EPA Standard
Associate Project Manager
Level 4 
£6,000 24 months
1. What the role entails
The Associate Project Manager initiates, plans, designs, executes, controls and closes a project. They make sure teams are meeting schedules and achieving the desired end result. This involves using resources efficiently and satisfying all parties involved in the project.
2. On-programme assessment
Before entering Gateway, the apprentice must complete the following on-programme assessment requirements:
- Level 2 English and maths
- A Project Management qualification recognised by the International Project Management (IPMA) Level D or APM Management Qualification
- A Portfolio of Evidence.
3. Gateway requirements
The employer, independent training provider (ITP) and apprentice make the decision to take the apprentice through Gateway. The apprentice must achieve all the required on-programme elements before they enter Gateway.
4. End-point assessment
The EPA for Associate Project Manager contains two methods of assessment:
Presentation supported by a Portfolio of Evidence
The apprentice will focus on 15 key areas from the standard to produce a substantial Portfolio of Evidence. They must submit this for panel review one month before the Presentation and Professional Discussion takes place.
The Presentation must cover 5 learning areas from the 15 in the Portfolio. The Presentation and Professional Discussion will take place in the same assessment session. The Presentation will last for 45 minutes.
Grading: out of 25, 5 for each of the 5 learning areas chosen, with a weighting of 33.3% on the total score. 55+ correct answers equals a Distinction.
Professional Discussion supported by a Portfolio of Evidence
The Professional Discussion will cover the remaining 10 learning areas chosen for the Portfolio. The Professional Discussion is an opportunity for the apprentice to demonstrate their competence, skills and understanding. The Presentation and Professional Discussion will take place in the same assessment session. The Professional Discussion will last 60 minutes.
Grading: out of 50, 5 for each of the learning areas chosen, with a weighting of 66.6% on the total score.
5. Grade aggregation table
Presentation: each of the 5 learning areas selected for assessment will be scored out of 5, to give a total score out of 25.
Professional Discussion: each of the 10 learning areas selected for assessment will be scored out of 5, to give a total score out of 50.
The final score is determined according to the following (out of 75):
| Grade | Fail | Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| Total mark | Less than 45 | 45-55 | 50-65 | 66-75 |
6. Completion and certification
We’ll activate certification once the apprentice has successfully completed all EPAs, and the IEPA has verified this. Working with the apprenticeship certificate issuing authority, we’ll ensure the apprentice receives their certificate.
7. What next?
The learning doesn’t stop once the apprenticeship is complete. We offer a full suite of programmes to take your apprentice up the career ladder. Their next step could be the level 5 Operations or Departmental Manager apprenticeship.
Why NCFE?
We’re an approved End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO) specialising in EPA delivery across health, education, early years, digital, social care, finance and business apprenticeship standards. We offer flexible and reliable EPA solutions supported by sector expertise, guidance documents and proactive service and support.