Completing your apprenticeship

Gateway to completion

Once you’ve completed your on programme training you will go through gateway to completion. This is where we agree with you and your line manager that you have acquired the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the apprenticeship standard and are ready to undertake your final assessment.

Apprenticeship assessment

Apprenticeship assessment is the process for you to demonstrate that you have acquired the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSB’s) set out in the apprenticeship standard.

The assessment will be carried out by an impartial Assessment Organisation, which takes responsibility for the assessment of the apprentice against the requirements of their standard.

Your assessment

During your assessment, you will complete the following:

  • This lasts for 2 hours 15 minutes and includes 6 questions comprising of 5 essay-style questions and 1 practical written assessment.
  • There is one essay style question for each knowledge area, plus the practical written assessment which assesses the writing and editorial skill area.
  • You will aim to spend 20 minutes on each essay style question, leaving 35 minutes to read and answer the practical assessment.

  • During your apprenticeship you will compile a portfolio of evidence, which forms the basis for the professional discussion.
  • The discussion is with an independent assessor and usually lasts an hour.
  • The assessor will ask 8 – 10 open questions from their question bank, split equally between scenario and factual based questions.

Top tips

Knowledge Test

  • Make sure you understand the marking scheme the assessor will use as well as the topics themselves
  • Break down the total exam into chunks of time per question and stick to this so you dont have to rush at the end

Professional Discussion

  • It’s me, myself and I! The assessor wants to hear what you have done NOT what your team or organisation does in general
  • Take your time and give a full story for each question – what you did, how you did it, why you did it, who helped you