TECHNICAL GLOSSARY

This glossary contains technical words and phrases commonly used in N/SVQs.

A
APEL:  The Assessment of Prior Experiential Learning. The facility for an individual to receive credit for previously acquired (and still current) competence. Also known as APA (Assessment of Prior Achievement).
Approved centre:  An organisation inspected by the awarding body and deemed to have the trained staff and resources to make assessment arrangements for particular NVQs.
Assessment plans:  Identify the opportunities which exist naturally or which will be created in order to collect the evidence which will demonstrate competence.
Assessor:  Person accountable to the external verifier (through the internal verifier) who is both experienced and qualified/or working towards qualifications in assessing candidates. Assessor skills include observation, evaluation, making judgements about individual performance. Assessors may be based in the workplace, in an approved centre such as a college, or be peripatetic, visiting candidates in a variety of situations.
Awarding body:  An organisation recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for the purpose of awarding National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) e.g. City & Guilds.

C
Candidate:  Employee or student/trainee, registered with City & Guilds, who wishes to be assessed in order to gain a qualification.
Competence:  An assessment based on the candidate’s ability to perform a task to a defined standard specified in the National Occupational Standards.
Core unit:  A unit that the candidate has to achieve in order to achieve the qualification overall.

D
Direct observation:  An assessor observes performance in normal work conditions which give a picture how activities are carried out by the candidate. Observations should usually also provide evidence of knowledge and understanding.

E
Element:  Each unit (see unit) is broken down into a number of elements. Taken together the elements show what needs to be done to achieve the whole unit.
Evidence:  The means by which an external verifier can be satisfied that an individual has been properly assessed, usually a combination of completed/endorsed witness statements, and assessments by a qualified assessor with additional documentation collected in a portfolio of evidence.
Evidence requirements:  Specify the way in which the evidence for a unit must be provided. They identify any particular sources of evidence or assessment methods that are required.
External verifier:  Person accountable to the awarding body who effects quality assurance by monitoring and advising internal verifiers and assessors.

I
Internal verifier:  A designated person at the centre responsible for ensuring all assessors make consistent and accurate decisions when assessing evidence.

K
Knowledge and understanding:  Demonstration of knowledge and understanding, to the standard specified by the performance criteria for each unit of the NVQ.

N
National Vocational Qualification: A qualification recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as being relevant to the need of industry.

O
Optional unit:  A unit that is not a requirement for the award overall, but will be certificated if the candidate achieves it and will show additional areas of competence which have been achieved.

P
Performance criteria:  A detailed description used by the assessor to assess the learner’s performance in meeting the National Standard.
Portfolio:  A structured collection of evidence from several sources, gathered together and referenced to the National Occupational Standards, in which a candidate’s achievements are recorded.

S
Scope:  Scope statements recognise that work is carried out in a wide variety of different contexts and requires the performance criteria to be carried out in a number of different situations.
SVQ:  A Scottish Vocational Qualification: A qualification recognised by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

U
Unit:  A group of activities the learner is required to show competence in.

W
Witness testimony:  A statement signed by a person other than your assessor who has witnessed something you have done that is presented as evidence in the portfolio. The witness can only state what s/he has seen, not whether or not it shows you have the skills required.
Work products:  A product can be anything which is a result of the candidate’s work such as records which have been completed.