How we determine the level and size of our qualifications

June 4, 2024

Have you ever wondered what makes a qualification a “level 2 award” or a “level 3 diploma”? In this blog post we outline how we make decisions about level of demand, guided learning hours (GLH) and total qualification time (TQT).

Determining level of demand

When designing our qualifications, we aim to produce content that targets:

The level of demand provided within the relevant IfATE occupational standard or predefined specialist areas and duties.

The level of demand of existing qualifications, including those endorsed against relevant CIMSPA professional standards. CIMSPA professional standards outline the knowledge and skills required for their practitioner membership (the sector’s minimum deployment standard).

This includes careful consideration of the action verbs used (e.g. Identify, describe, explain etc) against the requirements for occupational competence and our regulators’ levelling descriptions (see Ofqual levelling descriptors). However, the overall level of each unit is only determined after its content has been finalised.

The levelling descriptors use a hierarchical ordering of cognitive skills and allocates specific levels according to the depth/detail of:

knowledge and understanding

application and action

autonomy and accountability.

The unit is then assigned the level which corresponds to the predominant levelling criterion used by its content.

Determining the size of a qualification

The size of a qualification (Award, Certificate, Diploma) is determined by the total qualification time (TQT) assigned to the qualification. TQT is an estimate of the total amount of time – measured in hours – that the average learner would reasonably need to be able to show the level of achievement necessary for the award of a qualification.

TQT is made up of the following two elements:

The number of hours which an awarding organisation has assigned to a qualification for guided learning (see below).

An estimate of the number of hours a learner will reasonably be likely to spend in preparation, study or any other form of participation in education or training, including assessment, which takes place as directed by (but not under the immediate guidance or supervision of) a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate provider of education or training.

Guided learning includes:

Face to face delivery (learning delivered by a lecturer, supervisor, tutor or other appropriate member of the training team).

eLearning with a lecturer, teacher or tutor present/available in real time (the learner and tutor can be either remote or in the same physical place during eLearning).

Invigilated assessment (external tests sat under controlled or open book conditions).

Internal assessment carried out by the learner with a lecturer, teacher or tutor present/available in real time (the learner and tutor can be either remote or in the same physical place during assessment).

It does not include unsupervised learning such as:

eLearning that the learner carries out unsupervised and with no real time support from a lecturer, teacher or tutor.

Assessment internally carried out by the learner without a lecturer, teacher or tutor present/available in real time (for example, completing a Learner Assessment Record (LAR) at home).

Any additional further study, revision and training activities that the learner does unsupervised to support their learning.

Our process for determining the level and size of a qualification

1. Independent review of the qualification content by two subject matter experts

Subject matter experts review the content within the qualification specification – with reference to their own experience, similar qualifications and the Ofqual levelling descriptors – to assign values for:

The expected tutor support and guidance time (GLH) required to support the average learner to reach the knowledge, skills and behaviour expectations of the qualification.

The GLH plus the expected personal and independent study time required by the average learner to reach the knowledge, skills and behaviour expectations of the qualification, including working with real clients (TQT).

The level of demand for each assessment criterion (AC) and/or learning outcome (LO).

Often this activity is completed using members of the YMCA Awards team, who have a lot of experience teaching and assessing qualifications within health, exercise and wellness. We supplement the decisions from our internal team with external subject matter experts we call “Technical Contributors”.

2. Standardisation with Lead Quality Manager

All subject matter experts involved in reviewing GLH, TQT and levelling meet, along with our Lead Quality Manager/Quality Manager (also a subject matter expert). They discuss their guided delivery, independent study time and level of demand values. Where values differ, the subject matter experts explain the rationale for their decision.

The Lead Quality Manager/Quality Manager applies their knowledge of our centres to support discussion of the rationales to reach consensus on the appropriate values.

3. Sign off

The Responsible Officer reviews the evidence and justification for GLH, TQT and level of demand to confirm the correct process had been followed to reach the values.

Where evidence is sufficient to support justification of GLH, TQT and level of demand values, the judgements are confirmed as signed off.

