| Field | Detail |
| Document reference | ASM-01 |
| Version | v0.1 Draft |
| Owner | Assessment and Standards Lead |
| Accountable officer | Responsible Officer |
| Approval authority | Governing Body |
| Effective from | [Insert date] |
| Next review date | [Insert date] |
| Applies to | All Albion Awards regulated and non-regulated qualifications, assessments, centres, assessors, IQAs, EQAs and certification decisions |
1. Purpose
This Assessment Policy sets out Albion Awards’ approach to the design, approval, delivery, marking, quality assurance, results confirmation and certification of assessments. It is designed to ensure that assessment is valid, reliable, comparable, manageable, fair, accessible, secure and capable of supporting consistent awarding decisions.
The policy supports Albion Awards’ proposed recognition scope within Business, Administration and Law, specifically SSA 15.3 Business Management. Assessment may include cyber governance, cyber risk and digital resilience scenarios, but the primary assessment demand is governance judgement, risk oversight, assurance, accountability and board-level decision-making rather than technical ICT practitioner competence.
This policy should be read alongside the Assessment Design Procedure, Marking and Grading Guidance, Qualification Development Policy, Quality Assurance Framework, IQA Procedure, EQA Procedure, Standardisation Procedure, Certification Procedure and Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy.
2. Scope
This policy applies to all assessment activity connected with Albion Awards qualifications, including assessments designed by Albion Awards, assessments delivered by approved centres, assessment decisions made by assessors, internal quality assurance undertaken by centres, external quality assurance undertaken by Albion Awards, and certification decisions made by Albion Awards.
- qualification and module assessment strategies;
- assessment briefs, case studies, scenarios, professional discussions, projects and presentations;
- mark schemes, grading descriptors, rubrics and assessor guidance;
- assessment security, confidentiality and controlled release;
- assessment decisions, feedback and record keeping;
- internal and external quality assurance of assessment decisions;
- reasonable adjustments and special considerations affecting assessment;
- malpractice, maladministration, appeals and complaints relating to assessment;
- certification checks based on assessment outcomes.
3. Assessment Principles
| Principle | Albion Awards requirement |
| Validity | Assessment must measure the stated learning outcomes and assessment criteria for the qualification or module. Assessment tasks must be relevant to the qualification purpose and intended professional context. |
| Reliability | Assessment decisions must be capable of being made consistently across assessors, centres and cohorts through clear criteria, guidance, standardisation, IQA and EQA. |
| Comparability | Learners undertaking the same qualification must be assessed against the same standard, regardless of centre, delivery mode or cohort. |
| Manageability | Assessment must be proportionate to qualification size, level, GLH, TQT, centre capacity, assessor workload and learner expectations. |
| Fairness | Assessment must avoid unnecessary barriers and must not advantage or disadvantage learners because of background, protected characteristics, centre, delivery mode or assessor preference. |
| Accessibility | Assessment design must allow reasonable adjustments where appropriate without changing the standard being assessed. |
| Security | Live assessment materials, learner evidence, results and certification records must be protected from unauthorised access, loss, alteration or inappropriate disclosure. |
| Authenticity | Centres and assessors must ensure that learner evidence is the learner’s own work and that AI-assisted or third-party support is managed in accordance with Albion Awards policy. |
| Evidence-based judgement | Assessment decisions must be based on evidence matched to assessment criteria and grading descriptors, not personal preference or unsupported judgement. |
4. Roles and Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibilities |
| Governing Body | Approves the Assessment Policy and receives reports on assessment standards, quality assurance, appeals, malpractice, certification and risks to standards. |
| Responsible Officer | Accountable for ensuring assessment arrangements comply with regulatory requirements and that risks, adverse effects and serious assessment issues are escalated and managed. |
| Assessment and Standards Lead | Owns assessment design standards, assessment approval, marking and grading guidance, standardisation activity and assessment review. |
| Qualifications Lead | Ensures assessment strategy aligns with qualification purpose, level, learning outcomes, assessment criteria, GLH and TQT. |
| Quality Assurance Lead | Oversees IQA, EQA, centre monitoring, sampling, standardisation and corrective action relating to assessment. |
| Approved centres | Deliver assessments in accordance with Albion Awards requirements, maintain secure records, complete IQA and submit accurate results and evidence. |
| Assessors | Make evidence-based assessment decisions against approved criteria and guidance, provide appropriate feedback, declare conflicts and protect assessment security. |
| Internal Quality Assurers | Sample assessment decisions, check consistency, verify evidence sufficiency and ensure assessor feedback and judgement are appropriate. |
| External Quality Assurers | Review centre assessment and IQA practice, sample learner evidence, verify standards and recommend actions or certification holds where required. |
| Certification Officer | Checks that results, IQA, EQA and hold points are complete before certification claims proceed. |
5. Permitted Assessment Methods
Albion Awards qualifications are professional, applied and board-level. Assessments should normally require learners to interpret evidence, apply judgement, produce professional outputs and justify decisions. The assessment model should not rely mainly on recall of knowledge unless this is necessary for the qualification purpose.
