guidance for each standard and assessment component is available in epaPRO.

We’ve seen an increase in apprentices attending assessments without their portfolio, bringing only the plan and prepare template. Where an assessment is underpinned by a portfolio and apprentices are allowed to bring it, we strongly recommend they do so. Having their portfolio during the assessment is invaluable, as it gives apprentices a direct reference to the evidence questions or discussion points that are related to it. Where permitted, apprentices may bring either a printed or digital copy of their portfolio.

New assessment plan: Early Years Lead Practitioner V1.1

Skills England has released an updated assessment plan for Early Years Lead Practitioner v1.1 which went live for enrollments on Friday 1 August 2025. Any new apprentices who start on this programme after this date will need to be enrolled on this version. We’re currently in the process in developing our guidance materials and will confirm once these are live. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact your Relationship colleague or [email protected].

 New standards

The following standards are now live for registrations on epaPRO and our guidance materials are available and can be found within the Support Materials section on epaPRO:

• Early Years Practitioner V1.1
• Healthcare Support Worker V1.2
• Learning and Skills Teacher V1.4
• Facilities Manager V1.3

If you don’t have access to these standards, please contact your Relationship colleague or [email protected]