4. Ongoing review

Once a qualification has launched, we collect feedback from our centres on level of demand, GLH and TQT to ensure that the values assigned remain appropriate. Feedback can come through surveys, as part of our external quality assurance process or through other interactions with our training providers.

Where feedback suggests that we have under- or over- estimated the level of demand, GLH or TQT, we review the qualification and make changes where this is appropriate to ensure our qualifications remain fit for purpose.

MH1 Global Presents: Menopause in the Workplace

MH1 Presents: Menopause in the Workplace

May 31, 2024

Last year, we announced that we had partnered with MH1 Global to create a new suite of qualifications related to wellness. Read more about their latest workshop.

MH1 Global is the mental health movement for health and fitness professionals, delivering face to face mental health awareness/first aid training, education courses, workshops and CPD courses. We’re excited to draw your attention to MH1’s latest workshop:

Menopause in the Workplace: Let’s get comfortable talking about the menopause.

Until recently, Menopause in the workplace wasn’t spoken about, but this is changing. MH1’s workshop aims to help people feel more comfortable discussing menopause, offering three perspectives: workplace, clinical, and self/others support.

Topics and areas covered in the workshop include:

Part One: Menopause in the Workplace

Part Two: Menopause a Clinical Overview

Part Three: Menopause for Self and Others

Part Four: Panel Discussion

Dr Nicholle Green, a specialist menopause doctor will be the guest clinician alongside fabulous menopause consultants June Potts and Amantha King who both have extensive experience in the workplace space.

Date: Wednesday 26th June 2024 9.45-15.45

Venue: University of Bolton Arena, Arena Approach, Horwich, Bolton. BL6 6LB

(Light lunch and refreshments included)

MH1 have kindly offered a special offer of £85 per ticket, a saving of £35 off the regular price to all YMCA Awards providers.

To take up this opportunity, complete this form.

Please feel free to share with your HR team/People Managers/Workforce Managers and any other relevant team members.

Menopause in the workplace has a huge bearing on the workforce for all staff, not just the female ones. We would therefore encourage all staff members to take up this exciting opportunity.

Book now

Follow up from Next Generations Qualifications briefing

January 9, 2024

Thank you to everyone who attended our Next Generation Qualifications briefing on Tuesday 10 January. We appreciate it’s been a couple of weeks since the session so wanted to provide an update on next steps.

In the briefing, we presented our plans for replacements to the current Gym Instructing and Personal Training qualifications. We also talked through the knock-on effect of updating these qualifications to other products in our portfolio.

We acknowledge there was strong feeling around some of the ideas we presented – particularly around the addition of content to reflect current employer demand. We have always prided ourselves on listening to the passion of our training providers. We are therefore reflecting on your feedback to consider any changes that may be required (including making some content optional) before we share the updated qualifications for more detailed consideration.

As we expect to amend our proposals, we will not be publishing the recording of the session. Instead, we are committed to:

publish the amended qualification specification(s) as soon as we can

providing a summary of the proposed changes, including how these have changed based on customer feedback

organising small focus groups to consider the proposed changes to assessment and content in more detail.

These actions will take a few more weeks to organise and we appreciate your patience whilst we work to address the feedback provided. We look forward to sharing more information in the coming weeks.

Portable equipment or group exercise? You decide!

January 9, 2024

Where learners could previously complete kettlebell training and suspended movement training alongside their Personal Training qualification, learners now have the option to complete a group exercise discipline instead!

Check out our updated qualifications:

YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Exercise and Fitness Instructing, and Personal Training (Practitioner) (603/3504/X)

YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training (Practitioner) in Indoor and Outdoor Environments (603/3505/1)

Find out more

Our new personal training qualifications were designed to provide centres with options to support the needs of their learners and your feedback has made these changes possible. Please keep your feedback coming!

