EPA0001L4A
Skilled Trade Office Administrator
THE EPA
You might be wondering about Assessment
OVERVIEW: What does EPA involve for Office Administrator?
The end-point assessment, or EPA, for the Skilled Trade Office Administrator standard is made up of three components:
EPA 1: Knowledge test
The knowledge test contains 60 multiple-choice questions and is carried out online. The questions will be randomly selected from a question bank.
Apprentices will usually need to pass the knowledge test before they can progress to the next element of EPA.
EPA 2: Portfolio-based Interview
This interview is based on the portfolio of learning the apprentice creates while completing the training units outlined in the standard. This portfolio should evidence each of the knowledge, skills, and behaviours shown in the assessment plan. The interview assesses their competence, self-reflection, judgement and understanding of the entire Apprenticeship. The portfolio provides a structure for this interview.
The portfolio-based interview is conducted by a team of assessors.
EPA 3: Project/Improvement Process
The apprentice will deliver a presentation on a project they completed or a process they improved. The project or process improvement will be done while the apprentice is working through their training units and must be completed as part of the Gateway evaluation to start the EPA process.
If the apprentice assessed out of a majority of their training units, the apprentice will complete their project/improvement process during PLA2431 – Gateway Assessment for Certification.
The project should be submitted to the EPA Centre and the apprentice will then be given a question to answer in the presentation. For example:
- How have you improved a process or operating practice?
- Which KSBs were more critical to the outcome of the project/improvement?
- How will the project/improvement be monitored for updates and effectiveness?
The EPA elements for this standard are equally weighted.
Components |
Duration (minutes) |
Grading |
| Knowledge test | 90 | Fail/Pass/Distinction |
| Portfolio-based Interview | 60 | Fail/Pass/Distinction |
| Project Presentation | 60 | Fail/Pass/Distinction |
EPA Grading
The grading for this EPA is Fail/ Pass/ Distinction. The table below shows how the
grade from each end-point assessment component is combined to determine the
overall end-point assessment grade.
Distinction |
Pass |
Fail |
| Does not achieve a minimum Pass for all three components. | Achieves a minimum of a Pass for all three components and a Distinction in no more than two. | Achieves a Distinction in all three components. |
Grade boundaries for the Knowledge Test:
Grade |
Minimum score |
Maximum score |
| Distinction | 50 | 60 |
| Pass | 40 | 49 |
| Fail | 0 | 39 |
The Portfolio-based Interview and Project Presentation are graded as follows:
Distinction |
Pass |
Fail |
| Meets all of the Pass criteria and all the Distinction criteria. | Meets all of the Pass criteria but not all the Distinction criteria. | Does not meet all the Pass criteria. |
The EPA for Skilled Trade Office Administrator can be completed in hybrid or entirely online as the recommendation of the apprentice and their preferred assessment environment.
- EPA1: This is an online assessment. Paper assessments are available for apprentices with documented learning accommodations.
- EPA2 & EPA3: Can be done remotely using MS Teams or in person at the Institute.
Our remote EPA2 and EPA3 model supports apprentices who require an assessment method that does not require transportation. However, where needed, employers should help the apprentice to have reliable, consistent internet access for the duration of these two assessments.
The EPA Centre provides:
- Apprentice Toolkit: full guidance on what to expect and how to prepare for EPA;
- Employer overview showing what EPA involves;
- Mock knowledge test;
- Portfolio Mapping;
- Blog with regular advice articles; and
- Regular feedback to Guild House Tech on areas to improve the overall training and delivery of the standard.
