Standardisation

The purpose of standardisation is to ensure consistency in the application of levels and credits across OCN London provision and to ensure consistency of practice in assessment and internal quality assurance (IQA). It involves assessors/IQAs coming together with samples of learner work that have been assessed and carrying out peer review of one another’s assessment to establish whether there is agreement and consistency.

There are three tiers of standardisation activity:

1. In Centre standardisation

Undertaken within Recognised Centres to standardise internally set tasks and the outcomes of internal assessment. Centres are required to carry out an internal standardisation exercise at least once every year and to address any variations in assessment that are identified. Centres are required to keep a record of this activity. OCN London provides a report format that may be used for this purpose (see document IQA5 in the Internal Quality Assurance section of the website).

2. OCN London Centre standardisation

Facilitated by OCN London using samples of learner work from across its Recognised Centres to ensure comparability between them and provides feedback on the outcomes to Centres. Certain qualifications are selected each year by OCN London, and Centres offering these qualifications are asked to send a representative to participate in the activity.

3. OCN London EQA standardisation

OCN London undertakes standardisation activities with its EQA team at least once a year, to ensure accuracy and consistency of decision making when working with OCN London Recognised Centres in the certification of learners.