Updates from YMCA Awards – December 2022

January 8, 2024

Next generation qualifications

Over the past 12 months, we’ve been working on an exciting project to reimagine our qualifications, with the aim of making assessment more relevant to the job roles learners will take on when qualified.
This doesn’t mean huge changes to content, but we’ve designed our next generation qualifications to reduce the assessment burden on centres and make it more engaging for learners.
We’re excited to share more information in the new year – sign up to join our online briefing at 12 pm Tuesday 10 January 2023.

In our last email, we asked customers to share their history with the YMCA, to support our preparation for our big 25th anniversary celebrations.

We’ve loved reading your stories so far but there is still time get involved. We know that many of our customers have a long history with YMCA Awards and would love to share quotes, stories and testimonials as part of our celebrations.

Did you study with CYQ before delivering our qualifications?

Were you involved in our qualification development?

Has a YMCA Awards qualification created opportunities for your learners?

In whatever way we’ve impacted the lives of you or your learners we would love to hear from you. Either complete the form below or, if you’d prefer to speak to someone, get in touch using our usual channels.

Share your story

Availability over the holiday period

Our availability will vary from normal over the festive period. The team will be available:

Monday 19 December 2022 – Wednesday 21 December 2022	9 am – 5 pm
Thursday 22 December 2022	9 am – 3 pm
Friday 23 December 2022 – Monday 2 January 2023	Closed
Tuesday 3 January 2023	10 am – 5pm

From Wednesday 4 January 2023, our hours will return to:

Monday – Thursday	9 am – 5 pm
Friday	9 am – 4 pm

There are no scheduled outages of the XAMS platform during the festive period, but we recommend that you do not try to schedule onscreen or eProctored assessments whilst our team our unavailable.

If you’d like to run paper-based assessments between Friday 23 December 2021 and Tuesday 3 January 2022, please schedule and print the assessments as soon as possible.

Papers can be printed from XAMS up to 10 days before the assessment is due to take place. You must ensure that papers are stored securely to maintain their confidentiality.

From all of us at YMCA Awards, I wish you a Merry Christmas and I look forward to speaking with you in 2023!

Kind regards
Simon

Simon Titley

Head of YMCA Awards

Launching new massage qualifications

December 13, 2023

YMCA Awards has become the first awarding organisation to embrace the lastest national occupational standards (NOS) for Sports Massage Therapy.

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new massage qualifications:

Level 3 Diploma in Performance Massage (610/0701/8)
Level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy (Soft-Tissue Dysfunction) (610/0736/5)

Fully endorsed by General Council for Massage Therapy (GCMT) and developed in association with The Association for Soft Tissue Therapists (SMA), these qualifications align with the latest National Occupational Standards (NOS).

Yvonne Blake Chair of SMA , vice-chair of GCMT said: “The SMA is delighted to see the lead that YMCA has taken in writing new qualifications that align education and the practical skills required in our industry with the National Occupational Standards.

We have been involved at all stages of the development of these qualifications and believe a therapist achieving both level 3 & 4 will have the necessary skills to work in the sports massage industry with athletes of all standards. The SMA recognises the value of the Level 3 Diploma in Performance Massage as the entry level to the industry as it provides valuable knowledge and skills to help with the preparation for and recovery from strenuous activity and performance-related events.

Yvonne continued, “It became apparent during the pandemic that a level 3 qualification alone, does not allow for a practitioner to be classified as a healthcare professional and we therefore support the distinction between the two levels. For a therapist wanting to work as a fully-qualified Sports Massage Therapist, the Level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy (Soft Tissue Dysfunction) is essential.”

The Level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage Therapy will be replaced by YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Performance Massage which “provides a valuable steppingstone towards becoming qualified as a sports massage therapist and will allow the graduate to perform massage at a fundamental level on nonpathological tissue, perhaps as an adjunct to a personal training or gym session.”

The Level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy will be replaced by YMCA Level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy (Soft Tissue Dysfunction) which “meets all the knowledge and understanding and practical learning outcomes for the Sports Massage National Occupational Standards CNH27 when taken in conjunction with the YMCA Level 3 Certificate in Performance Massage which will enable a graduate to work in the industry as a sports massage therapist on pathological tissue.”

