How to complete your Level 4 IQA qualification
This blog has been written by Maxine Lock of Peritia Training, a company that delivers online training for the Training, Assessor and Quality Assurance (TAQA) suite of qualifications. The opinions expressed in this blog are my personal ones based on both completing and delivering the IQA qualification. Your own opinions and experience may differ. If you like, leave a comment at the end of the blog to let me know about your experience of the IQA qualification.
The Level 4 Award in Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice is the current (2020) recognised qualification for those who wish to carry out the role of IQA in training centres in the UK.
IQA Roles and Responsibilities
Becoming an IQA means taking on responsibility for monitoring the learner journey and the assessment process throughout the completion of a qualification, on behalf of a training centre. You could be employed by a single training organisation and be responsible for checking the work of a number of assessors also working for that training organisation. Or you could work on a freelance basis for a number of training centres who may employ one or more assessors.
To internally quality assure the assessment of a qualification, you will be expected to hold the same qualification or one in the same subject that is equivalent or higher. You may also need to be involved in the delivery and assessment of that qualification as you need to be able to demonstrate occupational competence. You will need to have full access to the qualification specification, IQA strategy, assessment criteria and assessment guidance for the course. You will also need to be conversant with the IQA policy and procedure of the training centre that you are working for.
IQA activity can involve desk based monitoring of assessment decisions such as those recorded on multiple choice question papers or through the submission of candidate portfolios of evidence. You may also observe the trainer/assessor in the delivery and assessment of a qualification. As you are monitoring assessment decisions in real time this can be a great opportunity for standardisation of assessment decisions. Some of the monitoring will be of interim assessments and this will take place during the course, this enables any issues to be sorted out before they become too much of a problem.
IQA can also be of summative assessments at the end of a course such as that done on candidate portfolios before they are sent to the awarding organisation.
Another part of the IQA role is to write reports and action plans to record what has been found and what needs to be done to improve the assessment of a qualification. A key responsibility of the IQA is to support the development of assessors. To do this they need to identify what the assessor does well and also identify any areas for improvement. The IQA will support this through leading standardisation and CPD events.
To maintain quality and compliance the IQA will also monitor the implementation of policies and procedures such as the Health and Safety policy, the Equality, diversity and inclusion policy and the General Data Protection Regulations.
IQA Qualification Structure
The Level 4 Award in Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice consists of 2 units:
Unit 1: Understanding the principles and practices of internally assuring the quality of assessment
Unit 2: Internally assure the quality of assessment
The units, learning outcomes and assessment criteria are the same regardless of which awarding organisation is used.
If you are working in a large organisation such as a college and have responsibility for a number of IQAs, you could also go on to complete a third unit: Plan, allocate and monitor work in own area of responsibility
Unit 1 is a knowledge based unit and enables new and existing IQA's to understand the theory of the IQA process. It consists of 6 credits and 45 guided learning hours.
Unit 2 is a performance based unit also consisting of 6 credits and 45 guided learning hours. To complete this you will need access to two assessors to observe and to sample their assessment decisions. These assessors will each need to be assessing a qualification with at least 2 candidates. You do not have to be actually employed as an IQA to be able to do this but it must take place in a work environment. A simulated environment is not allowed. You could, however, undertake this role on a voluntary basis with a training centre in order to complete the IQA qualification.
The theory part of the course can be delivered through either a classroom or online based platform. The classroom and some online platforms (virtual learning environments, VLE's) will take place real time where a trainer delivers to a number of learners. For classroom based courses this will mean travel to a training venue for delivery of the theory content, these sessions could take place over the course of a week or could be one day or evening a week for a number of weeks. You will need to consider if the venue location is suitable for you as well as the timings of the course. This delivery method suits some people as it gives them a fixed timetable for learning. For those who work in a college or training centre then the course may even take place at their place of work and time may be allowed to attend the course as part of their professional development. To undertake the course through an online classroom you will need access to a laptop or computer that has a webcam. You will need a reliable internet connection and a quiet space to enable you to join the sessions without interruption. Again this gives the learner a fixed timetable for learning but without having to travel to a venue.
The other method of delivery is to use an online platform where the learner logs in and completes the learning in their own time. This usually involves the use of videos, e-books or other methods of delivering the knowledge for the course. The benefits of this for the learner are that they can be flexible and fit their learning around other commitments such as work and family. If delivered well the content will be clear and engaging and enable the learner to continue on and complete their assessments, also online.
