The 2025 Apprenticeship Assessment Principles announced significant changes to end point assessment (EPA). Skills England are currently planning and implementing these changes, with Ofqual expanding its regulatory framework to ensure assessments remain valid and reliable.

Key changes include:

1. Published assessment plans will be simplified, containing only high-level information and Assessment Outcomes which apprentices must demonstrate. Awarding organisations (AOs) like 1st for EPA will design the assessments for each apprenticeship standard.
2. Where appropriate, parts of the assessment may be completed during the on-programme stage rather than at the end.
3. While AOs will still conduct some of the assessment, providers may deliver parts of assessment and grading, where appropriate. In doing so, the training provider acts as a Centre of the AO. It’s essential to note that this is not an obligation – providers may decide not to undertake assessment delivery at all.

We believe there’s a need to be transparent about what provider-delivered apprenticeship assessment means in practice, including the practicalities and costs to training providers of becoming a Centre. This allows providers to make informed decisions and act in the best interests of their apprentices and stakeholders.

The benefits of flexibility must be balanced with rigorous processes to ensure every assessment is valid and reliable. This is the only way to ensure parity and maintain the integrity of apprenticeships.

Many decisions are still being made at the time of writing, so use this information as a guide only. We will continue to collaborate with our stakeholders as plans progress, to ensure the best assessment experience for all.

The move from End Point Assessment to Apprenticeship Assessment

It’s essential to know that the changes described above will only apply to the new style apprenticeship assessment, and not to end point assessment (EPA).

Skills England is currently updating assessment plans, with the first five in development at the time of writing. Their aim is to update all assessment plans by August 2026. This means the EPA and apprenticeship assessment models will overlap, as current apprentices complete EPA and the new style apprenticeship assessment is phased in.

What does it mean to be a Centre?

Let’s look at the practicalities involved with becoming a Centre.

What are the Centre requirements?

Each AO will have its own requirements for Centres. This does mean that if you work with multiple AOs and choose to become a Centre for several, you will have multiple sets of requirements to follow. Although a lot of basics will be similar (such as operating a Complaints Policy and managing conflicts of interest), there will be a lot of operational differences.

1st for EPA currently has a Customer & Centre Policy, which we will update once Skills England announces full details of apprenticeship assessment and specific assessment plans. This way we can ensure our Centres’ assessments are every bit as robust as those we conduct ourselves.

Which training provider staff can carry out assessments?

AOs will individually set rules for who can conduct assessments, in line with the DfE guidance, new assessment plans and Ofqual regulatory framework. The requirements for staff involved will almost always include occupational competence and should mandate the management of any conflicts of interest.

We’re often asked if coaches will be able to carry out assessments. Centres must carefully manage conflicts of interest, so for example an assessment could not be carried out by a person who was directly involved in the apprenticeship delivery or who has any prior relationship with the apprentice. Full requirements will be available in written policies and guidance as details are confirmed.

Centre Duties: Step by step

Set up:

  1. Nominate a Head of Centre: They should read all policies and guidance and be confident that these can be implemented and managed effectively. They will meet with us, sign our contract, and act as the key point of contact for their Centre.

  2. Centre onboarding: Relevant people involved will attend set-up meetings, engage and train staff, and ensure robust quality assurance processes are in place to deliver valid and reliable assessments. These will include areas such as complaints, appeals and malpractice.

  3. Prepare staff and resources: This is where you implement your policies and processes. Ensure you have both the people and physical resources to deliver the forecast assessments to the standard required. Maintain contingency plans and mitigate risk as much as possible. Communicate effectively with learners and stakeholders so the process and requirements are clear at every stage.

Carry out assessment:

  4. Delivery: You’ll deliver assessments according to our assessment design, policies, and processes — alongside your own internal processes. These will include assessment settings and any assessment technology, platforms and resources you choose to use. Risks must be carefully managed and thorough audit trails must be in place.

  5. Quality assurance (QA): Your policies and processes should cover how you quality assure the assessments you deliver.

  6. Our role: We will carry out external quality assurance, as well as the remaining part of the assessment as designed. (Note that we, as the AO, must always carry out a portion of the assessment. This is a requirement of the assessment plan.)

Results:

7. We conduct further quality assurance and issue results.

Ongoing monitoring:

8. In addition to sampling any assessments you carry out, we will complete other QA activities. These may take the form of Centre visits (planned or unplanned) and trend monitoring, with following actions and timescales for completion. Full details will be shared in our guidance.

Costs to deliver assessments as a Centre

The costs to training providers of delivering apprenticeship assessment as a Centre will vary, and we’ll look at some of the financial implications to consider.

While exact figures cannot be confirmed until the full model is released and assessments are developed, this should give some high level points to consider.

In addition to the cost of the AO delivering the final assessment, operating as a Centre is likely to include:

Direct costs:

• Centre approval fees.
• Annual Centre fees.
• Sampling fees per assessment.
• Adequate insurance cover for the additional activities.

Indirect costs: Providers should consider the time and financial investment associated with:

• Set up, including developing and implementing all policies, processes and risk management.
• Ongoing management, monitoring and quality assurance.
• Recruiting qualified assessment/delivery staff, who have no conflict of interest with the apprentices.
• Time associated with managing queries, bookings, logistics and operations, complaints, appeals and investigations.
• Recruiting a workforce of sufficient size to meet Centre responsibilities defined by us, the duties as above, and the forecast number of assessments.

Of course, many providers will have existing policies and processes that can be adapted to work under the requirements set.

Are funding bands under review?

Funding bands are not being reviewed automatically as part of the move to apprenticeship assessment. However, a review is expected to begin in early 2026. At present, there are no details about which standards will have funding reviewed first or when any changes will take effect.

Financial impact summary

There’s a lot for providers to consider before they commit to becoming a Centre. We’d recommend that providers weigh up the benefits against the financial and time costs involved.

1st for EPA will always offer the option for all assessments to be conducted by us, meaning it is not necessary for any provider to become a Centre unless they choose to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the changes mean different AOs will assess the same standard in different ways?

Yes. All AOs will assess against the same published outcomes from the assessment plan. However, how they do so will vary. Each AO will set its own assessment methods, guidance and requirements for delivery.

Does responsibility for delivering valid, reliable assessments sit with the Centre?

Yes. You must quality assure the assessments you deliver, and we will hold Centres accountable. We may impose sanctions for any breaches. These could include financial penalties, placing a hold on delivery, removal of Centre status, or other measures. The level of risk involved and ability to mitigate any risk should be a prime consideration for Centres.

Does my provider have to become a Centre to continue delivering apprenticeships?

Assessment plans and regulatory guidance are likely to state that a substantial proportion of assessment is carried out by the AO. Each AO will make its own decisions on assessments, in line with the assessment plan. 1st for EPA will continue to offer full assessment delivery, meaning that it is not mandatory for any provider to become a Centre if they choose not to.

Summary

Becoming a Centre for apprenticeship assessment is a strategic decision. While it offers the potential for increased flexibility and ownership, it also comes with risk, operational responsibilities, quality requirements and financial implications.

At 1st for EPA, we’re here to support you every step of the way. We invite any provider interested in becoming a Centre to register their interest so we can send relevant information once details are confirmed.

Share your thoughts on becoming a Centre and register your interest here.