College apprenticeships and skills surveys

Apprenticeship End Point Assessment Activity for Colleges 2025

Background:

• End Point Assessment (EPA) was introduced to ensure that the assessment of the apprentice is both independent and impartial.
• EPAs are carried out by an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) chosen by the apprentice’s employer or training provider.
• An apprenticeship cannot be successfully completed until all elements of the EPA have been achieved.
• EPA activity cannot be scheduled until the practical period has been completed and the apprentice, employer and training provider have agreed that all of the knowledge, skills and behaviours have been achieved.

Methodology
Three data sources were used to complete the research:

• The Individual Learner Record (ILR) data, for the previous three years, submitted by 170 colleges.
• A survey shared with all Association of Colleges (AoC) member colleges in November and December 2024. A total of 83 colleges responded.
• Ofqual data for achievement of EPA from March 2023- February 2024.

Summary:

• Cost: The cost to colleges for EPA has been consistent at 13% of apprenticeship income for the past three academic years. The true cost is likely to be a higher percentage than this due to the cost of resits and the additional physical resource required.
• Timeliness: Too many apprentices experience delays in achieving their apprenticeship due to the availability of the EPA. 94% of colleges completing the survey identified that the availability of an end point assessor contributed to this delay. This is despite teachers/trainers leaving colleges to work as independent end
  point assessors.
• Administration: Colleges need to contract with a wide variety of EPAO due to the breadth of their apprenticeship provision. 45% of colleges who responded identified that they were engaging with 11 or more EPAO and the degree of their satisfaction/dissatisfaction focussed on the effectiveness of these processes and procedures.
• Comparison: There have been some minimal fluctuations in the cost of EPA compared to both sector and level. The most marked increase in the cost of EPA has been for Level 7 apprenticeships (in 2021/22 13.5% rising to 19% in 2023/24) which also attract the higher maximum funding band.

Apprenticeship End Point Assessment Activity for Colleges Report 2025