Welcome to the REAL Assessor Newsletter

Moderation is one of the ways Careerforce maintains a consistent high quality level of assessment.

All Careerforce Assessors are required to go through an annual registration review. Part of this review is to ensure that each assessor successfully participates in annual moderation.

We require three assessment samples for moderation each year. Please select three samples of an individual unit standard identified in the five year moderation plan (located here) that you have assessed this year. If you are unable to submit samples from the plan, any three samples that you have assessed in 2020 can be accepted. If you are submitting integrated assessment material that your organisation has developed, please send the whole assessment. Don't try to separate out individual unit standards. Please complete the Moderation Cover Sheet (located here) when you have selected your samples. Our moderation team will be requesting additional random samples throughout the year.

The peer moderation workshop schedule for 2020 is listed on our website (here). This schedule will be updated as workshops are added throughout the year. Please register for one in your area. Alternatively, moderation can be completed by post or email. If this is your preference, please either email your moderation samples to moderation@careerforce.org.nz or post to:

Careerforce offers training for new assessors throughout the year. All new assessor applicants must attend a 2-day IAT (Initial Assessor Training) course once their Careerforce Registered Assessor Application has been approved. If your organisation wishes to have an additional assessor trained, please contact your local Careerforce Workplace Advisor to discuss.

The assessor registration flowchart outlining the steps you will need to follow to achieve Careerforce assessor registration can be found here.
The Careerforce Registered Assessor Application can be found here.
The IAT schedule for 2020 can be found here.

Trainee: completing Level 3 qualification

Level 3: 27459 Observe and respond to changes in a person

Skills / Knowledge / Responsibilities: A learner’s responsibility and knowledge has increased; they observe changes over time that a supported person is experiencing and responds to those changes appropriately. The learner is under limited supervision. The learner knows some why's and how's of their role, observes and responds in more detail, and uses some initiative in unfamiliar situations.

Answers: Several sentences or paragraphs.

Trainee: completing Level 4 qualification

Level 4: 23393 Apply a risk management plan for a person

Skills / Knowledge / Responsibilities: A learner’s responsibility is higher still. They are now largely self-managing and may be responsible for some performance of other people within their organisation while applying this skill. The learner is able to quantify the why behind their actions with reference to established practice/theory.

Answers: In-depth answers that clearly show knowledge of topics and their application within their role.

When checking the results of the literacy and numeracy assessments, it’s important to remember that these assessments only indicate a small part of an adult’s learning capability. Trainees who score low on the literacy assessment, may struggle with reading and writing but are likely to have strong speaking and listening skills and this is how they learn best. They will enjoy discussion-based, group learning sessions, or time with a coach / mentor to talk through the content of the learning modules and how they relate to their job.

Oral assessments are also an option. Most smart phones have a voice recorder app. If not, you can download one for free from the app store for iPhones, and for androids.

To meet assessment requirements, oral assessments must be administered by the assessor only. Mark the recording time on the assessment document next to each question (in case you wish to refer back to that part of the recording later). Jot down the main points the trainee makes in their response, on the assessment document. Then move onto the next question and repeat.

If you need to paraphrase a question to assist a trainee’s understanding, make sure you are not hinting at the answer. Also, note down on the assessment document, that it is an oral assessment and you are writing on behalf of the trainee. Then sign and date under this statement.

The app allows you to name the voice file and email it to yourself as an attachment. You can then store it in your trainee’s training file. If the assessment is chosen for moderation, you can email the voice file and a copy of the paper assessment to the moderator.

Please contact Cushla Wilson if you would like support with oral assessment techniques.