Quality Assurance

We assure the quality of the training you deliver in a variety of ways depending on the way the qualification is designed. Below we’ve outlined some of our key processes but you can find full details in the tutor guide for the qualification you’re delivering.

Assessing candidates

For all our qualifications a tutor must assess a portfolio of work from each candidate.

Candidates must be fully proficient in internal assessment to achieve these qualifications. In some instances there are also other criteria that must be met, such as placement hours. Our minimum internal assessment requirements can be found in the qualification document for each of our qualifications. We also offer a variety of example proformas and tutor guidance to help with internal assessment.

Internal Quality Assurance (IQA)

Every approved CPCAB centre will have its own Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) processes, which ensure that qualification delivery and assessment are conducted according to CPCAB qualification requirements. These requirements ensure that delivery and assessment are at a common national standard. All CPCAB qualifications must go through the IQA process, where assessed work is internally moderated and verified within the centre. Centre IQA processes are, in turn, quality assured externally by CPCAB and, dependent on the qualification, will go through External Verification, via a visit (sampling activity) from your External Verifier and/or Independent Verification by CPCAB.

Please see our IQA Policy for further information.

External Verification

The majority of regulated CPCAB qualifications are required to have External Verification visits as part of their Quality Assurance activities. Your External Verifier (EV) for the academic year will contact you once you have registered your first groups to arrange their first visit. This visit will either be in-person or online, depending on the method of delivery at your centre. Your EV will liaise with you and discuss the best option.

There are usually two visits per year, one in autumn, which aims to support centres in meeting the requirements for quality of training and another in the summer, which is designed to focus on assessment and associated quality assurance processes.

Your EV will forward you the pre-visit questionnaire to complete before your visit is due to take place  - EV Sampling Activity pre-visit questionnaire 25-26

For more information on External Verification visits, we recommend that you read our CPCAB EV visits -Full Guidance for Centres to support you in preparing for your visits.

The below video features Tracey Burke-Taylor talking about her experience of CPCAB's remote External Verification process as lead tutor at North West London Counselling and Training. She offers tips for tutors to make the process easier.