Level 4 Internal Quality Assurance Courses

What is the IQA course?

The new Level 4 Internal Quality Assurance Qualifications replace the older D34 and V1 Qualifications. They are also referred to as the IQA or IV training courses. People completing these courses will become qualified Internal Verifiers (IV’s), Internal Quality Assurers (IQA’s) or Internal Assessor Moderators.

To download the full qualification brochure visit the ELN IQA course page.

All of the Internal Quality Assurance Awards and Certificates are suitable for those working within FE Colleges, private Training Providers, Local Authorities etc. Our IQA courses are part of the TAQA suite of courses and qualify you to internally verify any NVQ, SVQ, RQF or Apprenticeship qualifications in your specialist area.

What does TAQA stand for?

TAQA courses was originally a term originating from City and Guilds. It stands for Teaching, Assessment and Quality Assurance courses and contains all their Education and Training related courses. Over a period of time this term has come to represent specifically the new Assessor and IQA or EQA courses on the UK National Vocational Qualification Framework.

This is why most people search for the IQA courses as the TAQA Level 4 courses.

Who should do the IQA course?

The IQA courses are suitable for a range of professionals working in education in the UK for example:

• Assessors and teachers who want to further develop their knowledge and involvement in the internal quality assurance of their assessments.
• Middle to senior  managers who are responsible for achieving and maintaining Awarding Body approvals.
• Internal quality assurers (IQA or IV’s) who are already working as Internal Verifiers or those who are just beginning as trainees.

What are the differences between the new IQA courses?

There are three units available in the new Internal Quality Assurance course and your qualification will depend on the combination of units you select. You should choose the units depending on the level of your involvement in the internal quality assurance process and whether you have responsibility for leading a team of internal verifiers and/or overall responsibility for your company’s quality management systems.

The Internal Quality Assurance courses are made up of 3 units which make up 3 different IQA qualifications, using their different combinations. The three units are as follows:

1. Understanding the Principles and Practices of Internally Assuring the Quality of Assessment (6 credits)
2. Internally Assure the Quality of Assessment (6 credits)
3. Plan, Allocate and Monitor Work in own Area of Responsibility (6 credits)

Unit 1 ONLY: Level 4 Award in Understanding Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment

This qualification is best for people who only require a theoretical working knowledge of Internal Quality Assurance or Internal Verification like teachers, assessors who contribute to Internal Quality Assurance processes but do not have responsibility for IQA processes. No experience or access to work-based evidence required.

Units 1 & 2: Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment

This is the most popular Level 4 Internal Quality Assurance course because it qualifies you as an Internal Verifier. After this course you can conduct Internal Quality Assurance activities and verify, sample and support assessors in your subject specialism. It focuses on the theory as well as the practical implementation of those IQA skills. You will need access to two assessors carrying out assessments for at least two students each. This is so you can plan and demonstrate the internal verification of their assessment methodology, assessment decisions and show standardisation activity.

Units 1, 2 & 3: Level 4 Certificate in Leading Internal Quality Assurance

This qualification takes you one step further than the previous one. In addition to getting qualified to conduct Internal Quality Assurance activities, you also show that you lead a team of at least two other Internal Verifiers. Therefore this Lead IQA course qualifies you to become a Lead Internal Verifier or Lead IQA. Remember, you must have access to at least two other IV’s, each with their own assessors and students etc. You should also be in a position of responsibility for your organisation’s IQA processes and practices and other External Quality Assurance requirements.

All Level 4 Internal Quality Assurance qualifications are based on the assessment strategy and qualification structures, devised originally by Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK), and are now owned by the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS).

The IQA Award (Units 1 & 2) described above, overlaps and can be used to claim exemption from Education & Training qualifications, for example, the Level 4 CET and the Level 5 DET. For further details and clarification see our articles on choosing Optional Unit Combinations for both CET and DET.

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We hope this article answered all your questions regarding the Level 4 TAQA Internal Quality Assurance Course. If we’ve missed anything or if you would like to add anything why not Contact Us or the live webchat

Happy learning!

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