Our National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are designed to develop your practice so that you can have an even bigger impact in the classroom and across your school.
At the end of your NPQ, you will complete an assessment. This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of your NPQ content. But what does the assessment involve?
1. Flexible and open book
NPQ assessments are designed with flexibility to fit alongside your day-to-day role.
Your NPQ assessment will consist of:
- Reading and reviewing a case study.
- Answering three questions.
Your answers should total a maximum of 1,500 words and you won’t be able to go over the word count.
All assessments are open book, which means you will have full access to all programme content and materials to help you with your answer.
2. Apply your knowledge in practice
The assessment is designed to demonstrate your knowledge of the NPQ programme that you have studied.
The case study will introduce a phase-specific scenario and leadership role to you. Using learnings from your NPQ programme, the questions will ask you to:
- Identify a problem or problems based on your analysis of the case study.
- Identify a solution or solutions to the problem(s) and set out your rationale for the solution(s) proposed.
- Reflect on case study-specific issues with implementation and outline how you would approach implementation of your proposed solution(s) and why.
The assessment will help you consolidate your learning by encouraging you to make connections between the content of the NPQ programme you have studied and how it can be applied to real-life scenarios. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of your NPQ and consider how it can provide solutions to challenges you may face in your school or trust.
3. Eight days to complete
You will have an eight-day window to complete your NPQ assessment. This timeframe is designed to provide flexibility so that you can complete your assessment around your personal and professional commitments. The assessment does not take eight days to complete, but this is the timeframe you will have to write up your response.
We recommend that you review the case study on the first day of the window so that you have enough time to consider your response.
4. Easily accessible online
NPQ assessments are delivered online to your My Ambition account. This means that you will be able to access your assessment easily at any time and location.
You will submit your response through this same portal. We recommend that you also save a separate copy of your answers in case you experience any technical problems during submission.
5. Plenty of support available
During your NPQ, you will get lots of support so that you feel confident and prepared for your assessment through:
- Clinics, including a clinic dedicated to your assessment where you will get guidance on how to write an effective assessment response.
- NPQ assessment webinars – one introducing the assessment and one on accessing the case study and submitting your responses
- Additional assessment documentation, including tips, sample papers, past papers and examiner reports (if available for your NPQ).
6. Expertly marked
NPQ assessments are marked through a rigorous process so that you can be confident that your outcome is reliable.
Our assessment marking uses comparative judgement and a two stage moderation process. Find out more about comparative judgement.
Research has shown that the reliability of this comparative judgement process is as strong as double marking each assignment against a traditional mark scheme.
The outcome will then be verified by an external moderator, before being sent to the Department for Education who will award you with your qualification, should you receive a pass.
7. Results available approximately three months after submission
Your NPQ results will be available around three months after the submission window closes. You will be told the exact date closer to your results day.
If you do not pass your NPQ assessment the first time, you will have one more opportunity to complete your assessment at the next window.
Here are some more things to know about NPQ assessments:
- To be eligible to take your NPQ assessment, you must have engaged with 90% of your programme, including courses, clinics and conferences.
- If you have a disability or condition which is a barrier to you engaging fully with your assessment, contact the NPQ team at Ambition or your Delivery Partner. They will do their best to make reasonable adjustments where possible so that your assessment is made accessible for you.