| Assessment method | Use within Albion Awards qualifications |
| Scenario-based written assessment | Used to assess applied judgement in realistic governance, risk, cyber governance, crisis or resilience scenarios. |
| Board paper critique | Used to assess the learner’s ability to evaluate board information, identify gaps and recommend improved oversight. |
| Risk and assurance review | Used to assess risk appetite, controls, assurance mapping and board reporting. |
| Cyber governance case study | Used to assess board-level cyber accountability, oversight, resilience and incident preparedness. |
| Crisis decision log | Used to assess structured decision-making, escalation, evidence use and post-incident learning. |
| Business continuity or resilience review | Used to assess continuity planning, resilience maturity and improvement priorities. |
| Professional discussion | Used to test applied understanding, reflection and professional judgement, normally supported by evidence. |
| Applied project | Used mainly at Levels 6 and 7 to assess independent application in an organisational or simulated professional context. |
| Board-level presentation | Used where oral communication and senior-level reporting are part of the intended competence. |
6. Assessment Design and Approval
Assessment materials must be developed and approved through the Assessment Design Procedure before use. No assessment may be released to a centre or used with learners unless it has been reviewed, approved, version controlled and recorded in the assessment register.
- Assessment need is identified from the qualification specification, module specification, learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
- Assessment author develops a draft assessment brief, learner instructions, evidence requirements, assessor guidance, mark scheme or rubric and authenticity requirements.
- Assessment is mapped to learning outcomes and assessment criteria using the approved mapping template.
- Assessment is reviewed for validity, reliability, comparability, manageability, accessibility, bias, clarity, level demand and malpractice risk.
- Subject specialist review is completed where technical or specialist content is used.
- Assessment and Standards Lead confirms whether revisions are required or whether the assessment may proceed to approval.
- Responsible Officer or delegated approver authorises live use where required by the Scheme of Delegation.
- Approved assessment is version locked, given a release status and added to the assessment register.
Qualification approval will not be granted until qualification purpose, level, TQT/GLH, learning outcomes, assessment criteria, assessment strategy, centre requirements, equality impact, assessment validity, quality assurance model and resource implications have been reviewed and approved.
7. Minimum Assessment Approval Checks
| Check | Requirement before approval |
| Qualification link | Assessment must be linked to an approved qualification and module. |
| Outcome mapping | All relevant learning outcomes and assessment criteria must be mapped. |
| Assessment demand | Task demand must be appropriate to level, credit, GLH and TQT. |
| Learner instructions | Instructions must be clear, complete and accessible. |
| Assessor guidance | Guidance must explain evidence requirements, judgement expectations and feedback requirements. |
| Marking/grading | Mark scheme, rubric or grading descriptors must be complete. |
| Fairness and accessibility | The task must be checked for unnecessary barriers, bias and reasonable adjustment implications. |
| Security | Security classification, release rules and confidentiality requirements must be recorded. |
| Conflict check | Author, reviewer and approver conflicts must be declared and managed. |
| Version control | Assessment must have a version number, owner, approval date, review date and change history. |
8. Assessment Security and Confidentiality
Assessment materials and assessment records are controlled information. Albion Awards will classify, store, release and withdraw assessment materials in a way that protects assessment integrity and learner interests.
