ATU-CPAC Internal Quality Assurance Standards

ATU-CPAC Internal Quality Assurance Standards

Standards for Internal Review, Monitoring, Sampling, Verification, Corrective Action, and Continuous Improvement

Summary

The ATU-CPAC Internal Quality Assurance Standards provide a comprehensive framework for ensuring that approved providers, accredited institutes, and authorized assessment centers internally monitor and verify the quality of delivery, assessment, assessor decisions, learner evidence, result approval, certificate eligibility, and compliance.

These standards ensure that results are not submitted and certificates are not requested until assessment evidence, marking decisions, records, and quality assurance checks have been properly reviewed.

Through systematic IQA planning, sampling, assessor monitoring, standardization, corrective action, reporting, management review, and continuous improvement, ATU-CPAC strengthens the credibility of ATU-issued professional certifications, assessed certificates, and approved training programs.

  1. Purpose of the Standards

The ATU-CPAC Internal Quality Assurance Standards define the requirements for planning, implementing, recording, reviewing, and improving internal quality assurance activities within approved providers, accredited institutions, authorized assessment centers, professional certification programs, and assessed training programs.

These standards are intended to ensure that training delivery, assessment design, assessment decisions, learner evidence, assessor performance, certificate eligibility, provider operations, and program implementation are internally monitored and verified before final results or certificate requests are submitted.

Internal Quality Assurance, known as IQA, is a key control that protects the credibility, consistency, fairness, reliability, transparency, and integrity of ATU-CPAC-governed programs and ATU-issued credentials.

ATU-CPAC regulates and governs IQA requirements, while all certificates and professional certifications remain issued in the name and under the authority of the Arab Trainers Union.

 

Standard 1: IQA Governance and Responsibility

1.1 IQA Requirement

Every approved provider, accredited institute, and authorized assessment center delivering ATU-CPAC-governed programs must operate a documented internal quality assurance system.

1.2 IQA Responsibility

The provider must appoint one or more qualified persons responsible for internal quality assurance.

This shall include:

  • Internal Quality Assurer
  • Quality Assurance Officer
  • Program Quality Coordinator
  • Assessment Quality Reviewer
  • IQA Committee
  • Academic or Professional Standards Committee

1.3 Independence and Objectivity

Internal quality assurance must be conducted objectively and must avoid conflict of interest.

Where possible, the person conducting IQA should not be the same person who delivered the training or made the original assessment decision for the sampled learner evidence.

1.4 IQA Authority

Internal quality assurers must have sufficient authority to:

  • Review assessment tools
  • Sample learner or candidate evidence
  • Review assessor decisions
  • Request corrections
  • Require reassessment where needed
  • Delay result submission where evidence is insufficient
  • Recommend corrective action
  • Report quality concerns to provider management
  • Escalate serious issues to ATU-CPAC where required

1.5 IQA Accountability

The provider remains responsible for ensuring that IQA is implemented effectively and that all results submitted to ATU-CPAC are accurate, verified, and supported by evidence.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • IQA policy
  • IQA responsibility matrix
  • IQA appointment records
  • IQA committee terms of reference where applicable
  • IQA job descriptions
  • Conflict of interest declarations
  • IQA reporting lines
  • Management approval records
  • IQA annual plan

 

Standard 2: IQA Policy and Procedures

2.1 IQA Policy Requirement

The provider must maintain a documented IQA policy that explains how internal quality assurance is planned, conducted, recorded, reported, and improved.

2.2 Required IQA Procedure Areas

The IQA procedure should cover:

  • IQA roles and responsibilities
  • IQA planning
  • Assessment tool review
  • Sampling strategy
  • Evidence review
  • Assessor monitoring
  • Standardization
  • Feedback to assessors
  • Corrective action
  • Result approval
  • Recordkeeping
  • Escalation of concerns
  • Malpractice reporting
  • Complaints and appeals linkage
  • Continuous improvement

2.3 Communication of IQA Requirements

All trainers, assessors, program coordinators, and relevant administrative staff must understand the IQA requirements that apply to their role.

2.4 Review of IQA Policy

The IQA policy must be reviewed periodically and updated where required to reflect changes in ATU-CPAC standards, program requirements, delivery methods, or assessment procedures.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • IQA policy
  • IQA procedure manual
  • Staff orientation records
  • Assessor guidance documents
  • IQA process flowchart
  • IQA review records
  • Updated policy versions
  • Staff acknowledgment records
  • Version control records

 

Standard 3: IQA Planning

3.1 IQA Plan Requirement

The provider must prepare an IQA plan for each approved program, assessment cycle, certification pathway, or assessed training program.

