ASSESSMENT

If a trainee is able to demonstrate that they meet the standard, they are judged competent by the assessor. The credits for that unit standard will then be registered against their National Student Number on the NZQA's National Qualification Framework.

If the trainee is unable to meet the standard through assessment, they are judged by the assessor as receiving No credit (NC). The trainee can have two further attempts (reassessments) at meeting the standard.

ALL assessments are subject to moderation as described in the Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP).

AN ASSESSMENT WILL MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:

• Appropriate: A variety of assessment methods will be available so that assessment is suited to the performance being assessed.
  
• Fair: Assessment methods will not disadvantage individuals or groups by hindering or limiting them in ways unrelated to the evidence sought.
• Integrated with work or learning: Evidence collection should be ongoing, linked with normal learning or work.
• Manageable: Methods used will be straightforward, readily arranged and not interfere unduly with learning.
• Systematic: Planning and recording will be rigorous, to ensure sufficiency and fairness in assessment.
• Open: Trainees will understand the assessment process and the criteria to be applied and can contribute to the planning and accumulation of evidence.
• Consistent: Given similar circumstances, the assessor would make the same judgement again, and this judgement will be similar to judgements that other assessors would make.
• The length of an assessment will depend on the kind of assessment and unit standards being assessed.
• During the assessment process, the trainee will gather evidence to demonstrate their skills and knowledge from a variety of sources. This evidence is then sent to an assessor and is used to assess whether the trainee has reached competence in the required outcomes (elements) by comparing the evidence with pre-set standards (performance criteria). Once the assessor has made a judgement, they must give the trainee feedback on their performance and record the assessment result.

Remember: It is the assessor's responsibility to ensure the current version of each assessment guide is used in every assessment.

RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

The Retail Institute aims to provide students with every opportunity to gain qualifications, and recognises that retail or distribution knowledge, skills and competencies already gained in other learning environments are part of the ‘bigger picture' of skills and experience. To that end, it has in place a robust system for recognition of such learning.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process of awarding credit for unit standards in the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) where the units have been achieved outside the framework.

The Retail Institute is committed to RPL as a process that enables people of all ages and backgrounds to gain formal recognition for the retail or distribution skills and knowledge they already have before undertaking a Retail Institute-approved training programme.

If the trainee wishes to be assessed by RPL, they should contact the Training Adviser in their area.

ASSESSMENT MATERIAL

The Retail Institute develops assessment material for the Retail Institute unit standards and those contained in Retail Institute qualifications. This assessment material is pre-moderated and approved by the Retail Institute's moderator before use.

The Retail Institute charges for the use of our assessment materials, at a rate of $2.25 per credit (based on the NZQA Report and the provider's assessment intention plan) each quarter.