What is a registered constituent assessor?
What is a registered constituent assessor?
You have successfully completed your assessor training and have been declared competent. You have received your Assessor certificate and Statement of Results from the ETDP SETA. You feel that you are ready to start conducting assessments and then you are confronted with the question: Are you a registered assessor?
It is then that you realize that there is more than just being a qualified or certified assessor. So what exactly is a registered assessor?
A registered assessor:
- Has successfully completed the assessor training at an accredited training provider
- Has been awarded the credits of the registered assessor unit standard SAQA and has the ETDP SETA SOR to prove this
- Is a subject matter expert in the field that he/she will be assessing
- Has registered with an ETQA or various ETQAs as an assessor.
What is a Subject Matter expert?
It is a person who has in depth knowledge and skills in a specific field based on qualifications and experience.
How do I prove that I am a subject matter expert?
The ETQA evaluates your subject matter expertise on your:
- Qualifications
- Experience
Qualifications
In order for you to assess a candidate’s competence, you need to have a qualification that is equal to or one level higher than the qualification that you will be assessing.
Experience
Experience is measured in the number of years that you have experience in the specific field you want to assess. As a general rule, the ETQAs require you to have at least three years’ experience in the field.
When registering as an assessor you thus need to have certified copies of your relevant qualifications, including your assessor certificate as well as any SORs you have in the related field.
Furthermore you need to ensure that your CV is comprehensive and provides definite proof that you have workplace experience in the field you will be assessing.
How do I prepare to register as an assessor?
You need to:
- identify the registered qualifications and unit standards you wish to assess.
- record the unit standard and qualification titles and SAQA ID numbers as you will need these to complete your application.
- analyse the unit standards and qualifications to ensure that your qualifications and experience match the standards. Adjust your CV to match the requirements of the qualifications/unit standards.
- Identify the quality assurer (ETQA) of the unit standard or qualification. You will then apply for registration as an assessor to this SETA.
- Obtain the necessary registration forms from the relevant SETAs. Some SETAs have forms that can be downloaded, while with others you need to do the application on line.
- Ensure that you have certified copies of your relevant qualifications, statements of results and your ID.
- Ensure that you have a comprehensive CV that reflects your experience related to the qualifications/unit standards.
- You are now ready to start the registration process.
Which documents will I need for registration?
- A certified copy of your ID
- A certified copy of your Assessor certificate and SOR (statement of results)
- Certified copies of other qualifications
- A comprehensive CV
- The SETA application for registration form. This could either be a document that you need to download and complete, or you may need to complete this document on line.
Where do I find the Assessor application for registration form?
The registration of assessors is the responsibility of the ETQA of the different SETAs. You will thus need to go onto the relevant SETA website and search for the application form and procedures under the ETQA documents. Some SETAs have application forms that you need to download, print complete manually while others have online application forms.
For a complete list of the contact details of the various Quality assurance bodies and SETAs, visit the SAQA website.
Click on the links for the websites of the relevant SETAs to find the application forms, application procedure and qualifications that fall within the scope of the specific SETA.
A step by step approach to the registration process
As mentioned before there are two different ways in which you can apply to register:
- The manual application where you download and complete and submit the application form and relevant supporting documents
- The online application where you complete an online application form, select the unit standards and qualifications, etc. from drop down menus and electronically load supporting documents.
Manual application
In the case where you need to download the application form for the registration, you will have to follow the following procedure:
On-line application
How long does it take?
Depending on the performance of the SETA, it could take anything from a few weeks to three months.
How will I know if I am registered?
You will receive a formal letter or certificate from the specific SETA to inform you of your registration status.
This document will reflect:
- Your personal details such as your full names, ID number
- Your assessor registration number, (in the case of the ETDP SETA it will be a number starting with an “A” and at other ETQAs it might be your ID number.
- The unit standards and/or qualifications where registration has been granted.
- The qualifications and unit standards where they need more information in order to make a decision about your subject matter expertise if necessary.
You will now be able to start assessing and making assessment judgements about candate competency in the unit standards and qualifications that you have been granted registration.
Some of the ETQAs will follow up with a certificate indicating that you are now a registered constituent assessor and add a list of unit standards and qualifications that indicate the scope of your registration.
Am I now registered for an indefinite period?
No, just as qualifications need to be reviewed, your assessor registration will have an expiry date. This is to ensure that you keep up with the changes in the skills development and training scenario. Normally your registration is valid for a period of 3 years and it is your responsibility to ensure that your registration stays valid.
It is therefore essential for you to keep up with changes such as changes in the registration status of qualifications and unit standards. Unit standards and qualifications are constantly revised and updated. Ensure that you are aware of any changes in titles, SAQA IDs, etc. and update your registration before it expires.
Will I have to go through the whole registration process again?
No, most of the SETA/ETQAs have a separate re registration form and process. You will just need to update your details.
What happens if I want to add unit standards and qualifications to my existing registration?
You do not have to go through the whole registration process again. You will apply for an extension of scope and add the additional unit standards and qualifications. The extended scope will be added to your registration.
Some closing remarks
As a registered assessor:
- You will receive proof of registration
- You will be registered to assess specified unit standards and qualifications
- You will receive an assessor registration number to be used when you conduct assessments
- You will be added to the assessor database of the specific SETA/ETQA
- You will have to sign and abide by a code of conduct
- You will have to re-register after a specified time period
