No law sets a number of CPD hours for assessors or internal quality assurers. The requirement comes from the awarding organisation, through your centre: assessors and IQAs are expected to keep both their occupational competence and their assessment practice up to date, and the centre is expected to be able to show it. The qualification that lets you assess in the first place is a separate matter — and it is a regulated qualification, not a CPD course. Getting those two things confused is the most common mistake people make in this area.
At a glance: Nexis CPD offers £9 CPD-accredited online courses for assessors and IQAs, with a verifiable e-certificate on passing — and any three courses cost £18.
The qualification versus the CPD
These do different jobs, and you need both.
The qualification is what shows you are competent to assess or quality-assure. The two most widely used are regulated by Ofqual and offered by several awarding organisations, including City & Guilds, Pearson and NCFE:
- Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment — for assessors judging competence in the workplace
- Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice — for practising IQAs
Watch the wording. There are also “Understanding” versions — for example the Level 4 Award in Understanding the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice. These are knowledge-only. They are useful, but on their own they do not show that you can practise as an IQA, and a centre may not accept one as the qualification for the role.
CPD is what keeps you current once you hold the qualification. A CPD course does not replace the regulated qualification, and no provider should suggest otherwise.
What CPD does an assessor or IQA need?
Two kinds, and centres often only evidence one:
- Occupational CPD — staying current in the sector you assess. An assessor in care needs to keep up with care practice; an assessor in construction needs to keep up with site practice. This is the one that most often lapses, because it is easy to assess for years while slowly drifting away from the job itself.
- Assessment practice CPD — staying current in how you assess: standardisation, sampling, giving feedback, digital evidence and e-portfolios, and changes to the qualifications you work with.
There is no hours target for either. What an external quality assurer looks for is evidence that it is happening: a CPD record, attendance at standardisation, and IQA sampling that shows consistent judgements.
What does the external quality assurer check?
When an EQA visits, CPD is rarely examined in isolation. It is read alongside the evidence that assessment is consistent and fair. Expect them to look at:
- Assessor and IQA CPD records, and whether they cover both occupational and assessment practice
- Standardisation records — who attended, what was compared, what changed as a result (see our guide to standardisation meetings)
- The IQA sampling plan and whether it is risk-based (see how to write an IQA sampling plan)
- The quality of written feedback to learners (see assessor feedback examples)
- Certificates for the qualifications that allow people to assess and quality-assure
A dated, verifiable CPD certificate is one small part of that picture. The reflection matters more: note what you changed in your practice as a result.
Which courses do assessors and IQAs most often take?
The combination that IQAs actually buy together covers the core of the role:
- Internal Quality Assurance: Sampling Strategies and Monitoring
- Standardisation and Moderation for Internal Quality Assurers
- Standardisation and Moderation in Vocational Assessment
For assessors, a practical set is:
- Providing Effective Feedback to Learners in Assessment
- Digital Assessment Methods and E-Portfolios
- Standardisation and Moderation in Vocational Assessment
Either set of three costs £18 rather than £27, because any three courses trigger the pay-for-2-get-3 offer. Add them to the cart and the discount applies automatically.
Frequently asked questions
How many CPD hours do assessors and IQAs need?
No law sets a number of CPD hours for assessors or internal quality assurers. The expectation comes from the awarding organisation through your centre: assessors and IQAs must keep their occupational competence and their assessment practice up to date, and the centre must be able to evidence it. External quality assurers look for a CPD record, standardisation attendance and consistent sampling rather than an hours total.
What qualification do you need to be an assessor?
The most widely used is the Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment, an Ofqual-regulated qualification offered by several awarding organisations including City & Guilds, Pearson and NCFE. For internal quality assurers the equivalent is the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice. A CPD course is not a substitute for either qualification.
What is the difference between the IQA award and the Understanding IQA award?
The Level 4 Award in Understanding the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice is a knowledge-only qualification. It is useful, but on its own it does not show that you can practise as an IQA, and a centre may not accept it as the qualification for the role. The practitioner award, without the word Understanding, is the one that demonstrates practice.
What types of CPD should an assessor keep up?
Two types. Occupational CPD keeps you current in the sector you assess, and is the one that most often lapses. Assessment practice CPD keeps you current in how you assess, including standardisation, sampling, feedback, digital evidence and changes to the qualifications you work with. Centres often evidence only one of the two.
What does an EQA check about assessor CPD?
An external quality assurer usually reads CPD alongside the evidence that assessment is consistent and fair. Expect them to look at assessor and IQA CPD records, standardisation records, the IQA sampling plan, the quality of written feedback to learners, and certificates for the qualifications that allow people to assess and quality-assure.
CPD courses for assessors and IQAs
£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100% online, verifiable e-certificate. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.
This article is general information, not advice on any specific awarding organisation’s requirements. Nexis CPD courses are CPD-accredited awareness courses and are not regulated qualifications. They are not the Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment, the Level 4 IQA Award, or any other Ofqual-regulated assessor or quality assurance qualification, and they do not qualify anyone to assess or quality-assure. Always follow your awarding organisation’s centre requirements and your centre’s own policies.