Revision Date: [Placeholder - Date] by Charter Australia
1. Introduction
This General Assessment Information applies to all assessment tasks that assess vocational units of competency. You must read this information so that you are familiar with your rights and responsibilities regarding assessment tasks. If there is anything in this document that you do not understand, or are concerned about, please ask your Trainer/Assessor or Student Support Officer. You may also refer to your student handbook.
Before you submit your assessment tasks, you will be asked to confirm that you have read and understood
this General Assessment Information.
In addition to this General Assessment Information, each assessment task will also contain additional instructions that specifically apply to that task. Those instructions will be different for each unit of competency and each task, so please read them carefully before you commence any assessment task.
2. Preparing for Assessments
Your Trainer/Assessor will inform you of the assessment tasks relating to a unit of competency when you commence study of that particular unit of competency. You may also view the assessment details on the relevant Student Portal page.
Your Trainer/Assessor will also inform you of the due date of all assessment tasks, and any other information required to participate in the assessments. If any assessment tasks need to be conducted in the workplace, this will be arranged by your Trainer/Assessor in advance and you will be informed.
Before an assessment task takes place, your assessor will confirm with you that you are ready to be
assessed. This means that:
- You are aware of the time, date and location of the assessment.
- You have read and understood this General Assessment Information, including all your rights and
responsibilities. - You have read and understood the task instructions (refer to each assessment task for details).
- All hygiene and workplace health and safety (WHS) requirements have been met.
- You have informed the assessor of any special needs, if applicable.
If you have any questions or concerns about assessment tasks, please let your Trainer/Assessor know as soon as possible. This includes any reasonable adjustments that you may require (refer to the section Reasonable Adjustment).
3. Reasonable Adjustment
Charter Australia supports individual differences in the learning environment and provides ‘reasonable adjustment’ in training and assessment activities to support every student. If you have any special needs that make it difficult for you to complete your learning or assessments, you should discuss this with your Trainer/Assessor beforehand and you will be provided with reasonable alternatives to assist you to complete the required tasks such as completing tests verbally or using an interpreter.
For more information on extensions, please visit the Policies page.
4. How You Will Be Assessed
In accordance with standard vocational training practices, you will be assessed using a competency-based assessment. This means that evidence of your current skills and knowledge will be measured against national standards of best practice, not against the learning you have undertaken either recently or in the past. The assessment tasks have been designed to enable you to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge and produce the critical evidence to successfully demonstrate competency at the required standard.
There are different types of assessment methods, and the most common methods used by Charter Australia are outlined in the following table. In a single unit of competency, you will usually not be assessed using all these methods. Typically, 2-3 different methods will be used to assess your competency.
| Assessment Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Written Task (or Research Task) |
To be completed online in the Student Portal. You are awarded a result of ‘satisfactory’ in this task if you are able to demonstrate all the skills and knowledge in the marking criteria in the Assessor Checklist at the end of the task. If the result is ‘not satisfactory’, refer to Charter Australia’s re-assessment policy. |
| Simulation |
To be conducted in the training room. You are awarded a result of ‘satisfactory’ in this task if you are able to demonstrate all the skills and knowledge in the marking criteria in the Assessor Checklist at the end of the task. If the result is ‘not satisfactory’, refer to Charter Australia’s re-assessment policy. |
| Workplace Assignment or Workplace Journal |
To be presented as a written task and completed via the Student Portal. You are awarded a result of ‘satisfactory’ in this task if you are able to demonstrate all the skills and knowledge in the marking criteria in the Assessor Checklist at the end of the task. If the result is ‘not satisfactory’, refer to Charter Australia’s re-assessment policy. |
| Practical Demonstration |
To be conducted in the workplace. You are awarded a result of ‘satisfactory’ in this task if you are able to demonstrate all the skills and knowledge in the Observation Report contained within the task. If the result is ‘not satisfactory’, refer to Charter Australia’s re-assessment policy. |
| Third-Party Observation | You will demonstrate practical skills in the workplace with real clients and real equipment, during your normal work duties. Your Supervisor will write a report detailing the skills and knowledge you have demonstrated during your work. Your Trainer/Assessor will verify the report to determine competency. |
Note: You may also be assessed using other methods not outlined in the table above. Always refer to the Student Instructions of the assessment task in the Student Portal about the assessment methods in a particular unit of competency.