3.2 IQA Plan Components

The IQA plan should define:

  • Programs to be reviewed
  • Assessment tools to be reviewed
  • Learner or candidate evidence to be sampled
  • Assessors to be sampled
  • Delivery groups to be sampled
  • Assessment methods to be sampled
  • Timing of IQA activities
  • Sampling percentage or sampling rationale
  • High-risk areas
  • Responsible IQA personnel
  • Reporting timeline
  • Corrective action follow-up arrangements

3.3 Risk-Based Planning

IQA planning should consider risk factors such as:

  • New program
  • New provider or branch
  • New trainer or assessor
  • New assessment method
  • Online or remote assessment
  • High candidate numbers
  • Low pass rates
  • Very high pass rates
  • Previous non-compliance
  • Complaints or appeals
  • Malpractice concerns
  • Borderline results
  • Practical or high-stakes assessment

3.4 Coverage Over Time

The IQA plan must ensure that over time all programs, assessors, assessment methods, delivery modes, and learner groups are subject to internal quality assurance review.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Annual IQA plan
  • Program-level IQA plans
  • Risk assessment records
  • Sampling schedule
  • IQA coverage map
  • Assessor sampling plan
  • Assessment method sampling plan
  • Group sampling records
  • IQA calendar

 

Standard 4: Assessment Tool Review

4.1 Pre-Use Review

Assessment tools must be internally reviewed before use to confirm that they are valid, clear, fair, aligned with learning outcomes or competencies, and appropriate to the program level.

4.2 Assessment Tool Review Areas

The IQA review should examine whether assessment tools:

  • Match the approved program specification
  • Assess the intended learning outcomes or competencies
  • Use clear instructions
  • Include suitable evidence requirements
  • Include appropriate assessment criteria
  • Include rubrics or marking guides
  • Are fair and accessible
  • Are appropriate to the candidate level
  • Avoid bias or misleading wording
  • Include secure administration controls where required

4.3 Review of Marking Guidance

Marking schemes, rubrics, answer keys, observation checklists, and assessor guidance must be reviewed before use.

4.4 Approval Before Use

Assessment tools should not be used until they have been internally approved and version controlled.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Assessment tool review forms
  • Assessment approval records
  • Rubric review records
  • Marking guide review records
  • Learning outcome mapping
  • Competency mapping
  • Assessment version control log
  • Assessment revision records
  • IQA approval sign-off

 

Standard 5: Sampling Strategy

5.1 Sampling Requirement

Internal quality assurance must include sampling of assessment decisions, learner evidence, candidate submissions, assessor feedback, and records.

5.2 Sampling Coverage

Sampling should cover:

  • Different programs
  • Different assessors
  • Different trainers
  • Different learner groups
  • Different assessment methods
  • Different delivery modes
  • Different locations or branches
  • Different certificate types
  • Different result categories

5.3 Risk-Based Sampling

Higher sampling levels should be applied where risk is higher.

High-risk cases shall include:

  • New assessors
  • New programs
  • First delivery cohort
  • Borderline results
  • Failed or referred cases
  • High-scoring cases
  • Complaints or appeals
  • Assessment irregularities
  • Remote or online assessments
  • Practical assessments
  • Portfolio assessments
  • Large candidate cohorts

5.4 Minimum Sampling

The provider must define a minimum sampling requirement suitable for the scale, risk, and nature of the program. ATU-CPAC shall require additional sampling where needed.

5.5 Sampling Rationale

The provider must record why specific samples were selected and how the sample provides sufficient assurance of assessment quality.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Sampling strategy
  • Sampling plan
  • Sampling rationale
  • Sample selection records
  • Learner evidence samples
  • Assessor decision samples
  • Borderline review records
  • Failed case review records
  • High-achievement sample records
  • Sampling coverage report

 

Standard 6: Review of Learner and Candidate Evidence

6.1 Evidence Review Requirement

IQA must review learner or candidate evidence to confirm that assessment decisions are supported by sufficient, authentic, current, valid, and relevant evidence.

6.2 Evidence Quality

The internal quality assurer should check whether evidence is:

  • Sufficient
  • Authentic
  • Current
  • Relevant
  • Clearly linked to criteria
  • Properly submitted
  • Properly assessed
  • Properly recorded
  • Suitable for the certificate or certification outcome

6.3 Authenticity Checks

IQA should confirm that learner evidence includes authenticity controls where required, such as learner declarations, source acknowledgements, AI use declarations, or assessor confirmation.

6.4 Evidence Gaps

Where evidence is insufficient or unclear, the IQA must require further assessment, clarification, reassessment, or corrective action before results are finalized.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Sampled learner evidence
  • Candidate submissions
  • Portfolio samples
  • Practical assessment records
  • Observation records
  • Authenticity declarations
  • AI use declarations where applicable
  • IQA evidence review forms
  • Evidence gap reports
  • Corrective action records

 

Standard 7: Review of Assessment Decisions

7.1 Decision Review Requirement

IQA must review assessment decisions to confirm that assessors applied the approved criteria correctly and consistently.

