What is Chartered Educational Assessor (CEA) Status?

The role of the CEA is to quality assure the assessment processes that a school, college or training centre use. This could be in a single school or college, across a federation of institutions, within a workplace, across a consortium or local authority.

Our CEA training programme supports the knowledge, skills and understanding of professionals engaged in assessment across multiple disciplines or subject contexts.

It aims to ensure that all those engaged in assessment processes have a secure understanding of what is involved. This means looking at the policies and procedures that are in place and how the strategy for assessment is delivered. Our CEA programme offers support in designing and developing effective assessments that are reliable, valid, fit for purpose, transparent and fair.

The CEA also looks to improve the way that assessments are conducted. This involves developing effective assignments to fulfil assessment objectives as well as arriving at consistent and accurate marking, using appropriate standardisation and moderation procedures. It also includes processes involved in archiving assessment information from the outcomes of these assessments.

Click the link to download the Chartered Educational Assessor training guide in pdf format.

Click the link to view the Chartered Educational Assessor training brochure in HTML format.

Chartered Educational Assessor Benefits:

• Independent accreditation of educational assessment-related skill & knowledge
• Quality assurance of your educational assessment policy & practice
• Chartered Educational Assessor Directory (LINK) entry
• Post-Nominals - The letters 'CEA' after your name. E.g. Richard Guest MCIEA CEA
• Exclusive access to our online CEA Network (powered by LinkedIn.com)
• CEA Certificate and pin badge

Case Studies

To see case studies, click on the following link: CEA Case Studies

How much does the training cost?

The Chartered Educational Assessor training program costs £2,000 per delegate, however multiple bookings enable access to reduced rates. This cost includes administration fees, overnight accommodation and all subsistence costs whilst at the hotel, the training and subsequent assessment.

Person Specification

During the training you will be expected to quality assure the assessment processes that take place in your school, college or place of work. You will act both as a facilitator of change within the institution, as well as validating the change process. You will also be expected to complete a portfolio outlining your activities.

Successful applicants will have experience in, or the potential to undertake:

• Preparing for assessment
• Conducting assessments
• Feeding back after assessment
• Managing others
• Managing yourself

Further guidelines on these requirements are given below.

 

Preparing for Assessment

A prospective Chartered Educational Assessor (CEA) must show evidence of the ability to design assessment specifications, interpret the assessment requirements of specifications and design assessment instruments and criteria which are valid, fit for purpose, reliable and robust, fair and equitable and consistent over time. Appropriate evidence might include:

• Determining the knowledge, skills and understanding to be assessed in General Qualifications (GQs), Vocational Qualifications (VQs), and National Curriculum Tests (NCTs);
• Designing the method by which assessment in schools is monitored and the criteria by which it is validated;
• Setting generic assessment instruments and assessment criteria relating to the nature and purpose of the assessment;
• Designing external examinations and mark schemes;
• Designing tasks and their associated criteria, which will produce appropriate outcomes for internal assessments to national standards or to fulfill internal policy guidelines.

 

Conducting Assessment

A prospective CEA will also understand assessment criteria as described in subject specifications and will be able to incorporate them into assessment tools. You will be able to devise and deliver suitable assessments within a centre which are understood, agreed to and that apply fairly, consistently and reliably across the specification.

You will be able to assess the outcomes of the learners by implementing suitable mark schemes and level descriptors for written examinations and coursework respectively.

Evidence to support this might include:

• Suitable samples of mark schemes and / or level descriptors;
• Showing an understanding of what would constitute a high grade, an average grade and a low grade in terms of the marks scored or the coursework submitted.

It is essential that the successful candidate is able to ensure that all members of the assessment team fully understand the application of the criteria within each centre in your charge, and that this is communicated clearly and simply to all members.

 

Managing others

A prospective CEA should also provide evidence that he/she can effectively train and support individual assessors and assessment centres in general.

Evidence of these abilities might include:

• Leading INSET sessions for teachers;
• Leading examination standardisation meetings;
• Contributing to the design of teacher-assessor support materials and formal records of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) delivery.

 

Managing Yourself

Applicants must be able to show evidence of the knowledge, skills and understanding relevant to self-management in the assessment field. You must show evidence of your ability to:

• Identify requirements;
• Plan and organise yourself;
• Apply criteria consistently over time;
• Take appropriate initiatives; reflect on performance and use feedback;
• Undertake personal development to enhance performance.

Feeding Back to Others

A successful applicant will be able to analyse data output accurately and use current technology relevant to assessment practices.

The person appointed must show evidence of the knowledge, skills and understanding relevant to working with and managing a team in the assessment field. You must show evidence of an ability to:

• Develop teams;
• Communicate effectively;
• Work with, support, train, encourage and inspire others;
• Ensure deadlines are met;
• Help colleagues to apply criteria consistently over time and to facilitate change;
• Generally enhance the performance of all.

 

How to apply

To apply for the Chartered Educational Assessor (CEA) training program please download our training guide, which includes an application form. On completion please submit:

Via email: Please fill in the CEA Application Form and email to training@ciea.org.uk
By fax: 020 7788 3456
By post: Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors, 49-51 East Street, Old Street, London. N1 6AH. If you are eligible to participate in the training you will be notified within 5 working days of submitting your application