The way we assess apprenticeships in England is undergoing one of its most significant reforms in recent years. These changes are part of a wider effort by the Department for Education (DfE), Ofqual, and the newly established Skills England to ensure that end-point assessments are more consistent, valid, and reflective of real occupational competence.
The changes began to take shape throughout 2023 and 2024, with the DfE consulting on how to simplify apprenticeship assessment. This led to the announcement of a new model in early 2025, with Skills England publishing its core requirements and guidance for apprenticeship assessment on 16 December 2025. These reforms apply to new versions of apprenticeship standards being approved from January 2026 onwards, with the intention of gradually replacing the current, often perceived as overly complex, assessment plans.
For many in the sector – including awarding organisations, training providers, and employers – the shift introduces welcome simplification. However, it also brings new responsibilities and areas of confusion, especially around two key points: what is allowed in terms of sampling, and how assessment outcomes must be judged.
To give some background, the new model introduces three key components within each apprenticeship standard: knowledge, skills, and assessment outcomes. While this structure is intended to make assessment more focused and occupationally relevant, it’s led to a number of questions across the sector, particularly about what must be assessed in full and what can be sampled or partially evidenced.
Under the new guidance, sampling is permitted for non-mandatory knowledge and skills statements. This means that awarding organisations do not have to assess every non-essential statement in every version of the assessment. There is also flexibility to sample within mandatory knowledge and skills statements, which allows for some variation in focus or depth – but all mandatory statements must still be included in every assessment version.
However, when it comes to assessment outcomes, the rules are much stricter. These are defined as the core occupational requirements that apprentices must meet by the end of their programme – the essential capabilities to do the job competently. The guidance is clear: all assessment outcomes must be assessed in full, and in every version of the end-point assessment. There is no flexibility to sample or omit these outcomes.
What’s caused further confusion is how strictly the requirement to “fully meet” these outcomes should be interpreted. While the guidance states that “all assessment outcomes must be demonstrated to the level described in the performance descriptors”, it stops short of offering detailed examples or thresholds. In some standards – such as the revised Data Technician apprenticeship – the language becomes even firmer, with instructions that outcomes must be “met in full”. This lack of consistency in language and interpretation is creating uncertainty, especially around borderline performance or complex, multi-part outcomes.
This is where Multicultural Apprenticeship & Skills Alliance (MASA) plays a vital role. Through our work supporting awarding organisations, providers, and employers across the country, we’re seeing how these changes are being received – and where the sector needs more guidance. People speak to us because we understand both the technical policy detail and the practical delivery challenges. We’re not just advisors; we are connectors – helping people translate policy into practice and make confident, informed decisions.
Our message to the sector is clear: while national clarity is still emerging, you must act now to ensure your assessment strategy is robust, defendable, and learner focused. That means being transparent about how sampling is used, ensuring all assessment outcomes are explicitly covered, and making sure your grading models are distinct from the minimum competence outcomes. The new model gives flexibility but also demands greater responsibility and consistency.
We request Skills England and Ofqual to provide more detailed case studies, worked examples, and practical interpretation to ensure that different organisations are applying the rules in a consistent and fair manner. In the meantime, collaboration across the sector is critical. Now is the time for awarding bodies, providers, and employers to work together – and with organisations like MASA with its patron members it can facilitate to co-design assessment models that uphold quality while remaining deliverable and learner-centred.
Looking ahead, these reforms present a real opportunity. If implemented well, they will lead to clearer, more reliable assessments that reflect the true value of apprenticeships. But we must be proactive. By engaging now, asking the right questions, and sharing insights, we can shape a system that works not just on paper, but in practice – for learners, for employers, and for the future of our workforce.
