Assessment & Appeals Policy

1Policy and scope

This policy applies to all Acadame staff, contractors, trainers and assessors involved in delivering and evaluating assessment. It keeps us aligned with awarding bodies, external contractors and end-point assessment organisations.

It applies equally to subcontracted trainers, assessors, internal quality assurers and third-party centres delivering under Acadame. Everyone involved in assessment or quality assurance must be competent, free from conflicts of interest, and working to IMS procedures including PRO-020 Freelancer Vetting & Onboarding and PRO-018 Worker Consultation & Participation.

All assessment and appeal records are controlled as documented information under the IMS, retained for the validity of the qualification plus two years, or five years where the qualification is valid for life.

2Access to fair assessment

We guarantee fair assessment by:

1. Assessing knowledge, understanding and performance consistently across every programme
2. Standardising assessment so it is equitable whatever the method or the location
3. Supporting candidates with reasonable adjustments that meet their individual needs
4. Carrying out initial assessment to establish where a candidate is starting from
5. Holding assessments in accessible, appropriate settings
6. Requiring assessors and IQAs to act impartially and never to assess a candidate where a conflict of interest exists
7. Following awarding body requirements on reasonable adjustments, getting them approved in advance where required, and evidencing and recording them fully
8. Keeping assessment materials secure and current, and using them in line with awarding body rules

3Stage 1: informal resolution

Talk to your trainer or assessor first. Most concerns are settled at this point. If it is not resolved, you will get a written response within five working days.

A written record of the concern and the outcome is retained as IMS documented information.

4Stage 2: written appeal

You can escalate your appeal to the Head of Centre, who will arrange a review by an Internal Quality Assurer. A decision is given within five working days.

The reviewer will not have been involved in the original assessment decision and will be suitably qualified and independent, so the review is impartial.

5Stage 3: appeals panel

An appeals panel reviews anything still unresolved. The panel may recommend third-party re-marking. The outcome is communicated within 15 working days.

The panel has at least two members with no prior involvement in the assessment, and a subject specialist is included where that is needed. All decisions, the evidence considered and the recommendations are recorded and retained.

6Stage 4: external appeal

An appeal that cannot be resolved internally can be escalated to the relevant awarding body. Any fee the awarding body charges is payable by the candidate.

We cooperate fully with awarding body investigations, including any case involving alleged malpractice or maladministration.

Each awarding body has its own external appeal procedure and these vary by qualification. Follow the procedure published by the body that owns your qualification.

7Stage 5: Ofqual

The final stage is Ofqual, and only in respect of the awarding body's process. Ofqual does not review individual marks or grades: it evaluates whether the awarding body followed due process. Its decision is final.

8Monitoring and review

The Head of Centre reviews this policy annually as part of the IMS Management Review (ISO 9001 clause 9.3).

• Employees can suggest improvements at any time and changes are implemented promptly
• Appeals are monitored for patterns and recurring issues, with improvements logged in the IMS Corrective and Preventive Action Register
• Appeal outcomes feed into IQA standardisation meetings to support continuous improvement