For each level there is an assessment plan, these plans were developed by an employer led group, with input from assessment and provider specialists and set out the requirements for assessment of occupational competence.

Plans are approved by The Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and used by EPAOs to develop assessment tools (such as tests, banks of questions, case study scenarios, controlled observation checklists and professional discussion specifications) and deliver the assessment.

Plans ensure that all apprentices are judged robustly and fairly to the same level and against the same criteria, no matter which organisation delivers the actual EPA.

EPAOs are required to deliver the EPA as it is set out in the EPA plan. This is a condition of them entering and remaining on the Register of End Point Assessment Organisations (RoEPAO). Assessment plans can be downloaded on IfATE's website, we recommend you read these thoroughly before deciding if you are ready for delivery.

No, CIH AO is separate to CIH and you do not need to be an approved centre with CIH AO in order to access the end point assessment services.

You will need to be on the register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP).

You will need to contract with CIH for the end point assessment services.

For more information please contact epao@cih.org.

This is the gateway that apprentices must pass through in order to progress to the end point assessment.

In order to pass through the gateway, the employer and the apprenticeship training provider need to make sure the apprentices have achieved all of the criteria in the relevant assessment plan.

It is down to the employer and apprenticeship training provider to reach a judgement that the apprentice has achieved a breadth of skills and behaviours (evidenced via the portfolio), has met all the knowledge requirements, has gathered together all the relevant professional documentation for the professional conversation and is ready to proceed through the gateway.

In order for the end point assessment to proceed, it must be attended by the apprentice and the end point assessor.

Occasionally, a representative of CIH and/or the regulatory body may attend.

The end point assessor ultimately has the final say on the learner's achievement (or not) and the associated grading.

CIH, as the EPAO for end-point assessment, is responsible for internally quality assuring the delivery of the end-point assessment, as detailed in the apprenticeship assessment plan.

The external quality assurance will be conducted by OFQUAL.

Yes, the apprentice can resit either the interview or the case study/project. There will be an associated resit fee.

Functional skills qualifications are a mandatory requirement for each apprenticeship standard.

There are several CIH knowledge based qualifications which may be used to support the delivery of the criteria within the standards, especially the knowledge criteria.

However, it is not mandatory for apprentices to complete a CIH qualification as part of their apprenticeship.

The assessment plans associated with these apprenticeship standards allows for alternative arrangements for assessing knowledge of housing principles which must be robust assessment methods that are capable of producing reliable assessment outcomes.

No, the housing qualifications go a long way in covering the knowledge elements of the assessment plan but do not cover all the assessment criteria contained in the assessment plan for the housing apprenticeships.

The CIH qualifications contain some mapping to the apprenticeship assessment criteria but it is important to check that evidence presented by the apprentice covers all assessment criteria.

Yes, there are a range of CIH and other regulated housing qualifications which can contribute to the achievement of the knowledge areas within the apprenticeship standards for housing/property management.

Within the individual qualification specifications for these qualifications you will find a signposting document which provides an indication of how the units within the qualification may contribute to the apprenticeship standard: housing and property management England.

The employer and training provider responsible for the delivery of the apprenticeship standard are required to ensure that their course content covers the apprenticeship standards and prepares learners for the end point assessment.

CIH as an end point assessment organisation provides, guidance documents to support effective preparation for the end point assessment.

No, there are clear funding guidelines, currently issued by the ESFA as to what can and cannot be funded using the employer's apprenticeship levy.

For more information please see Apprenticeship funding rules and guidance for employers: March 2017 - March 2018, available to download from www.gov.uk .

Yes, portfolio evidence is not assessed at end point and therefore will not be looked at by the end point assessor except in the case of level 2 apprentices.

Recordings must be of limited time (5 minutes max) and of high quality.

The apprentice must be clearly identified and group discussions are not acceptable.

Content must be correctly linked to the assessment criteria.

Audio recordings must be accompanied by a clearly referenced document, linking the discussion to assessment criteria with an indication of timings within the discussion.