Brooks and Kirk
Independent Training Providers
Task 9 – Risk Associated with Assessment Handout
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Introduction
When assessing learners, you will come across many risks associated with the
assessment process. As an assessor, it is important to be aware of potential risks when
assessing in your field of expertise. This will allow you to plan to try and mitigate these
potential risks. This document will help you with the completion of Unit 1 – Task 9,
criteria 3.4 and 3.5.
Learner risks
You will need to minimise risks to your learners, such as time pressures, over-
assessing, under-assessing, faulty equipment and legislation breaches. If unrealistic
deadlines are given to learners, this may cause them to rush, which might result in
accidents. It may also lead to plagiarism, in an attempt for them to complete their
qualifications quicker. If a learner is new to the sector, their lack of prior experience
may result in accidents or a loss of motivation, if they do not feel ready or prepared for
assessments.
Assessor risks
There are risks on your part when working as an assessor. These can include; risks of
burnout if working long hours, pressure to pass learners quickly due to funding and
deadlines, particularly when working in the apprenticeship sector, incorrect assessment
decisions and the risk of breaching legislation.
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Other risks
There are many risks to yourself, the assessor, and the learner. But there are other
risks present when assessing. If you are assessing in the workplace, you might come
across managers who are not very supportive of their staff. For example, a learner’s
manager may not wish for you to enter their workplace at certain times. Or, they might
refuse to provide witness testimonies, if needed.
Other risks can also relate to the protection of confidential information, especially if you
are travelling to assess learners and have paperwork with you.
Risks to Assessment (in order of the questions on the task sheet):
• A larger caseload of learners.
• Learners are located across the country.
• Learners with abnormal shift patterns.
• A learner not being present for their assessments due to sickness.
• Uncooperative managers, preventing assessments from going ahead when needed.
• Unrealistic deadlines set for learners.
• A learner failing to progress through their qualification.
• Long working hours, both for the learner and the assessor.
• An assessor not being able to adapt assessments to meet learners’ specific needs.
• Breaching the Equality Act (2010).
• A learner who is new to the sector, with no previous experience.
• Under/Over assessing from the assessor.
• An assessor not being familiar with the qualification requirements for the course they
are assessing.
• An assessor not marking/assessing work correctly.
• An assessor not identifying health and safety risks in the workplace, particularly
during observations.
• Witness statements or testimonies not being truthful, valid and reliable.
• Equipment not being available at the time of the assessment.
• Faulty equipment, resulting in breaches of Health and Safety legislation.
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• Learners using sector-specific equipment that they have not been trained to use.
• Ensuring confidential information remains secure and protected.
• Ensuring information is only held for as long as needed.
• Ensuring confidential information collected during assessments is redacted/deleted
when necessary.
Minimising Risks
Often, forward planning when working as an assessor can help to minimise risks. If you
are going to a new workplace to assess a student, forward planning can help ensure you
know where you are going and how long it will take you to travel there. Phoning ahead of
assessments will also help to ensure your learners are available, they are ready for the
assessments and the necessary resources and equipment are available. Support from
others in the assessment team can also help to minimise risks. Other assessors might be
able to increase their cohort of learners to support you, or there might be more suitably
trained individuals to adapt assessments for learners with specific assessment needs. The
Internal Quality Assurer can act as a support if you are unsure of an assessment decision,
have concerns about the authenticity of evidence, or need support to ensure deadlines are
met.
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