Once the learner gets onto the second unit then their assessor will need to observe them carrying out the IQA process, monitoring the work of two assessors working with at least two learners who are undertaking a qualification. Part of this observation is of the candidate IQA giving feedback to the assessors and agreeing plans of action. Depending on the type of assessments being carried out these observations could take place face-to-face or maybe using a platform such as Skype or Zoom. Different training centres and awarding organisations will have their own views as to what constitutes acceptable evidence for Unit 2 but this is usually down to how flexible they are in their approach. Some of the larger training organisations are only set up for one way of working, this is in part how they manage to keep costs down. Generally the smaller organisations are able to be more flexible and can offer alternative ways of working to meet learners needs.
One question that I have been asked is - 'Does it matter if all the assessors I work with are marking work online?' The answer to this is it depends on the training centre and their awarding organisation some of whom specify that the assessor and the trainee IQA must be in the same location at the same time when observations are being carried out. For other awarding organisations they stipulate that evidence must include 'observation of performance' but does not state how, where and by whom that observation must be carried out. At the end of the day it is important that the evidence in the IQA candidate portfolio is valid, authentic and sufficient. So it is possible to complete the qualification if you IQA assessors who conduct online assessments. Your evidence can be provided through the use of Skype or Zoom type video calls which your IQA assessor can also be part of.
IQA Qualification Costs
If you have got this far you are probably starting to think, how much is all this going to cost?
The answer is dependent on what type of course you choose, classroom based or online. It will also vary according to the size and quality of the organisation delivering and assessing the course.
A quick Google search showed courses ranging from £400 to £900, most of these were completely online but some with a 1 day induction at the providers training venue. All written work for unit 1 was submitted online for all these training providers. For unit 2 most providers will assess the learner through a 1 day observation of IQA activity, examination of work products and professional discussion. Some, however, required the learner to supply a qualified IQA from within their own training organisation to conduct the observations of performance. This could be an issue if you do not already work for a training organisation.
How long will it take to complete the IQA qualification?
The guided learning hours for the Level 4 Award in IQA are 90, that is 45 for each unit. This includes tutor contact time (e-learning), observations, professional discussions and preparation of the portfolio. Some learners may exceed the GLH either because they need more time to study or because they choose to go more in depth with the study or preparation of their portfolio. There will also be some learners who take less time, this is usually because they are already working in the role of IQA and the assessor is able to recognise prior learning and experience.
When you sign up with a training organisation to do your course then they should inform you how long you have to complete. This is usually designated by the awarding organisation. From my Google search of providers I found that some did not specify a time on their website. Those that did ranged from 60 days (you could pay to extend this) to 12 months.
If you are completing a classroom based course then you will be subject to the timings of the sessions - you might want to bear that in mind if you wish to complete the course within a certain timeframe. If you are completing the course online then it is up to you how quickly you work through the course. If you are already working in the role or have a good understanding of what the role entails, and you have access to assessors within a training centre then it is possible to complete the course in 2-4 weeks. Having said that I find that most of my learners take 6 - 12 months and I think this is a more realistic time frame.
Ready to start your IQA Qualification?
So if you have read this blog and have decided to complete your IQA qualification what are the next steps?
Decide if you would like to study with others in a classroom based setting, (physical or online) or if you would prefer the more flexible online approach.
Contact providers (Google, Facebook forums, Word of mouth are all good ways of conducting an initial search) and find out what they offer. All providers will have a website from which you can gain at least basic information about them and the course.
If you have any specific needs or questions then ask the provider and see what their response is. This will give you an idea for how flexible their approach is and if it will meet your needs.
Look at the cost that each provider is charging for the course and check what it includes -is there an induction at a venue you have to get to, do you have to provide a qualified IQA to observe you for unit 2, does the cost include VAT?
What kind of feel do you get from the provider's website - do you think this is going to suit you and your needs. Some of the ones I looked at when researching this blog felt very corporate and impersonal - not what I would choose.
Make a choice, sign up and get started
For full details of the Level 4 IQA course offered by us at Peritia Training click the button below to go to the page on our website.
If you have found the information in this blog useful or want to let us know about your experiences please leave a comment below.