Aligned with the health practitioner membership requirements of Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC), options upon achievement include:

Setting-up own sports massage therapy clinic, treating clients with minor injuries / sources of soft-tissue dysfunction.

Working as a sports massage therapist for fitness authorities, healthcare organisations, sports clubs and in the entertainment industry, on either an employed or self-employed basis

Applying the newly acquired knowledge and skills to further develop an existing personal training business

Using as a foundation toward a sports therapy qualification.

Simon Titley, Head of YMCA Awards said: “The release of new NOS (CNH27 Provide sports massage therapy to clients) has allowed YMCA Awards to address the confusion that has existed within the sector for some time. Often, learners with a Level 3 Sports Massage Therapy qualification find themselves ineligible for desirable sports massage therapy jobs as they are not qualified to treat any form of injury.

“In consultation and collaboration with GCMT and SMA we have restructured and renamed our next generation qualifications, to clarify scope of practice and support learners to full membership of sports massage therapy professional associations.”

These qualifications replace the existing Level 3 Diploma and Level 4 Certificate in Sports Massage Therapy which will close for registrations in the 2023/24 academic year. Funding for the existing YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage Therapy (601/5011/7) will run until 20 April 2023.

Launching new nutrition qualifications

Introducing the YMCA Level 4 Certificate in Advanced Nutrition for Health, Weight Management, and Sports Performance

December 7, 2023

Over the summer, we launched a new suite of Nutrition qualifications, endorsed against the Association for Nutrition’s competency framework:

YMCA Level 3 Award in Nutrition for Physical Activity and Exercise (610/2286/X)
YMCA Level 4 Certificate in Applied Nutrition for Health, Wellness, Weight Management, and Sports Performance (610/2287/1)
YMCA Level 4 Certificate in Advanced Nutrition for Health, Weight Management and Sports Performance (610/2694/3)

Dave Ireson, owner of Envisage Training in Sheffield, along with several of his learners were the first cohort to complete the YMCA Level 4 Certificate in Advanced Nutrition for Health, Weight Management, and Sports Performance, which contains content from the smaller L3 and L4 qualifications. The group completed the course over six full days of learning and assessment, and they shared their initial thoughts and feedback about their experience.

The L4 Nutrition course uses digital education platform Suada to make the learning process as flexible and accessible as possible. Dave said it allowed him and his students to go into greater depth on the topic in comparison to other online learning tools, including Y-Mark.

The qualification is broken up into learning and assessment modules, covering a variety of nutrition topics such as how to calculate detailed body fat measurements and sweat loss testing. It also includes a variety of thorough case studies, which the group especially enjoyed. Although they were challenging, the learners felt a real sense of accomplishment upon completing them and gained confidence to be able to complete similar tasks with their own clients.

Dave also mentioned that the course helped him gain “a much better understanding of nutrition overall and how it applies to different client goals, including health, weight management, and sports/activity.” He found the experience quite challenging, but in a good way. According to him, it pushes learners to work hard and in turn will truly prepare them for the challenges they’ll face in the real working world.

The L4 Nutrition course is designed for the learners who enjoy a challenge and are looking to gain solid understanding of advanced nutrition in the focus area. Due to the depth of the course, the group greatly benefited from having a tutor with a strong base of knowledge and daily hands-on work experience with clients to help them reach their health and performance goals. Dave’s main piece of advice for centres looking to deliver this qualification is to ensure they have a tutor with a wide base of knowledge but who also works directly with clients to reach their health and performance goals.

Once they completed the trial run of the course, Dave’s learners said they’re excited to continue their nutrition studies. Some will be immediately applying what they learned into their own business and client base; others are looking to continue their studies by moving on to a degree in nutrition.

We are looking forward to sharing more information with you about the YMCA Level 4 Certificate in Advanced Nutrition for Health, Weight Management, and Sports Performance as well as our other upcoming qualifications. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the L4 Nutrition qualification further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Ensuring timely delivery of vocational and technical qualification results

Posted:

November 30, 2023

In October 2023, Ofqual announced measures to embed timely delivery of results for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQ) in 2024 and beyond. These plans are designed to ensure parity between VTQs and other qualifications by making sure learners expecting results for progression receive these as expected with their peers.

