Analysing the role of initial assessment in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET)
Initial assessments in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training
Before undertaking the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET), the Education and Training Academy need to determine the prospective learners’ prior skills, knowledge and understanding to determine their suitability for the course and to identify and potential issues such as literacy and numeracy skills.
Realistically, training providers should check this before any course, not just the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET), Initial assessment is assessment is carried out at the beginning of the course or a session and diagnostic assessments are carried out at any time just to diagnose gaps in learning and any other particular learning needs such as support with English skills, maths skills, writing skills, study skills, etc.
The benefits of initial assessments in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training
Initial and diagnostic assessments are useful in the enrolment process as it allows the training provider to determine the most suitable course for them. Learners are often undecided which course to study out of the Level 3 Award in Education and Training (AET) and the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET). Sometimes the choice comes down to their ambitions of where they want to progress their careers, others want the ease to get into teaching. But we also need to consider the capability of the learner when helping them to choose the right course. In the workplace, you are likely to carry out a training needs analysis (TNA) with staff to identify areas which require training, perhaps to meet a particular job role.
The tutors involvement in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training
The tutor may not be responsible for carrying out initial and diagnostic assessments but they must be aware of them so they can help and support the learners appropriately. The initial and diagnostic assessments will help to find a starting point for the learner however its not until we truly get to know in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET) where we can give them the best support, but we must be prepared.
It might not be your responsibility to interview prospective learners or to carry out initial assessments or TNAs. However, you will need to know the results to enable you to support your learners. Try not to make any assumptions about the learner, you will need to meet them in person to really get to know them.
Initial and diagnostic assessments are not used for the sake of it, there is a purpose and it’s about being proactive before you start the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET). The initial assessment allows us to determine why you want to start the course which is why our course consultancy is crucial in helping you to select the right course. It also allows us to determine your suitability for the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET), sometimes learners will not have the ability to fulfil the placement or capability to complete the work without further study so therefore we may suggest the Level 3 Award in Education and Training instead. Initial assessments will help us to find out the motivations of potential learners so we can put SMART plans in place to help them fulfil their goals and given them the additional support that they need.
Diagnostic assessment in the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training
We use diagnostic assessments for the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET) to determine the learner’s current level of skills, knowledge and understanding regarding the subject to ensure they can actually teach the subject they wish to before commencing the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (CET). It will give our learners the confidence to negotiate and agree individual learning goals and targets and to identify gaps in skills, knowledge and understanding to highlight areas to work on throughout the course.
