Once you have completed all of your technical training weeks and workplace projects, you will be then on the home run to completing your apprenticeship! All you need to complete now is your End Point Assessment, also known as your EPA.
In this blog, we’ll take you through the EPA process for the Level 3 Data Technician apprenticeship (also known as Junior Data Analyst), covering each element of the End Point Assessment and sharing key tips that can help you approach your EPA with confidence.
WHAT DOES A DATA TECHNICIAN EPA INVOLVE?
As a Level 3 Data Technician, your EPA will be assessed on two different elements.
The Data Technician EPA includes:
- Scenario Demonstration
- Professional Discussion
WHAT IS A SCENARIO DEMONSTRATION?
The Scenario Demonstration is an important, but fun element of your EPA. You’ll be presented with two scenarios relevant to your job role, each one lasting around 45 minutes (including questioning).
One scenario will require you to gather data, while the other will deep dive into analysis and validation. During this time, an independent assessor will ask you questions – but this isn’t to catch you out! Simply, they’re looking to see you demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours outlined in the apprenticeship standard.
How to prepare for your scenario demonstration
We caught up with Harry Hobbs who recently achieved a distinction in his Level 3 Data Technician apprenticeship to find out how he prepared for his scenario demonstration:
“As my scenario was excel based, I completed some Udemy courses on Excel to refresh my knowledge and make sure I was prepared ahead of my EPA. I also reviewed all the work in my portfolio to recap on the evidence I’d submitted throughout my apprenticeship”.
WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL DISCUSSION?
Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Fear not, the Professional Discussion gives you the opportunity to show the incredible work you’ve submitted in your portfolio! This will last one hour, and the Independent Assessor wants to see the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that you’ve developed since the start of your apprenticeship programme. The professional discussion is your opportunity to talk about everything you’ve achieved so far and share your knowledge.
No one likes to talk about themselves, but you’ve worked hard to get to this stage – so why not shout about it during this time!
The interviewer isn’t there to catch you out or give you a grilling – they ask questions designed to draw out your knowledge, skills, and behaviours so that they can demonstrate that you’ve met the Apprenticeship Standard.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR DATA TECHNICIAN PROFESSIONAL DISCUSSION
Your coach is always at hand to guide to in your Professional Discussion preparation and answer any queries you may have. Don’t worry – you will be fully prepared and equipped before you enter the professional discussion!
One of the best ways to prepare yourself for the discussion is to have looked over and be familiar with the key knowledge, skills, and behaviours listed in the Apprenticeship Standard. It’s always useful to prepare some key talking points before the discussion, so you have the gist of what you want to say.
A useful tip for answering interview questions is to practice the STAR method. This is a great framework for structuring your answers. For each question, you can think about the following:
- S – Situation: What was the context?
- T – Task: What did you have to do?
- A – Action: How did you do it?
- R – Result: What was the outcome?
With professional discussions, it’s normal to feel nervous beforehand, but practice does make a difference! Why not ask a friend or colleague to come up with some questions and have a practice session?
Read More: How to Become a Confident Communicator
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOUR EPA?
The EPA is the final element of your apprenticeship. After you’ve passed your EPA, you’ll receive your final grade: pass, merit, or distinction. You will then receive a certificate to confirm your official, industry-recognised Level 3 apprenticeship qualification.
NEXT STEPS:
We hope that this article has squashed any pre-EPA nerves you may have had and that you feel more confident going into your data technician EPA.
If you have any further questions about your End Point Assessment, your Baltic Data Coach will happily support you and help you feel ready to thrive at EPA.