- Live assessment materials will be stored in secure systems with role-based access controls.
- Access will be restricted to users who require the information for their role.
- Assessment release to centres will be recorded, including version, release date and authorised recipient.
- Assessment writers, reviewers, assessors, IQAs, EQAs, staff and centre users must maintain confidentiality.
- Assessment materials must not be used for learner coaching, marketing or unauthorised training activity.
- Centres must store learner evidence, assessment records and feedback securely.
- Suspected compromise of assessment materials must be reported immediately and managed as a potential adverse effect.
- Albion Awards may withdraw, replace or suspend assessment materials where confidentiality or validity is compromised.
9. Assessment Delivery Controls
Centres may deliver assessment only where they are approved for the relevant qualification and have confirmed that they have suitable assessors, IQA capacity, learner support, secure records and assessment administration arrangements.
| Control area | Requirement |
| Centre approval | Centre must be approved and active for the relevant qualification before learners are registered or assessed. |
| Assessor approval | Assessors must have appropriate subject, assessment and professional competence and must complete Albion Awards induction. |
| Learner information | Learners must receive assessment requirements, submission rules, authenticity requirements, reasonable adjustment information and appeals information. |
| Identity and authenticity | Centres must confirm learner identity and the authenticity of submitted evidence. |
| Reasonable adjustments | Adjustments must be requested, approved and recorded before assessment where possible. |
| Assessment conditions | Centres must follow any conditions stated in the assessment brief, including timing, evidence format, supervision and resubmission rules. |
| Record keeping | Assessment decisions, feedback, IQA records and learner evidence must be retained in accordance with the Records Retention Policy. |
10. Marking, Grading and Feedback
Assessment decisions must be made against the published learning outcomes, assessment criteria, mark schemes, rubrics or grading descriptors. Assessors must not use personal preference, learner background, delivery mode, centre identity or unsupported assumptions when making decisions.
- assessors must judge whether learner evidence meets the relevant criteria;
- feedback must be clear, professional, evidence-based and linked to the criteria;
- where grading is used, the grade must be justified using the published grading descriptors;
- borderline decisions must be recorded and may be prioritised for IQA or EQA sampling;
- assessors must identify evidence gaps and make clear whether further evidence is required;
- assessment outcomes must be recorded in the approved format and submitted within required timescales.
Where a qualification uses pass/fail grading, certification will be based on achievement of all required learning outcomes and assessment criteria. Where pass, merit and distinction are used, the grading model must be specified in the qualification specification and marking guidance.
11. Internal and External Quality Assurance
Internal and external quality assurance are central to the reliability and comparability of Albion Awards assessment decisions. Centres must complete IQA before submitting results for certification, and Albion Awards will use EQA to confirm that standards are being applied consistently.
| QA activity | Requirement |
| IQA sampling | Centres must sample assessor decisions, learner evidence, feedback and records according to the IQA Procedure and centre risk. |
| IQA feedback | IQAs must provide feedback to assessors and record required actions. |
| EQA sampling | Albion Awards EQAs will sample learner evidence, assessor decisions, IQA records and centre processes. |
| Risk-based escalation | Sampling will increase for new centres, new assessors, unusual outcomes, complaints, appeals, malpractice concerns or unresolved actions. |
| Certification holds | Albion Awards may place a hold on certification where IQA or EQA evidence is incomplete or where standards are at risk. |
| Corrective action | Where weaknesses are found, Albion Awards may require reassessment, assessor standardisation, increased sampling, action plans or centre sanctions. |
12. Standardisation
Albion Awards will use standardisation to promote shared understanding of assessment requirements and consistent application of standards. Standardisation will involve assessors, IQAs, EQAs, assessment reviewers and relevant Albion Awards staff.
- standardisation meetings will be held at least twice a year and more frequently during the first year of delivery or where risk indicates;
- standardisation will review sample learner evidence, assessment decisions, grading, feedback, borderline cases, appeals and EQA findings;
- attendance and outcomes will be recorded;
- actions arising from standardisation will be allocated to owners and tracked to completion;
- where standardisation identifies unclear assessment guidance, Albion Awards will review and amend the relevant assessment material or guidance.
13. Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations
Albion Awards will ensure that assessment arrangements are compatible with Equalities Law and that learners are not placed at unnecessary disadvantage. Reasonable adjustments must maintain the validity of the assessment and must not change the standard being assessed.
- reasonable adjustment requests should normally be made before assessment;
- decisions will be made by Albion Awards or by centres acting within delegated authority, as specified in the Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy;
- where a reasonable adjustment request is declined, the reason will be recorded and the learner will be informed of the route to appeal or complain;
- special considerations may be considered after assessment where temporary illness, injury, bereavement or exceptional circumstances affected performance;
- reasonable adjustment and special consideration decisions will be recorded and monitored for consistency.
Albion Awards will collect and analyse equality-related data only where lawful, proportionate and necessary, and will process such data in accordance with UK GDPR and its Data Protection Policy.
14. Conflicts of Interest in Assessment
Albion Awards will avoid assessment being undertaken by a person who has a personal interest in the learner’s result. Where this cannot reasonably be avoided, independent scrutiny must be applied and recorded before results are confirmed.
- assessors, IQAs and EQAs must declare actual, potential or perceived conflicts before assessment or quality assurance activity;
- examples include assessing a family member, employee, close associate or learner coached by the assessor;
- mitigation may include reallocation, second marking, increased IQA, EQA review, certification hold or independent review;
- failure to declare a relevant conflict may be treated as maladministration or malpractice depending on the circumstances.
15. Malpractice, Maladministration and AI Use
Assessment malpractice and maladministration may undermine standards and learner confidence. Suspected malpractice or maladministration must be reported and investigated in accordance with Albion Awards’ Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.
| Issue | Control |
| Plagiarism or unauthorised assistance | Learner authenticity declarations, assessor checks and centre investigation where required. |
| Improper AI use | Learners must follow the AI Use in Assessment Policy, declare permitted AI assistance and submit evidence that remains their own work. |
| Assessment compromise | Immediate escalation, risk assessment, possible withdrawal or replacement of assessment materials. |
| Assessor malpractice | Investigation, retraining, removal from duties, increased sampling or centre sanctions as appropriate. |
| Centre maladministration | Action plan, increased EQA, certification hold, suspension or withdrawal of centre approval where required. |
16. Results, Certification and Digital Credentials
Assessment results will not be used for certification until required assessment, IQA and EQA controls have been completed. Albion Awards will maintain the authoritative certification record and certificate register.
- learner must be registered for the correct qualification;
- centre must be approved and active for that qualification;
- all required assessment components must be complete;
- IQA must be complete where required;
- EQA clearance must be complete where required;
- there must be no unresolved malpractice, appeal, reasonable adjustment, special consideration or certification hold affecting the claim;
- certification must be approved by the authorised Albion Awards role.
Albion Awards will use AlmaBridge digital credentials to support secure digital certification and third-party verification. AlmaBridge will issue digital credentials only after Albion Awards has approved certification. The digital credential will represent an approved Albion Awards qualification outcome and will not replace Albion Awards’ certification decision, certificate register, suspension, revocation or learner protection controls.
17. Systems, Records and Audit Trail
Assessment records will be managed through controlled systems and, as it is implemented, through the Albion Awards Platform. The Albion Awards Platform is a proprietary WordPress-based operating system for managing regulated awarding body activity. It will support qualification development, centre approval, assessment governance, EQA, certification control and regulatory reporting.
