Internal verification policy

Internal verifier (IV)

Each identified group of learners for a qualification will have an internal verifier. The IV should understand the occupational area or subject specialism.

Some course teams may wish to take a team approach to internal verification. They may want to share the responsibility across a number of tutors or assessors, taking the role of internal verifier on courses that they do not assess. Where there is only one tutor delivering a qualification, that tutor cannot internally verify their own assessments.

Where specialism is limited within a site, cross-cluster IV teams should be developed. Where specialist shortage is highlighted, the senior lead with responsibility for quality will co-ordinate, together with the other senior leads to form an effective IV team.

Internal verification plan

Each qualification will have a plan for internal verification prepared by the LIV, IVC or IV before the start of the course and considering the assessment schedule. Starting the process of IV early stimulates assessment and provides early feedback to assessors, particularly inexperienced ones. IV activity must be planned, having due regard to:

• policy of the specific awarding body
• agreed practices of the department
• agreed practices of the course team

The planning will include:

• dates, times and frequency of IV activity
• IV sampling plan identifying candidates, units and assignments to be sampled in line with relevant awarding body requirements. The size of the sample should be sufficient to inspire confidence that all assessment decisions not sampled also meet national standards

IV dates should be set at the start of each contract year (August). They should have appropriate regard to the dates of the external verifier and standard moderator’s visit dates.

Assessment schedule

Each course (or part of a programme or course) is required to have an assessment schedule planned in advance. This must be checked by the LIV or IVC to ensure that it provides a comprehensive coverage of the programme’s:

• aims
• objectives
• criteria

Awarding body standards

All InspireU must have systems and documented processes in place to ensure that the assessment remains:

• fair
• effective
• current

The guidelines for delivering and internally assessing approved qualifications issued by awarding bodies should be adhered to at all times.

Information for the external verifier

The senior lead with responsibility for quality must ensure the exam officer has prepared and provided information on assessment for the external verifier or moderator

Novice assessors

Novice assessors are defined as:

• unqualified NVQ assessors
• assessors new to the college and,or new to assessment in a non-NVQ context

All novice assessors will have their assessment practice supported and monitored. They will require a higher proportion of sampling instances than experienced assessors. Novice assessors undertaking NVQ assessment will require all assessment decisions to be countersigned until they have achieved the assessor award (A1) (or equivalent).

Novice internal verifiers

Novice internal verifiers are defined as:

• unqualified NVQ internal verifiers
• inexperienced internal verifiers in a non-NVQ context

The practice of novice NVQ internal verifiers will be monitored, sampled and countersigned. This will be by the lead internal verifier or the senior internal verifier until the V1 award (or equivalent) is achieved.

In a non-NVQ context the lead internal verifier or the IVC will monitor and countersign a sample of internal verification activities. This will be:

• for a minimum period of three months
• until the LIV or IVC is confident of the novice internal verifier’s abilities

Continuous professional development for NVQ assessors and verifiers

The external verifier will expect to see evidence that the LIV, IVC or IV has identified and addressed the learning and development needs of all assessors and verifiers in the team. To do this, a system of continuous professional development must be in place and be maintained. 

This may include specific training. For example, alternative assessment methods or update on awarding body requirements. It may also include opportunities to update vocational knowledge or secondment to industry.

Curriculum area and standardisation meetings

In tutor meeting IV process are to be discussed under the fixed agenda item 'quality'.

Internal verification documentation

As a minimum requirement, internal verifiers on all qualifications will use the following internal verification documentation (or appropriate documentation specific to awarding body guidelines):

• form A – internal verification sampling matrix
• form B - internal verification sampling plan
• form D1 or D2 - internal verification report on assessment decision
• form H – assessor induction programme

Please note: Form C – internal verification report on assessment briefs is required on courses where checking of assignments is necessary to meet awarding body requirements.