Assessment and Certification Policy

Purpose and scope

This policy explains how we assess learners, how we make sure assessment decisions are consistent, and how we issue and verify certificates. It applies to the assessments we set and mark ourselves and to the Xcademia certificates we issue, across live virtual, onsite, blended and self-paced delivery.

We are an independent training provider, and our certificates are our own. Where a programme prepares learners for an external professional exam, that exam and any certificate it leads to are governed by the exam body. We explain this difference clearly before learners book.

Our assessment principles

We design assessment so that it tells the learner, and anyone relying on the result, something true about what the learner can do. We work to these principles.

• Valid. The assessment measures the skills and knowledge the programme says it develops, and nothing else.
• Reliable. Different assessors reach the same decision on the same evidence, and the result does not depend on who marked or when.
• Fair. The assessment does not disadvantage anyone for reasons unrelated to the skills being assessed, and reasonable adjustments are available.
• Authentic. The work is the learner's own, and we ask learners to confirm this where the assessment calls for it.
• Current. Assessments reflect present practice, tools and threats, and are reviewed when the content they assess changes.
• Sufficient. There is enough evidence to show that the learner has met the requirements, without setting more assessment than is needed.

Designing assessment, criteria and feedback

• Mapped to skills. Each assessment is mapped to the intended skills and learning outcomes of the programme. Our labs, simulations and projects are designed to develop workplace capability, and assessment reflects that.
• Clear criteria. Marking criteria are written down and shared with learners before they start an assessment, so they know what a successful result looks like.
• Rules stated up front. Each assessment states what help and resources are allowed, including the use of AI tools, and what the learner must declare. See our Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.
• Constructive feedback. Learners receive feedback that says what was done well, where the work falls short of the criteria and what to do next.
• Document control. Assessment briefs, marking guidance and the mapping to skills are held under document control and reviewed by subject specialists before release.

Resubmission and reasonable adjustments

Learners who do not yet meet the criteria should be able to understand why and how to improve. Resubmission arrangements, including whether resubmission is available and how it works, are set out for each programme rather than in this policy. We tell learners the arrangements for their programme before they begin, and we apply them consistently.

We make reasonable adjustments so that assessment reduces avoidable barriers without changing the competence being assessed. Examples include clear written instructions, additional processing time, manageable task stages, breaks and alternative participation methods. Learners can tell us about support needs in confidence, ideally before the assessment, and we agree adjustments with the learner and, where the programme is commissioned, the employer. Support information is shared only with those who need it to arrange assistance. For more, see our Learner Support and Reasonable Adjustments Policy.

Quality assurance of assessment decisions

We check our own assessment decisions before results are confirmed.

• Where more than one assessor is involved in a programme, we carry out sample review and calibration so that assessors apply the criteria in the same way.
• Where inconsistency is found, we agree the correct interpretation, re-check affected work and brief the assessors involved.
• Assessors declare any conflict of interest and do not assess or review work where they have one.
• Findings from review feed into improvements to assessment briefs, marking guidance and trainer briefings.

Concerns about the integrity of an assessment, or about errors in records or certificates, are handled under our Malpractice and Maladministration Policy. Any assessment decision or certificate that we find to be wrong is corrected and the learner informed.

Records we keep

We keep records so that any result or certificate can be explained and checked. They are held in line with our privacy policy and data protection law.

Xcademia certificates

We issue our own certificates against defined requirements for each programme. Those requirements are set out in the approved programme and are applied the same way to every learner. There are two kinds.

Each certificate carries a certificate number. Anyone, including employers and clients, can check a certificate at our certificate verification page. Enter the number printed on the certificate and you will see the holder's name, the programme and the issue date. No account is needed. If a certificate will not verify, check the number for slips, such as the letter O against the digit 0, and if it still does not match, email info@xcademia.com with a copy of the certificate and we will confirm it manually.

Xcademia certificates record completion or achievement of an Xcademia programme and are issued by Xcademia. They are not awarded by an external awarding body. We have applications in progress with NCFE, ILM, ECE and ITIL, and none has yet been approved. Nothing in this policy should be read as approval or accreditation by any of them.

External exams, errors and appeals

Some of our programmes prepare learners for external professional exams. The exam body sets its own rules, access arrangements, exam conditions, fees, results and certification, and these are separate from our assessment and certificates. Passing or failing an external exam does not change the status of an Xcademia certificate, and an Xcademia certificate does not replace the exam body's certificate. Questions about an external exam result, or about access arrangements for the exam itself, should go to the exam body, and we will help you find the right contact.

If your certificate is lost, or contains an error such as a misspelt name or wrong programme, email info@xcademia.com with your name, the programme and, if you have it, the certificate number. We will check our records, correct any error and reissue the certificate where appropriate, keeping a record of what was changed and why. We may ask for proof of identity before we reissue a certificate.

If you disagree with an assessment decision, you can appeal. Appeals are handled under our Complaints and Appeals Procedure, and are considered by someone who was not involved in the original decision. Where we suspect malpractice or maladministration, we follow our Malpractice and Maladministration Policy.

The Quality lead owns this policy and reviews it at least once a year, or sooner if there is a material change to our assessment or certification arrangements.

Questions about this policy?

Contact us or email info@xcademia.com.