Assessment may also involve recognition of prior learning and credit transfer. Refer to the following pages
for more information:
5. Assessment Resources
The specific resources required will be indicated in your assessment task. These may differ according to each unit of competency or assessment task. In general, you will need to access the following resources when you are completing your assessment tasks:
- A computer or tablet with internet access (a smartphone is not recommended for completing assessment tasks)
- Student Portal (go to the relevant page of the unit of competency you are studying)
- Learner guide and Lesson (available in the Student Portal)
- Internet sites (it is recommended that you access Australian sites to ensure that information is relevant to Australian workplace standards)
- Textbook (if your current course includes a textbook)
- Workplace documents (applicable to workplace-based assessment; please do not access workplace documents without your supervisor’s permission)
- Case studies, such as workplace scenarios or sample workplace documents (these may not apply to all units of competency; they will be provided via the Student Portal if applicable)
- Workplace equipment (if applicable; these will be provided by the workplace or Charter Australia’s training room)
6. Submitting Assessment Tasks & Extensions
Your Trainer/Assessor will tell you when assessments are due. It is your responsibility to ensure that assessment tasks are submitted on or before their due date.
If you think you will be unable to complete the assessment task by the due date, or if you feel you are not ready to be assessed, inform your Trainer/Assessor as soon as possible.
Extensions for assessment tasks of up to 1 week may be negotiated with your Trainer/Assessor in specific
circumstances. You must request this prior to the due date, and extensions due to illness will require a medical certificate. Extensions will be confirmed by your Trainer/Assessor in writing.
For more information on extensions, please visit the Policies page.
7. Student Support
Charter Australia’s Trainers/Assessors will work with you to ensure that you are supported throughout your
qualification.
Charter Australia offers training in Foundation Skills, English for Healthcare and Nursing, General English and LLN training. Some of these services are free of charge, whereas some may attract an additional fee.
If you need further support or assistance, feel free to contact Student Support (02) 9955 5881 or via email:
support@charter.edu.au.
For more information on student support, please visit our Policies page.
8. Assessment Presentation & Formatting
Presentation of written assessments is important. Remember you are trying to convince your assessor of your competency. Please adhere to any other presentation instructions given to you by your Trainer/Assessor.
9. Referencing
Where applicable, include a list of references that you used to answer a particular question. Examples of sources you could reference include:
- Web page or online video (copy and paste the URL of the web page that you referenced)
- Book (provided the title, author and year)
Important: Referencing is OK but copying is not. Referencing means reading a source and then summarising it in your own words. This is acceptable. Copying means using the exact same sentences or paragraphs as the source material. By doing this, you may not demonstrate your knowledge, and your Trainer/Assessor may ask you to re-write you answer in your own words. If you do need to copy any sentences to support your answer, use “quotation marks” around the copied part and reference the source.
10. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a form of cheating. It is taking and using someone else’s materials and representing them as your own. When you have any doubts about including the work of other authors in your assessments, please consult with your Trainer/Assessor. The following list outlines some of the activities considered plagiarism:
- Presenting any work by another individual as one’s own unintentionally
- Handing in assessments copied from another student
- Presenting the work of another individual or group as their own work.
- Handing in assessments without the adequate acknowledgement of sources used, including assessments taken totally or in part from the internet.
Plagiarism is a serious act and may result in a student’s exclusion from a unit or a course. For detailed policy and procedure on plagiarism, please visit the Policies page.
11. Assessment Declaration
For each assessment task, you need to declare that you understand the assessment guidelines (i.e. this document), that you understand the specific instructions relevant to each task, and that the assessment contains your own original work.
12. Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) / Duty of Care
During all assessment activities, you must adhere to workplace health and safety (WHS) and duty of care
requirements. That means that you must take reasonable care to ensure that you do not cause harm or injury to yourself or others. Other people in the assessment environment, including your Trainer/Assessor, your classmates and other staff members, must also adhere to these requirements. These are some general guidelines to follow, although it is not an exhaustive list:
- Follow all reasonable instructions given to you by your Trainer/Assessor or supervisor.
- Do not do any task that you believe is dangerous.
- Do not do any task that you feel you have not been adequately trained or prepared to do.
- Wear appropriate clothing, footwear, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Before conducting any task, conduct a brief hazard assessment of the environment.
- Report any hazards immediately (e.g. faulty equipment, spill, contamination, aggressive client).
- Follow all infection control and hygiene procedures.
- Ensure that your Trainer/Assessor or supervisor always knows where you are.
- Do not attend the workplace or training room if you are under the affects of alcohol or drugs.
- Do not do any tasks that may threaten the dignity of a client.