To make this possible, we will need our centres to confirm the details of learners expecting results for progression at two points during the year:

Term-time checkpoint: 01 March 2024 and 25 March 2024
Final term-time checkpoint: 03 June 2024 and 14 June 2024.

We expect all YMCA Awards centres to engage with the timely results process, ensuring that full and correct information is shared by our deadlines. This is to prevent delays and implications for learners, and/or possible sanctions for your centre.

Qualifications in scope

We expect the centres delivering the following qualifications to share information on learners who are planning to progress to further or higher education.

Qualification	QN
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Exercise Referral	600/4731/8
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Exercise Referral	603/3103/3
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Gym Instructing and Personal Training (Practitioner)	603/2921/X
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Performance Massage	610/0701/8
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training (Practitioner)	603/2438/7
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training (Practitioner), Outdoor Exercise and Sports Conditioning	603/3510/5
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training (Practitioner) in Indoor and Outdoor Environments	603/3505/1
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage Therapy	601/5011/7
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Pilates	600/4015/4
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Pilates (Practitioner)	603/3855/6
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga	600/1227/4
YMCA Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Yoga (Practitioner)	603/3617/1
YMCA Level 3 Extended Certificate in Spectator Safety Supervision	603/7364/7
YMCA Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Leisure Management	600/1911/6
YMCA Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Personal Training	501/0158/4

We expect all other YMCA Awards qualifications to be out of scope of the timely results process, but welcome discussions with centres if they disagree.

Requirements for the term-time checkpoint (01 March 2024 and 25 March 2024)

At the term-time checkpoint, we’ll ask centres to provide the following information for all learners expecting a result to support progression in August 2024:

Learner name
Learner number
ULN
Qualification title
QN
If any reasonable adjustments are being applied
Estimated final assessment date (must be before 19 July 2024)
Estimated last day learners are available for resubmission

Centres will also need to provide contact information for a Senior Designated Contact (SDC). This is an Ofqual requirement and they will be our point of contact to ensure results information is available on or before results day. The SDC does not need to be the existing main centre contact for YMCA Awards, but must be contactable throughout July and August to support us to resolve any issues with issuing results on time.

Requirements for the final term-time checkpoint (03 June 2024 and 14 June 2024)

At the final term-time checkpoint, we’ll ask for confirmation of information shared during the term-time checkpoint including:

details of learners expecting results to support progression (see termtime checkpoint)
details of any delays to assessment or achievement, which may impact
our quality assurance checks
confirmation of the expected final assessment date
confirmation of the SDC and their contact information

We expect the information for both checkpoints to be submitted through Y-Connect and we’ll be in touch nearer the time to confirm this process.

Key dates

Event	Deadline
Term time checkpoint	25/03/2024
Final term-time checkpoint	14/06/2024
Final assessments must be completed by centres	19/07/2024
Completion of external assurance deadline	24/07/2024
Latest date for certificate claims	02/08/2024
Date of final certificates released to centres	12/08/2024

YMCA Awards and UK Women in Action partnership – L3 Award in Supporting Participation in Physical Activity: Menopause

Level 3 Award in Supporting Participation in Physical Activity: Menopause

Posted:

November 7, 2023

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with UK Women in Action – an organisation dedicated to shifting perceptions around midlife and menopause.

This strategic collaboration between our two organisations marks a significant milestone in addressing the aspirations of the 70% of individuals undergoing menopause who aspire to lead more active lives. In practical terms, this equates to approximately 9 million people in the UK seeking enhanced support and guidance on incorporating physical activity into their often-complex daily lives.

Together, YMCA Awards and UK Women in Action are creating a transformative qualification that promises to revolutionise the role of personal trainers in supporting and empowering individuals transitioning into menopause.

