EPA guidance and support documents

Manual for our EPA service
Our T&Cs and guide to our expert-led EPA service are now in one handy manual. When you enter an EPA agreement with us, you are accepting the T&Cs in this manual. It is therefore essential that all parties read this document.
Download version 6.0 > 

What is end-point assessment (EPA)?
A handy video to share with your teams, employers and apprentices about end-point assessment.
Watch >

What is an independent end-point assessor (IEPA)?
Share our short video with apprentices, colleagues and clients to explain the role and responsibilities of IEPAs.
Watch >

Role of independent End-point
To help you understand the Independent End-point Assessor (IEPA) role better, here’s a guide to what an IEPA can and can’t do, to ensure independence.
Download >

Apprenticeship factsheets
Factsheets are available for all apprenticeships and outline the high level requirements in the assessment plan and gateway to EPA.
View > 

End-point assessment packs
We produce end-point assessment packs for each apprenticeship standard where we offer EPA. These include details behind the standard and assessment plan as well as guidance on grading and preparing apprentices. We strongly advise you to read this document before registering apprentices to be confident they’re on the right standard. These documents can be found in the ‘documents’ tab on each apprenticeship webpage.
View >

ESFA guide to English and Math exemptions
The ESFA sets the English and maths qualifications and grades apprentices need to be exempted from the English and maths requirements of the standard.
Download >

Your 8-Stage EPA journey with City & Guilds and ILM
Our new guide to the EPA journey will walk you through each of the 8 stages of EPA, from choosing an end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) through to results and certification. Split into the eight key stages of EPA, it aims to give you clear guidance of what you need to do and where you can get support and more information at each stage of the journey.
Download >

Form for new customers booking EPA only
If you are not currently a City & Guilds or ILM centre and wish to book EPA, you will need to complete this application form. We will process this form within 5 working days.
View >

EPA Gateway Redundancy form
The purpose of the form is for centres to complete if an apprentice has been made redundant but it still eligible to go through EPA. It will need to be uploaded as part of their gateway declaration process but if an apprentice is post gateway, it can be sent through to epa.gateway@cityandguilds.com.
Download the form >

Uploading gateway evidence
Please find a short guide to submitting evidence for gateway.
Download the guidance >

GoToMeeting – customer guidance for remote assessments
For any EPA which includes remote assessment, such as a professional discussion, presentation or interview, our IEPA will use GoToMeeting to facilitate the assessment. This guidance document explains steps you will need to take prior to the remote assessment and what to you will need to do on the day of the assessment.
Download >

e-volve centre user guide
e-volve is our platform for apprentices to sit tests and exams securely and easily. This user guide includes all you need to manage on-screen assessments.
Download >

EPA how to book evolve
A short guide on how to place online exams / evolve assessments for City & Guilds End Point Assessment learners.
Watch >

Funding and policy FAQs
Our resident funding expert, Bryony Kingsland, has put together this list of FAQs, including guidance on funding, off-the-job learning requirements, inspections, auditing and more.
Download >

Enquiries about results and appeals
If you wish to submit an enquiry about EPA results, this guide talks you through our process and stages.
Download >

Enquiry form about EPA results
You’ll need to complete this form to make an enquiry about an EPA result.
Submit EAR for EPA >

EPA policy for malpractice
A document which outlines how City & Guilds manages instances of suspected malpractice.
Download >

Suspected malpractice notification checklist
A useful checklist to assist EPA customers, when completing a notification of suspected malpractice by apprentice(s) or their staff in respect of EPA.
Download >

Suspected staff malpractice notification form
This form must be used to notify City & Guilds EPAO, of suspected malpractice involving an approved EPA customer’s staff.
Download >

Special educational needs guidance (SEN)
Download >

Apprentice EPA Preparation Guide
Download >

Supplementary checklist for apprentices
This document sets out some reminders of what apprentices need to do prior to the EPA event, and on the day itself.
Download >

The City & Guilds and ILM EPA service
We’ve put together some information for training providers to share with employer partners about using our quality EPA service.
Download >

What a best practice portfolio of evidence looks like
Supporting centres to adopt a consistent and effective approach to portfolios of evidence for both structure and content
Watch >

Apprentices who fail an assessment component of their EPA should be offered the opportunity to resit or a retake. The definitions of resit and retake are:

Resit - taking the EPA again, without any extra learning.

Retake - taking the EPA again, after further training.

For some EPAs, there are restrictions on resits/retakes. For example, specific limits on:

• the number of resits permitted,
• the number of retakes permitted,
• the time period that must elapse between resit and/or retakes, or
• the time period allowed for completing any resit/retakes (after which the entire EPA must be taken again).

Where any assessment component has to be resat or retaken and the assessment plan states that the grade will be capped a pass, unless there are exceptional circumstances, please use the application form below for resit/retake grades.

If the assessment plan requires all assessment components to be taken within a set period, otherwise the entire EPA will need to be re-sat/re-taken, then you can request an extension for apprentice if there are exceptional circumstances.

Please note that a resit/retake cannot be used to increase the original grade if an apprentice has already passed their EPA.

Guidance on resits and retakes

Application form for additional attempts or extensions to the duration for an EPA

Application form for resit/retake grades

Access arrangements are agreed before an assessment. They allow apprentices with specific needs, such as special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to access the assessment and show what they know and can do without changing the demands of the assessment. Access arrangements are the principal way in which City & Guilds complies with the duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’. 

There are some access arrangements where you to need to apply for approval, before the assessment takes place and other access arrangements where the decision is delegated to providers. For knowledge tests, City & Guilds does not need to know about any provider delegated access arrangements. For other assessment methods, City & Guilds needs to know about all access arrangements, so we can make the arrangements for the day of the assessment.  

EPA Knowledge tests 

If the apprentice only needs access arrangements for the knowledge test, you must apply for approval for the following access arrangements on the Walled Garden:  

• extra time (including 25%)
• practical assistant
• reader / computer reader
• scribe (including speech recognition technology)

For more information on how to do this and other access arrangements, please see the centre document library. 

Other EPA assessment components  

This includes any assessment component where City & Guilds is organising an event, for example professional discussions, interviews, presentations and practical assessments/observations. Please complete this form to notify City & Guilds about any access arrangements an apprentice will need for their EPA. Please complete a separate form for each apprentice.  

Access arrangements notification form for EPA

Guide to the Access arrangements notification form for EPA (PDF)

Please note: 

• City & Guilds may request to see copies of the evidence to support this application
• applications cannot be accepted from apprentices or third parties (eg employers)

Please find our latest price list.

Download the list