Assessment Policy 

Obelisk Training uses units of competency drawn from nationally endorsed Training Packages as the primary benchmark for assessment. Supporting these are industry standards or codes of practice. These and other industry specific publications inform the context and standard of performance during assessment.

To identify the precise assessment criteria, we apply a methodology of unpacking a unit of competency to assess the full scope of the unit including elements of competence, performance evidence, knowledge evidence and the requirements of the evidence conditions. This process ensures that our assessment strategies accurately reflect the requirements of the relevant training package and are valid. To ensure alignment with all components of a unit of competency, unit mapping must be undertaken during the design and development of assessment. Unit mapping must also be undertaken when carrying out pre-assessment validation. (Refer to: PP1.5 - Pre-assessment Validation)

Unit mapping will show the relationship between the planned assessment activities and each component of the unit. This must be conducted at a micro level of detail to allow the mapping to be useful later as a reference to demonstrate the validity of the assessment. An assessment mapping document is available for this purpose. 

Obelisk Training recognises the importance of establishing the right context for students during their assessment. Assessment context refers to the physical and non-physical environment in which skills and knowledge are assessed. This may be a workplace such as an office setting or a manufacturing workshop. The non-physical environment refers to things such as workplace policy and procedure, workplace tempo and culture. Many units of competency may be applied in any workplace such as skills and knowledge relating to workplace safety or leadership.

It is our responsibility to ensure that students are provided with the right context to undertake their assessment activities. To achieve this, we will apply the following strategies:

• Incorporation of the student’s own workplace policies and procedures into the assessment scenario or activity.
• Conduct of the assessment in the student’s workplace performing real workplace tasks where possible.
• Integration of relevant industry codes of practice and other industry information into the assessment activity.
• Incorporation of industry job descriptions for students to align with during realistic simulated workplace scenarios and case studies.
• Incorporation of regulatory information relating to licensing which applies to the unit of competency.
• Tailoring the program outcomes to meet the organisational training needs of the enterprise without compromising the Training Package requirements.
• Creating assessment activities which require the student to conduct specific research relating to industry situations and occurrences where applicable.
• Provide a realistic simulated workplace within Obelisk Training facilities.

While applying these strategies it is important to ensure that in establishing the context for assessment, we do not affect the transferability of the unit of competency. When the student is assessed as competent, this also means that the student can transfer the applicable skills and knowledge between different workplaces and context. This means that the competency is transferable and is a fundamental element of competency-based training and assessment. 

In the delivery of assessment services, Obelisk Training applies the principles of assessment. Assessment strategies have been designed to ensure:

• Fairness. Our assessment approach encourages fairness in assessment through consideration of the student’s needs and characteristics and through making reasonable adjustments when it is appropriate and enabling reassessment if necessary. Assessors achieve this through clear communication with a student to ensure that the student is fully informed about, can participate in the assessment process, and agrees that the process is appropriate.
• Flexibility. Assessment is flexible to the context, training product and student, and assesses skills and knowledge held by the student irrespective of how or where they have been acquired. Our assessment strategies provide for recognition of a student’s current competency, employ a range of methods appropriate to the context of the industry, the unit of competency and the student themselves.
• Validity. Assessment of skills and knowledge is integrated with practical application and enable the student to demonstrate these skills and knowledge in similar situations consistently. We conduct assessment against the broad range of skills and knowledge identified within each unit of competency and are integrated with the performance of workplace tasks. We ensure that the assessment is transferable to different context and situations and all components of the unit of competency are being assessed.
• Reliability. Assessment evidence is interpreted consistently by assessors and the outcomes of assessment are comparable irrespective of the assessor conducting the assessment. We achieve this by using assessors who have the required competencies in assessment and the relevant vocational competencies. Our assessment resources also provide for standardised outcomes supported by model answers to guide assessors in their judgements. Reliability is also supported by the moderation of assessment judgements across our assessors achieved through our validation activities. 

In collecting evidence, Obelisk Training applies the rules of evidence to inform the assessment strategy. Assessment strategies have been designed to ensure:

• Validity. We collect evidence that directly aligns with the components documented within each unit of competency to assure the assessor that the VET student has the skills and knowledge described in the training product. The collected assessment evidence must replicate the outputs of the task as though it were being performed within an actual workplace. This may include the observation of the student performing the tasks relevant to the unit of competency or the collection of a completed workplace products. Evidence of the student’s ability to perform a task must Include observation of the student performing the task or evidence of their work. Evidence of the student’s knowledge about the task may contribute to additional knowledge evidence but is not a substitute for the student demonstrating the actual task.
• Sufficiency. We ensure the collection of relevant assessment evidence in a quality and quantity that ensures that all aspects of competency have been satisfied and that competency can be demonstrated repeatedly. The collection of sufficient assessment evidence will be supported by using a range of assessment methods which lead to the collection of evidence over time based on a range of performances. Particular regard is paid to the requirements of the performance evidence statement within each unit of competency in regard to the number of occasions that tasks must be demonstrated on and the range of performance requirements that need to be satisfied.
• Authenticity. We seek evidence that is authentic. To support this, assessors must be assured that the evidence presented for assessment is the student’s own work. Where documentary evidence is relied on it must be certified or supported by two other forms of evidence which demonstrate the same skill or knowledge. In all instances, where work is submitted external to Obelisk Training (i.e.; electronically, distance assignments, online) this is to include a signed authenticity statement by the student that they certify the work as their own. We also apply rigorous arrangements to prevent plagiarism and are mindful of the use of AI and its potential to impact the integrity of the assessment process (Refer to: PP1.9 - Plagiarism and AI).
• Currency. We ensure the assessment evidence demonstrates the current skills and knowledge of the student relating to a particular unit of competency. Assessment evidence is to be based on the student’s performance either at the time of the assessment decision or in the very recent past. Questions of evidence currency will mostly relate to recognition of prior learning applications where a student has been in the workplace for many years and is seeking recognition of skills and knowledge obtained through workplace experience or previous training. In all situations, assessors must validate the currency of a student’s knowledge and skills.  