The qualification, YMCA Level 3 Award in Supporting Participation in Physical Activity: Menopause, is expected to launch in January 2024 and will equip personal trainers with a deep understanding of:

The Menopausal Experience

Personal trainers will explore the stages and effects of menopause, delving into the physiological and psychological impacts of decreasing hormone levels.

Overcoming Barriers

Menopause often introduces barriers to physical activity, particularly for individuals navigating the perimenopausal and post-menopausal phases. The qualification will provide personal trainers with insights into identifying health risk factors and considerations for training, ensuring the safety of their clients.

Empowerment Through Intervention

A critical aspect of this qualification is the introduction of interventions and strategies designed to offset the effects of menopause. These encourage individuals to engage in physical activity confidently and with the knowledge that they are being supported in their wellness journey.

This qualification will utilise YMCA Awards’ next generation qualification principles to empower learners to build strong links between knowledge and skills and prepare them for the real world. It will also utilise UK Women in Actions’ ‘Midlife-Friendly™’ approach, to redefine personal training, prioritising the well-being of women in midlife through effective communication and empathy.

Co-founder of UK Women in Action, Emily Walters, says, “We are delighted to be collaborating with YMCA Awards to reimagine personal training for women in midlife. This partnership underscores the importance of comprehending the nuances of midlife. It’s not merely a chronological milestone but a profound shift in a woman’s life. To truly support and empower these women, a holistic understanding of the whole journey is essential.”

This is just the start of our journey together and we look forward to sharing more information about our partnership in the coming weeks. If you are interested in or would like to learn more about the YMCA Level 3 Award in Supporting Participation in Physical Activity: Menopause, please click here to register your interest.

Introducing our next generation qualifications

We’re re-imagining the training sector

August 1, 2023

The landscape of learning is changing. Innovation makes this possible, but it also risks a race to the bottom, preventing learners from succeeding. This is where YMCA Awards next generation qualifications and learning materials come in.

Next generation qualifications include:

Occupational entry qualifications to break into the sector or get a specific job

Population specialisms qualifications to expand scope of practice by working with a broader range of clients

Environment specialisms qualifications to expand scope of practice by working in a wider range of settings

Equipment specialisms qualifications to expand scope of practice by working with a wider range of equipment

Technical specialisms qualifications to expand scope of practice to perform additional roles in the workplace

Next generation design principles

We’re re-imagining how we prepare the next generation of fitness instructors for the workplace. With each new qualification we develop, we’re applying five next generation design principles to empower learners to build strong links between knowledge and skills, better preparing them for the real world and supporting them into employment or to progress within their existing role.

Provide an engaging learner experience that reflects industry

Assessments for these qualifications have not changed much in our 25 years of awarding. However, feedback from training providers and employers suggested that some learners struggle to build connections between the knowledge assessments and the practical role they wish to enter on achievement.

Our next generation qualifications aim to assess learners’ knowledge, skills and behaviours through activities learners will encounter in the workplace.

Provide flexible learning and assessment using technology

Delivery of training within the sector has changed following the Covid-19 pandemic. A greater proportion of learners are now looking for programmes that blend distanced/online learning with face-to-face delivery. This is partially evidenced by our shrinking market share as training providers shift to AOs that allow a greater degree of assessment by portfolio.

Our next generation qualifications aim to consider where technology can support learning and assessment, without negatively impacting the integrity of the qualifications.

Create impactful communicators

Analysis of job postings for fitness instructor and personal trainer roles identified a chasm between the number of employers looking for strong, enthusiastic communicators and the proportion of workforce profiles that included these skills.

Our next generation qualifications aim to provide learners with opportunities to build confidence, developing their own unique voice and style.

Clearly identify professional boundaries

Feedback from stakeholders on the current CIMSPA professional standards suggested qualifications could better support learners to identify their professional limitations and the extent of their personal scope of practice.

Our next generation qualifications aim to provide learners with opportunities to build confidence in risk stratification, supporting decisions to adapt, defer or refer.

Develop self-reliance and resilience

Feedback from stakeholders has suggested that learners struggle with the transition to newly qualified instructor.

