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The UPPA qualification, or Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment, is a level 3 course that teaches the basics of how assessments work. It is useful for people in education and training who want to improve their knowledge of assessment methods. However, completing UPPA does not mean you can assess learners independently—you would need further qualifications.
Course providerHurak Learning
From £195.00 All inc

The Level 3 UPPA Assessor course focuses on understanding the theory of assessment but does not certify you to assess learners. It is beneficial as continuing professional development (CPD) for those who previously completed the old assessor qualifications (A1 or D32/33) and want to refresh their knowledge. You will need to complete the full CAVA qualification to assess learners in vocational or workplace competence.
The Level 3 Award in Understanding Assessment is a theory-only course specifically for individuals who are not currently working as assessors but are looking to pursue this career path.
Principles of Assessment
Assessment Methods
Assessment Planning
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Quality Assurance in Assessments
Continuing Professional Development
While the average completion time for candidates is 2-3 months, you’re allowed up to 12 months to finish the course, ensuring you have all the time you need. During this period, the course is assessed through written assignments that you complete and upload for grading on our online portal.
This course is assessed in the following way:
UNIT 1: This unit focuses on theory and is evaluated through several written assignments. These assignments assess your understanding and application of theoretical concepts covered in the course.
After completing the UPPA (Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment) Assessor course, if you wish to assess learners in vocational or workplace settings, you would typically need to pursue further qualifications such as:
Level 3 Assessor Award (AVRA) Unit 1 & 2: This qualification allows you to assess students in a training setting, like a workshop or classroom, but not in their workplace.
Level 3 Assessor Award (ACWE) Unit 1 & 2: This qualification lets you assess students at their workplace rather than in a classroom. Like the Vocationally Related Achievement award, you will determine the skills of two learners.
Level 3 Assessor Award (CAVA) Unit 1, 2 & 3: This qualification lets you assess students in training and at their workplace and covers all three units of an assessor course.
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This unit offers knowledge of the principles and methodologies of assessment practices. Participants understand assessment theory and learn about the importance of reliability, validity, and fairness in assessments. The unit covers various assessment methods and their applications, emphasising the assessor's role in maintaining quality and consistency. Learners engage with case studies and practical scenarios to apply theoretical concepts, preparing them to make informed assessment decisions that meet industry standards and regulatory requirements.
UPPA stands for Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment. This is a level 3 assessor qualification for anyone looking to gain a background understanding of the assessment role and its practices. There is no requirement to be in an assessment role to earn this qualification—the entirety of the course can be completed online.
The Level 3 Award in Assessing Competence in the Work Environment comprises one unit.
Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment teaches the principles and requirements of assessment, the different assessment methods, how to plan an assessment and much more.
No, you do not need an expert witness for this course. An expert witness is a qualified assessor within an organisation who verifies that your assessments were conducted correctly before your course tutor grades them. Since UPPA is a theoretical course, an expert witness is not required.
ACWE stands for Assessing Competence in the Workplace Environment. This level 3 assessor qualification focuses on assessing occupational competence in a professional environment, while AVRA stands for Award in Assessing Vocationally Related Achievement on assessing competence in a learning environment.
You must have a minimum of level 2 in literacy, numeracy, or equivalent and be at least 18 years old.
In the UPPA (Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment) course, assessment is primarily conducted through written assignments. Learners complete these assignments and then upload them to an online portal for marking and evaluation.
Learners upload assignments to the online portal, which has 24/7 access for tutor feedback and marking.
If you refer on an assignment, your tutor will give you detailed feedback to help you understand where you need to improve. You will revise your work based on this feedback and submit an improved version.
You do not need access to learners to complete the Level 3 Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment (RQF) course.
Generally, candidates take 2-3 months to complete the course, yet you have up to 12 months to do so, giving you plenty of time to finish. Please note that after these 12 months, additional fees will apply.