Where industry representatives are engaged to contribute toward assessment evidence, we will use a standard approach to collect this evidence. We place a high value on the assessment evidence that is provided by supervisors or employers in the workplace. This evidence is usually very current and valid and contributes to the assessment decisions made by a qualified assessor. We do not however advocate the use of industry evidence (also referred to as third party evidence) as a substitute for the gathering of direct evidence by an assessor. In all areas of our operation, industry evidence is only to be used to complement and support the evidence being gathered by a qualified assessor and is not to be used as primary evidence.

During the development of assessment tools, assessors are to ensure that the observation criteria used in industry evidence reports is wholly task orientated. These observation criteria should reflect the tasks that the supervisor would expect to issue to an employee and monitor during normal workplace duties. The industry evidence report is not to contain assessment criteria drawn from a unit of competency as these assessment criteria are suitable only for trained and qualified assessors to interpret.

It is also not desirable to collect industry evidence simply by providing a document to be completed. This leads to the collection of insufficient evidence and is an annoyance to industry. Where possible assessors are to engage with industry representatives directly and collect evidence about a student’s performance through discussion with supervisors. This discussion will be based on observable workplace tasks and evidence is to be recorded by the assessor. These discussions may be undertaken face-to-face or over the phone. The assessor must record the industry representative’s details, contact information and the date/time of the engagement.  

Obelisk Training is well placed to leverage off current industry associations to incorporate industry requirements into the assessment process. Consultation with enterprises or industry will provide information about assessment requirements relevant to workplaces. Regulatory requirements that relate to specific units of competency will be incorporated to ensure our students are well prepared for their workplace duties. Further information on industry engagement can be found in PP1.2 - Industry Engagement. 

Obelisk Training will provide all students the opportunity to seek recognition of their prior learning. Recognition is viewed simply as another method of assessment and therefore is conducted in accordance with this policy. Further information can be found in PP1.11 - Recognition of Prior Learning. 

In accordance with the Outcome Standards for RTOs, assessors are required to hold the minimum competencies for training assessment and the vocational competencies at least to the level being assessed. Obelisk Training has appropriate systems in place to ensure that all staff members are appropriately qualified to meet our requirement under the Outcome Standards for RTOs. Further information can be found in PP3.2 - Trainer Credential Requirements and PP3.4 - Training and Assessment Under Supervision. 

Assessment validation is the process where assessors compare and evaluate their assessment methods, assessment procedures and assessment decisions. Obelisk Training will facilitate pre-assessment validation to verify the alignment of assessment with the requirements of the respective training product, the rules of evidence and the principles of assessment (ref to PP1.5-Pre-Assessment Validation). We will also validate assessment after its implementation to verify that the assessment has been implemented in accordance with this policy (ref PP1.10 Post-Assessment Validation). 

We have developed assessment tools which support the assessment of applicable units of competency in accordance with the requirements of industry Training Packages. These are generic tools which provide us with a starting point for the development of other supporting tools which will reflect the needs of our clients or target industry group. Staff must be satisfied that tools developed for assessment, fit with the requirements of the target industry and enterprise requirements. Some units of competency are associated with licensing requirements and whilst this is not always stipulated in the unit of competency, we will need to be informed of the additional requirements this imposes during assessment. Completed assessment tools are to be retained within the student record in accordance with PP1.14 - Student Record Retention and Management. 

Our assessment activities are to be supported by clear assessment information that will ensure a reliable assessment across our operation. Ultimately, the quality of assessment outcomes produced by a student will be directly affected by the quality of the information provided at the commencement of the activity.

Examples of assessment information include:

• Instructions to set the framework for the activity such as who, what, where, when and how. The expected outcomes of the assessment should be included in these instructions, and it is critical that they are straight forward and in line with the student’s preparation during learning or through other competency development pathways.
• Scenario information includes information that sets the context for a simulated assessment activity. This may be a simple case study or a deep scenario which requires analysis and interpretation. It is important to note that the higher the AQF qualification level, the greater the requirement to analyse and apply cognitive skills to produce workplace outcomes. Scenario information used to support assessment at a Diploma level, for example, should be relatively deep and complex to allow the student to exercise their analytical skills and produce viable workplace products and outcomes.
• Industry information includes items such as codes of practice, policies and procedures, legislation and regulations. Whilst this may not be provided in hard copy to every student, they may also be provided contacts, web sites or hyperlinks to access this information. Electronic copies of industry information are also acceptable. 

It is the policy of Obelisk Training to provide three opportunities for training and re-assessment at no additional cost to the student or employer. The initial assessment is one and therefore the student will have two remaining opportunities if they are not able to demonstrate competency on the first attempt. students who require additional training and re-assessment after they have exhausted their three opportunities will be required to pay a fee for additional training and re-assessment. Please refer to the current fee schedule to identify the re-assessment fee.

student’s requiring additional learning support are to be brought to the attention of the Trainer and Assessor so the progress of the student can be monitored closely and additional support services can be applied well before it becomes necessary to impose an additional fee for re-assessment. Where students repeatedly do not demonstrate competence following significant learning and assessment support, a student’s enrolment can be determined through mutual agreement.