Apprenticeship developments: reforms to apprenticeship assessment

Apprenticeships are firmly in the spotlight as part of the government’s skills agenda. This blog is the first in a series highlighting developments in this area.

In February 2025, the Department for Education (DfE) published a new set of apprenticeship assessment principles, reforming the design and delivery of apprenticeship assessment plans and removing the existing end-point assessment model. The changes to apprenticeship assessment plans are being phased in from October 2025, with a transitional period whereby new funding rules will apply as assessment plans are re-written on a standard-by-standard basis.

What is prompting the reforms?

A DfE review in 2024 concluded that the apprenticeship assessment process had become ‘overly complex, burdensome, and time consuming’. The reforms aim to deliver more proportionate and timely assessment, and to ensure that apprentices are assessed on what matters most to employers whilst retaining high standards. The reforms also seek to remove unnecessary burdens and get skilled workers into key industries. 

What is changing?

The proposed reforms aim to introduce greater flexibility in assessment timing and methods and remove duplication. Changes include:

• Publication of shorter assessment plans (averaging 3-4 pages) which contain assessment outcomes (which an apprentice is expected to be able to understand / do as a result of their training), with “sampling” of knowledge and skills. The plans will also detail any mandatory content which must be assessed.
• Where appropriate, training providers may be permitted to deliver and mark certain elements of the assessment, rather than relying wholly on external assessors. Assessment providers will however remain responsible for creating all assessment materials in line with assessment plans. Where assessment is conducted by providers, assessment organisations remain responsible for quality assurance.
• Where appropriate, apprentices may be assessed on some elements during their apprenticeship rather than at the end (which in turn has led to some new terminology such as ‘assessment organisation’ rather than ‘end-point assessment organisation’).
• Behavioural competence will be the primary responsibility of the employers. To remove duplication, these behaviours will no longer need to be separately assessed by providers or assessment organisations (who will be primarily focusing on assessing knowledge and skills).

Where assessment plans have been revised, revised funding rules will apply as set out in Annex B of the 2025/26 apprenticeship funding rules. Note that these also include slightly revised rules for integrated standards – including the deletion of the existing rule that delivery of new learning must not take place during the end-point assessment period, which is replaced with a requirement that all learning is delivered in the ‘practical period’ of the apprenticeship. 

How are the reforms being implemented?

Existing assessment plans have been getting a re-write on a standard-by-standard basis since April 2025. In December, Skills England published the first tranche of 93 apprenticeships set for reform. Skills England intend to update their revisions and adjustments status report with further updates as the transition phase progresses.

During the transition period, whilst assessment plans are being updated, there will be a dual process for apprenticeship assessment in place:

• For apprenticeship standards where the assessment plan has not yet been revised, the rules for end-point assessment remain as set out in the main body of the funding rules.
• Where assessment plans for apprenticeship standards have been revised the rules set out in Annex B of the 2025/26 apprenticeship funding rules will apply.

It seems there may be cases where existing apprentices can be transferred (and will be expected to transfer) from the previous version of a standard to a newer version of that standard, once released and live for new starts. Further guidance and details on implementation are expected from Skills England in Spring 2026 along with confirmation of any regulatory changes from Ofqual and the OfS.

What do you need to do?

Those involved in the delivery of apprenticeships will need to:

• familiarise themselves with the new rules and requirements in advance of them coming into effect;
• keep an eye on when apprenticeship plans relating to their occupational standards are updated using the revisions and adjustments status report; and
• review and update relevant agreements to take into account the new changes, including changes in terminology. Our team would be happy to assist with this process. 

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