Frequently Asked Questions

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When LEIA gains approval to offer a new Standard for EPA, we will communicate it through our news outlets and social media platforms. If you made a suggestion regarding offering a standard, then we will contact you directly. Our website will also be updated accordingly. 

An Apprentices EPA should be booked as soon as an Apprentice has moved through the Gateway. It’s advisable to register learners on ACE360 at the earliest opportunity during their on-programme learning and keep their progress record up-to-date so LEIA can try to ensure we have resources available at the earliest opportunity once the Apprentice is ready. As a minimum LEIA must know about the Apprentices intention to move towards EPA 3 months prior to coming to the Gateway.

This is determined by each individual assessment plan, but an EPA can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months depending on what’s included.

Although a lot of assessment plans mandate an order that some assessments need to be taken in, this requirement has now been permanently removed by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. This means that assessments can be taken in any order for all assessment plans.

If an Apprentice is unsuccessful in passing their EPA they’ll be given a detailed final grading report containing feedback on their unsuccessful areas. The Apprentice may need some additional training before re-sitting their assessment. Where this is the case, the Apprentice must still complete their EPA in the assigned EPA window as defined in the Assessment Plan.

Apprentices will only need to re-sit the element(s) of the EPA in which they were unsuccessful. The decision on whether the Apprentice is able to re-sit the EPA is up to the Employer. Re-sits / re-takes will be chargeable at a rate per assessment and are not included in the initial agreed costs.

Apprentices must compile a portfolio of evidence during the on-programme period of the apprenticeship. It must contain evidence related to the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will be assessed by the Professional Interview.

The portfolio of evidence will typically contain ten discrete pieces of evidence which may include:

• workplace documentation/records, for example job task sheets/job cards/timesheets, equipment
• maintenance/service records
• witness statements
• customer feedback
• annotated photographs showing jobs in progress
• video clips
• annotated screen shots
• handover records

Our pricing model is determined by the ESFA Conditions of recognition for End-Point Assessment Organisations and includes the following, while costs ineligible for the receipt of public funding are not included, such as assessor recruitment and professional development, promotion and marketing costs.

• Registration onto ACE360 and on-boarding of apprentices for End-Point Assessments
• 1 free Knowledge Test re-sit
• The design of the End-Point Assessment materials and any mock materials
• The provision of guidance and support and the materials used in the delivery of End-Point Assessments
• The gateway checks and the scheduling of End-Point Assessments
• The provision of trained, qualified and approved assessors
• Delivery of End-Point Assessments
• The development and maintenance of End-Point Assessment tools
• Internal quality assurance, monitoring and standardisation
• Administration, expenses and overheads

We are always open to negotiate on prices with employers in situations that include larger volumes of Apprentices, timing of assessments or where savings can be made due to the location of assessments and the amount of assessment team travel required. LEIA is a not-for-profit organisation, and as such we have calculated our prices to cover our costs and not to make a profit.

LEIA will invoice the main training provider (the main provider is the provider that holds the contract with the ESFA and draws down the funding for the apprenticeship) anywhere between 3 months before EPA and at Gateway. LEIA advises that a minimum of 3 months should be allowed for invoicing and scheduling of EPA, however we accept that sometimes this may not be possible. LEIA requires invoices to be paid in full prior to EPA, any delay in this happening will impact on the delivery of EPA.

LEIA’s payment terms are 30 days, or prior to EPA – whichever is sooner.

Unless there is a cap on the amount of re-sits an Apprentice is able to take, specified on the assessment plan, then the decision of whether an Apprentice is able to re-sit more than once is up to the Employer. LEIA would recommend that assessments are not attempted anymore than 3 times, however, we would discuss this with the Employer before a final decision was made.

LEIA welcomes reasonable adjustment requests for Apprentices, however this must be done at Gateway and supporting evidence will need to be provided. LEIA will review the request and all the evidence submitted and notify you of our decision well in advance of the EPA.