Skills Education

Step-by-step guidance for the process of confirming a fit-for-purpose tool

Outcome Standard 1.3 mandates that all assessment tools are reviewed prior to use. This is to confirm that:

• Assessment will be consistent with the unit of competency requirements
• Assessment can be conducted so that it is consistent with the principles of assessment and rules of evidence
• Any required improvements identified as part of the review as applied to the tools before use

Assessment has consistently been an issue for RTOs at audit. And it’s not just the process, but the tools used in the process, their validity and reliability, and how evidence is captured and recorded as part of making judgements of competency, that comes into question.

Now, the best-practice activity of ensuring assessment tools are fit-for-purpose is a requirement for quality, self-assured RTO operations - and when done well, means less headaches when the time for validation of assessment judgments rolls around! (Validation of assessment judgements is in the mandatory 5 year plan referenced in Outcome Standard 1.5). Pre-use validation is also a requirement in units of competency from the Training and Education (TAE) Training Package.

There's a lot riding on knowing how to make accurate judgements in the process of undertaking pre-use validation activities and this session will show you what to look for to confirm an assessment tool is "fit-for-purpose" (or not). 

The National Vocational Education and Training Regulator (Outcome Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations) Instrument 2025 and the Credential Policy require a person with specific credentials to be involved in validation, therefore at pre-use validation, it makes sense to have a person who understands the requirements to be involved in the process. This session supports development of that understanding.

Register for this session to know more about:

• A brief overview of what pre-use validation is and why is it important (and why it's now mandatory) 

• The steps and methods for conducting pre-use validation of assessment tools 

• What to look for during a pre-use validation activity

• Common issues and challenges in pre-use validation and how to overcome them

• How to document and report your pre-use validation findings and actions

This session is designed to support clear understanding of pre-use validation activities. It will help you answer the question: Will this tool allow for the provision of sufficient evidence that is valid, reliable, authentic, and current?  

Explore how to execute robust analysis of your assessment tools and accurate verification that they are fit-for-use.

Pre-use validation of assessment tools is a requirement in the following TAE units of competency: 

✔ TAEASS413 - Participate in assessment validation

✔ TAEASS513 - Lead assessment moderation and validation processes

This means this session is also ideal currency PD for all trainers/assessors who need evidence against these requirements.