Our next generation qualifications aim to support learners with this transition by providing opportunities to:

Apply their knowledge to realistic clients whilst on programme.

Evaluate their approach and reflect on how they could improve in the future.

Demonstrate their knowledge, skills and behaviours through activities they will encounter in the workplace

Generate evidence that could support them to demonstrate their strengths to an employer.

Consider and identify their future career pathway to set goals to meet their aspirations.

Re-imagining assessment

Everyone has a different learning style that works for them. The traditional assessment methods can act as barriers to some students and block them from performing to the best of their ability. We want to allow flexibility that reflects the neurodiversity of our learners and the sector they wish to work in.

Our next generation qualifications utilise a range of assessment methods to allow each learners to get creative and customise their learning experience to get the most out of their course. The added flexibility will also allow them to complete assessments that better reflect what they’ll do on the job versus in a classroom.

Next generation qualification assessment methods include:

Multiple choice and multiple response questions

Anatomy, physiology, and nutrition content will continue to be assessed through multiple choice and multiple response questions. However, through our partnership with Suada, learners can now complete these through the Suada app anywhere they have an internet connection. Learners need to achieve 100% to pass this assessment, but to support centres in understanding how their learners are getting on, tutors and assessments can now access data on progress and achievement in real time.

Presentation

Level 3 learners will need to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the effects of exercise through a ‘teach back’ presentation. Learners can upload audio or audiovisual content to the Suada app and share with other learners and their tutor for feedback. Learners will need to demonstrate they’re able to present information accurately, clearly, and concisely. Employers tell us that communication is one of the weakest areas for existing exercise and fitness instructors, so we’re looking to build learners’ confidence early with this assessment! Full information on the requirements for these assessments can be found in the qualification specification and learner assessment record.

Short answer questions (worksheets)

Learners will fill in their learner assessment record with their responses to questions covering:

the customer journey and experience

health and safety and wellbeing

continuing professional development

business acumen.

Full information on the requirements for these assessments can be found in the qualification specification and learner assessment record.

Information resources

This activity is again about building learners’ confidence in demonstrating their knowledge when communicating with clients. Learners will create information resources – in a format that is suitable to their audience – that could be used to promote their exercise and fitness business. Examples include posters, flyers, social media posts, and videos. These can be uploaded to the Suada app and shared with other learners and their tutor for feedback. Full information on the requirements for these assessments can be found in the qualification specification and learner assessment record.

Applied case studies

Learners will answer questions on three realistic case studies provided in the learner assessment record. These case studies are based on real people and are designed to support learners to apply their knowledge in a safe environment. This task is deliberately designed to encourage learners to conduct independent research, supporting them to consider appropriate sources of information whilst reinforcing the importance of working within their own scope of practice. Full information on the requirements for these assessments can be found in the qualification specification and learner assessment record.

Practical activities

Observation of practical skills remains a vital part of our next generation occupational entry qualifications with activities including:

a gym induction (including client consultation and assessment)

supervision of activities in the gym environment

cleaning activities in the gym environment.

personal training consultation and fitness assessments

planning, delivering, and evaluating gym, group exercise, or personal training sessions

However, we have updated our assessment requirements to better reflect current practice within the sector. For example, consultation and assessment of new clients, may take place virtually. In many cases, learners can record a video of their evidence for activities and upload it to the Suada app as a vlog of their progress against the assessment criteria. We’ve also provided options to streamline assessments where learners are completing multiple qualifications (e.g. Gym Instructing and Group Circuit Training). Full information on theour requirements for these practical assessments can be found in the qualification specification and learner assessment record.

Professional showcase

Following their practical assessment, Level 3 learners will share:

their experiences and lessons learned during the period of implementing their progressive exercise plan.

plans to market and grow their business.

This presentation is designed to support learners to become reflective practitioners, highlighting their ability to adapt when things don’t go to plan. It’s also an opportunity to further develop their communication skills and confidence in their ability to succeed as a newly qualified personal trainer. Full information on the requirements for these is assessments can be found in the qualification specification and learner assessment record.