- Take all steps to ensure that the confidentiality of workplace documents and client information is maintained.
If your Trainer/Assessor does not believe that you can perform workplace skills safety and according to legal and ethical requirements, you will be deemed ‘not competent’ in the assessment result.
For more information on workplace health and safety, please visit the Policies page.
13. Privacy
In some assessment tasks, you may be required to discuss tasks that you performed in the workplace. When doing this, you must respect the privacy of clients, as well as clients’ family/friends/carers and other workers. Do not use their real names. Instead, use a pseudonym (false name) or simply call them ‘Client 1’, ‘Client 2’, etc.
For more information on Charter Australia’s privacy policy, including the privacy of your own personal information, please visit the Policies page.
14. Assessment Outcomes
Most units of competency require you to complete more than one assessment task. You must achieve satisfactory performance in each of the assessment tasks in order to be deemed competent in the relevant unit of competency.
Assessment tasks have two possible outcomes:
- S = Satisfactory (You have satisfied all the requirements of the assessment task, and the Trainer/Assessor has determined that you are competent in the skills/knowledge that the task is testing.)
- NS = Not Satisfactory (You require more training and experience; you may re-attempt the task at a later date.)
Units of competency also have two possible outcomes:
- C = Competent (The Trainer/Assessor is satisfied that you have completed all the assessments and have provided the appropriate evidence required to meet all criteria of the unit of competency.)
- NC = Not Competent (The Trainer/Assessor has determined that the evidence provided does not meet all criteria of the unit of competency.)
If re-assessment is required, your Trainer/Assessor will inform you. Please refer to the Re-Assessment section of this document for more information.
15. Who is Assessing You
Your Trainer/Assessor has formal qualifications in training and assessment and also has formal qualifications in the relevant industry area.
Your Trainer/Assessor satisfies the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
16. Your Results & Feedback
Your Trainer/Assessor is committed to providing you with detailed feedback on the outcomes of the assessment and will provide guidance on areas for improvement.
You are entitled to view your results at any time via your Student Portal.
17. Re-assessment
If you received an assessment result of ‘not satisfactory’, you may need to be re-assessed. You may be re-assessed up to two times more. Re-assessment may involve re-attempting only the items of the task that were originally deemed not satisfactory, or it may involve re-attempting an entire task. This is at the discretion of the Trainer/Assessor. No additional fees will be charged for the first two re-assessments.
Students who require more than two re-assessments, or require re-assessment beyond the delivery timeframe of a unit or due date of an assessment, unless it is due to medical reasons, will be given the opportunity to request an additional 14 days to resubmit and, in this time they can request a mentoring session if required. After that, they will be charged a re-assessment fee.
Should students require further time for medical reasons, they must request it in writing to the RTO
Manager.
18. Academic Appeals
If you do not think the assessment process was valid, if you disagree with the assessment decision once it is made, or if you believe that you have been treated unfairly, you can appeal.
The first step is to discuss the matter with your Trainer/Assessor. If you still do not agree with the assessment result, you are able to request a re-assessment. It is possible to have your evidence assessed by a different Trainer/Assessor. If you remain dissatisfied after the re-assessment, you should contact the RTO Manager. Full details of the Appeals process are contained in your Student Handbook.
For more information on complaints or appeals, please visit the Policies page.
19. Storage of Assessments
All assessment items are retained by Charter Australia for audit or validation purposes. Charter Australia respects your privacy and will ensure that your personal information will not be accessed by any unauthorised people.
For more information on Charter Australia’s privacy policy, please visit the Policies page.
20. Copyright
You must be careful when copying the work of others. The owner of the material may take legal action against you if the owner’s copyright has been infringed. You are allowed to do a certain amount of copying for research or study purposes. Generally, 10% or one chapter of a book is acceptable, where the student is studying with or employed by an educational institution.
In addition, the learning resources and assessment tasks provided to you by Charter Australia are also protected by copyright. They are to be used by you only. You must not share them with others and you must not make them publicly accessible on the internet.
Furthermore, you must not give any other person access to your Student Portal account.
Charter Australia takes any copyright breaches very seriously and will investigate any potential breaches.
Read Charter Australia’s Copyright Notice.
21. More Information
The web page ‘Policies of Charter Australia’ contains policies and procedures relating to assessment and other student matters. Please visit the Policies page.
Charter Australia’s ‘Student Handbook’ contains additional information on your rights and responsibilities as a student. Please visit the Student Handbook page.