Overview
In a sensible demonstration with questions, an impartial assessor observes the apprentice finishing a process or collection of duties set by the EPAO. The EPAO decides the place it takes place. The evaluation atmosphere should intently relate to the apprentice’s pure working atmosphere. This permits the apprentice to show the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology.
Rationale
This EPA evaluation methodology is getting used as a result of:
- whereas this occupation entails sensible duties greatest assessed via commentary on-the-job, the chance to show the transferable expertise required could also be restricted in an actual work context resulting from accessibility and scheduling points
- a sensible demonstration has been chosen as this allows all apprentices to have the identical alternative to show their competence in opposition to the KSBs
- questioning permits for the evaluation of the breadth and depth of underpinning information in opposition to the grading descriptors
- it’s a holistic evaluation methodology
Supply
The sensible demonstration with questions should be structured to offer the apprentice the chance to show the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology to the best obtainable grade.
An impartial assessor should conduct and assess the sensible demonstration with questions.
The impartial assessor should solely observe one apprentice at a time to make sure high quality and rigour. They should be as unobtrusive as doable.
The EPAO should give an apprentice at the very least 2 weeks discover of the sensible demonstration with questions.
The sensible demonstration with questions should take 4.5 hours.
The impartial assessor can enhance the time of the sensible demonstration with questions by as much as 10%. This time is to permit the apprentice to finish a process or reply to a query if crucial.
The sensible demonstration with questions can’t be break up, aside from for consolation breaks or to permit apprentices to maneuver from one location to a different. The place breaks happen, they won’t depend in the direction of the full EPA time.
EPAOs should handle invigilation of the apprentice in the course of the evaluation, to keep up safety of the EPA, consistent with their malpractice coverage. This consists of breaks and transferring between places in the course of the working day.
The impartial assessor should clarify to the apprentice the format and timescales of the sensible demonstration with questions earlier than it begins. This doesn’t depend in the direction of the evaluation time.
The impartial assessor should observe the next in the course of the sensible evaluation:
a. making ready work space; utilizing well being and security controls
b. use of knowledge and documentation, together with drawings and threat assessments
c. deciding on acceptable instruments and work holding units; put together and setup both:
- standard machine together with device setting or,
- CNC (laptop numerical management) machine together with loading and modifying programmes. Modifying programmes should embrace including substantive options to the prevailing programme as described within the operations listed under.
d. performing machining operation; setting and adjusting working parameters; deciding on speeds and feeds; combining a minimal of three completely different operations to supply complicated elements with a minimal of three completely different options utilizing one sort of machine that might embrace:
Typical or CNC lathe
- screw-cutting inside or exterior threads
- bored holes
- tapered diameters
- profile types
- eccentric options
- grooves or undercuts
Typical or CNC Milling machine
- inside pockets or profiles
- inside round or curved profiles
- exterior curved profiles
- holes or options linearly pitched
- holes or options spaced on a PCD (pitched circle diameter)
- bored holes
- treadmilling or tapping
- keyway or tee pictures
- steps or shoulders
- open ended pictures or enclosed pictures and recesses
Typical or CNC floor or cylindrical grinding machine
- inside profiles
- exterior profiles
- stepped diameters
- eccentric diameters
- flat face
- stepped faces
- angled faces
- profiled faces
- parallel faces
- recessed options
e. utilizing gear to measure and test the machined element with a minimal of three options. The manufactured element with a minimal of three options should conform to all high quality and accuracy requirements relevant to the machine and operations being carried out and should be verified by the impartial assessor. High quality and accuracy requirements should embrace relevant tolerances under:
- elements to be free from false device cuts, burrs and sharp edges
- basic dimension tolerance. As much as plus or minus 0.25mm or plus or minus 0.010 inch
- a number of particular dimensional tolerances. Particular dimensional tolerances rely on the kind of element and have and should be agreed with the EPAO upfront. As much as plus or minus 0.05mm or plus or minus 0.002 inch or BS EN 20286 or BS 1916 Grade 7 (BS (british customary) requirements limits and suits)
- reamed and bored holes inside H8
- screw threads BS medium match
- geometric tolerances of 0.1mm or 0.004 inch
- angles and tapers inside plus or minus 0.5 diploma
- in grinding operations, flatness and squareness inside 0.012mm per 25mm or 0.0005 inch per inch
f. sustaining a secure machine and work space all through the machining course of; checking the situation of instruments and gear figuring out and actioning points
The record above will not be exhaustive and the EPAO and the employer ought to focus on appropriate machine sorts. Tolerances can be set by the EPAO if the machine will not be specified.
These actions present the apprentice with the chance to show the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology.
The impartial assessor should ask questions. The aim of the impartial assessor’s questions can be to help evaluation within the following themes:
- work atmosphere
- instruments and gear
- planning
- machine preparation
- manufacture complicated elements with options
The impartial assessor’s questions may even take a look at the apprentice’s breadth and depth of underpinning information in opposition to the grading descriptors.
Questions should be requested after the sensible. The entire period of the sensible is 4.5 hours and the time for questioning is included within the total evaluation time. The entire time for the sensible aspect is 4 hours. The time allotted for questioning is half-hour.
The impartial assessor should ask at the very least 5 questions. The impartial assessor should use the questions from their EPAO’s query financial institution or create their very own questions in-line with the EPAO’s coaching.
The impartial assessor can ask follow-up inquiries to make clear solutions given by the apprentice. These questions are along with the above set variety of questions for the sensible demonstration with questions and ought to be stored to a minimal.
The impartial assessor should preserve correct data of the evaluation. They need to document:
- the KSBs noticed
- the apprentice’s solutions to questions
- KSBs demonstrated in solutions to questions
- the grade achieved
The impartial assessor should make the grading choice. The sensible evaluation and responses to questions should be assessed holistically by the impartial assessor when they’re deciding the grade.
Evaluation location
The sensible demonstration with questions will happen in a simulated atmosphere chosen by the EPAO (for instance the EPAO’s or employer’s premises). The simulated atmosphere should relate to the apprentice’s pure work atmosphere. Gear and sources wanted for the sensible demonstration with questions should be offered by the EPAO, who can liaise with the employer to supply these.
Questioning that happens after the sensible demonstration with questions ought to happen in a quiet room, free from distractions and affect.
Query and useful resource growth
The EPAO should develop a purpose-built evaluation specification and query financial institution. It’s endorsed that is completed in session with employers of this occupation. The EPAO ought to preserve the safety and confidentiality of EPA supplies when consulting employers. The evaluation specification and query financial institution should be reviewed at the very least yearly to make sure they continue to be fit-for-purpose.
The evaluation specification should be related to the occupation and show how you can assess the KSBs mapped to this evaluation methodology. The EPAO should be sure that questions are refined and developed to a excessive customary. The questions should be unpredictable. A query financial institution of adequate measurement will help this.
The EPAO should be sure that the apprentice has a unique set of questions within the case of re-sits or re-takes.
The EPAO should produce the next supplies to help the sensible demonstration with questions:
- impartial assessor evaluation supplies which embrace:
- coaching supplies
- administration supplies
- moderation and standardisation supplies
- steerage supplies
- grading steerage
- query financial institution
- EPA steerage for the apprentice and the employer