Until each platform module is fully operational, Albion Awards will maintain controlled interim registers and workflows to ensure that regulatory records, learner records, centre records, assessment approvals and certification decisions remain complete, secure and auditable.
| Record | Minimum content |
| Assessment register | Assessment code, title, qualification, module, version, status, owner, approval date and review date. |
| Assessment approval record | Author, reviewer, mapping, accessibility review, security classification and approval decision. |
| Learner assessment record | Learner, centre, qualification, assessment decision, evidence reference, feedback and assessor. |
| IQA record | Sample, IQA decision, feedback, actions and closure. |
| EQA record | Sample, findings, centre risk, actions, certification holds and closure. |
| Certification record | Eligibility checks, approval, certificate number and digital credential issue where applicable. |
| Audit log | Key system actions, approvals, changes, withdrawals, holds, releases and revocations. |
18. Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
Albion Awards will monitor assessment performance through quality indicators, annual qualification review, EQA findings, centre monitoring, complaints, appeals, malpractice cases, reasonable adjustment data, special consideration data, certification holds and learner or centre feedback.
| Area | Quality indicator |
| Validity | Assessment criteria coverage map and subject specialist review outcomes. |
| Reliability | IQA/EQA agreement rates, assessor consistency and standardisation outcomes. |
| Comparability | Centre outcome variance, grade profiles, referral rates and unusual result patterns. |
| Manageability | Learner workload feedback, centre feedback, assessment completion rates and assessor workload. |
| Bias and fairness | Reasonable adjustment trends, appeal analysis, complaints, differential outcome review where lawful and proportionate. |
| Security | Assessment incident reports, access issues, compromise events and corrective actions. |
Actions arising from assessment monitoring will be recorded in the continuous improvement log, assigned to an owner, given a deadline and tracked to completion. Where assessment issues create or may create an adverse effect, they will be escalated to the Responsible Officer and, where necessary, the Governing Body and Ofqual.
19. Assessment Withdrawal and Replacement
Albion Awards may withdraw or replace assessment materials where they are out of date, compromised, no longer valid, unclear, unfair, unmanageable or inconsistent with the approved qualification specification. Withdrawal decisions must be recorded and must consider the impact on registered learners and centres.
- withdrawn assessments must be marked as withdrawn in the assessment register;
- centres must be notified of the withdrawal and replacement arrangements;
- learners already assessed must not be unfairly disadvantaged;
- where assessment compromise is suspected, certification may be held pending review;
- replacement assessments must go through the assessment approval process before use.
20. Breaches of this Policy
Failure to follow this policy may be treated as maladministration or malpractice depending on the circumstances. Albion Awards may take corrective action to protect learners, qualification standards and regulatory compliance.
- requiring corrective action or additional evidence;
- requiring assessor retraining or standardisation;
- increasing IQA or EQA sampling;
- holding or refusing certification claims;
- requiring reassessment where appropriate;
- suspending an assessment, assessor, qualification approval or centre approval;
- investigating under the Malpractice and Maladministration Policy;
- notifying Ofqual where required.
21. Related Documents and Evidence
| Evidence reference | Document or record |
| QUAL-01 | Qualification Development Policy |
| QUAL-02 | Qualification Specification Portfolio |
| QUAL-03 | Module Bank |
| ASM-02 | Assessment Design Procedure |
| ASM-03 | Marking and Grading Guidance |
| ASM-04 | Certification Procedure |
| QA-01 | Quality Assurance Framework |
| QA-02 | IQA Procedure |
| QA-03 | EQA Procedure |
| QA-04 | Standardisation Procedure |
| LRN-02 | Appeals Policy |
| LRN-03 | Malpractice and Maladministration Policy |
| LRN-04 | Reasonable Adjustments and Special Considerations Policy |
| OPS-03 | Data Protection Policy |
| OPS-04 | Records Retention Policy |
| OPS-05 | IT Systems Overview |
Appendix 1 — Assessment Approval Checklist
| Checklist item | Yes/No/NA | Evidence or comment |
| Assessment linked to approved qualification and module | ||
| Learning outcomes and assessment criteria mapped | ||
| Assessment method matches qualification purpose | ||
| Level demand is appropriate | ||
| GLH/TQT and workload are proportionate | ||
| Learner instructions are clear | ||
| Assessor guidance is complete | ||
| Mark scheme or grading rubric is complete | ||
| Accessibility and bias review completed | ||
| Reasonable adjustment implications considered | ||
| Malpractice and authenticity risks considered | ||
| Assessment security classification recorded | ||
| Subject specialist review completed where required | ||
| Conflicts of interest checked and recorded | ||
| Version number and change history recorded | ||
| Approval decision recorded |