7.2 Decision Review Areas

IQA should check whether:

  • The assessment decision matches the evidence
  • The rubric was applied correctly
  • The marking is accurate
  • The assessor feedback is appropriate
  • The decision is fair and unbiased
  • Borderline cases were handled properly
  • Resubmissions were assessed correctly
  • Results were recorded accurately
  • Decisions are consistent across assessors

7.3 Result Categories

IQA should verify result categories such as:

  • Pass
  • Fail
  • Achieved
  • Not achieved
  • Competent
  • Not yet competent
  • Referred
  • Resubmission required
  • Deferred
  • Distinction or merit where approved

7.4 Correction of Decisions

Where an assessment decision is not supported by evidence or criteria, the IQA must require correction before final approval.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • IQA decision review forms
  • Assessment decision records
  • Marking sheets
  • Rubrics
  • Assessor feedback records
  • Result sheets
  • Borderline review records
  • Reassessment records
  • Corrected result records
  • IQA sign-off records

 

Standard 8: Assessor Monitoring and Support

8.1 Assessor Monitoring Requirement

The provider must monitor assessor performance to ensure assessment decisions are valid, reliable, fair, and consistent.

8.2 Assessor Monitoring Activities

Assessor monitoring shall include:

  • Sampling marked work
  • Reviewing feedback quality
  • Observing assessment activity
  • Reviewing practical assessment records
  • Comparing assessor decisions
  • Conducting standardization meetings
  • Reviewing appeal outcomes
  • Reviewing complaints involving assessment
  • Reviewing assessor CPD
  • Providing assessor feedback

8.3 Assessor Feedback

The IQA must provide clear and constructive feedback to assessors, including strengths, areas for improvement, required corrective action, and development needs.

8.4 Assessor Development

Where weaknesses are identified, the provider must provide training, mentoring, standardization, or additional support to improve assessor performance.

8.5 Assessor Approval Review

Assessor approval shall be reviewed, limited, suspended, or withdrawn where assessment quality concerns are serious or repeated.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Assessor monitoring records
  • Assessor feedback forms
  • Assessor observation records
  • Assessor CPD records
  • Standardization meeting records
  • Performance review records
  • Corrective action records
  • Assessor development plans
  • Assessor approval status records

 

Standard 9: Standardization of Assessment

9.1 Standardization Requirement

Standardization activities must be conducted to ensure that assessors understand and apply assessment criteria consistently.

9.2 Standardization Timing

Standardization should take place:

  • Before assessment begins
  • During assessment cycles where needed
  • After assessment where inconsistencies are identified
  • When new assessors are appointed
  • When new programs or assessments are introduced
  • When rubrics or criteria are revised
  • After appeals or complaints identify inconsistency

9.3 Standardization Activities

Standardization shall include:

  • Review of assessment criteria
  • Review of sample learner work
  • Joint marking exercises
  • Comparison of assessor decisions
  • Discussion of borderline cases
  • Review of feedback examples
  • Clarification of rubrics
  • Review of assessment conditions
  • Updates on ATU-CPAC requirements

9.4 Standardization Records

All standardization activities must be recorded and used to improve consistency.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Standardization meeting agenda
  • Standardization attendance records
  • Sample marking exercises
  • Standardization minutes
  • Agreed marking interpretations
  • Borderline case guidance
  • Assessor action points
  • Updated assessor guidance
  • Follow-up records

 

Standard 10: IQA of Training Delivery

10.1 Delivery Review Requirement

IQA should review training delivery where the program leads to an assessed certificate, professional certification preparation, or ATU-CPAC-governed outcome.

10.2 Delivery Review Areas

IQA of delivery should examine whether:

  • The approved program specification is followed
  • Learning outcomes are covered
  • Training materials are used correctly
  • Delivery hours or duration are met
  • Learners are engaged
  • Trainer performance is appropriate
  • Learner support is provided
  • Assessment requirements are explained
  • Attendance and participation are recorded
  • Delivery is consistent across groups and locations

10.3 Trainer Observation

Trainer observation shall be used to evaluate instructional quality, learner engagement, content accuracy, professional conduct, and alignment with the approved program.

10.4 Learner Feedback

Learner feedback should be reviewed as part of internal quality assurance and continuous improvement.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Delivery monitoring reports
  • Trainer observation forms
  • Session observation records
  • Learner feedback forms
  • Attendance records
  • Participation records
  • LMS activity records where applicable
  • Delivery improvement plans
  • Trainer feedback records

 

Standard 11: IQA of Online and Blended Delivery

11.1 Digital Delivery Review

Where programs are delivered online or through blended learning, IQA must confirm that the digital learning environment supports effective learning, assessment, recordkeeping, and learner support.

11.2 Online Learning Review Areas

IQA should review:

  • Platform access
  • Learning material availability
  • Learner participation tracking
  • Assessment submission tracking
  • Communication channels
  • Technical support
  • Online attendance records
  • Digital evidence storage
  • Data protection controls
  • Accessibility arrangements

11.3 Online Assessment Review

IQA must check that online assessments are secure, traceable, fair, and aligned with approved assessment requirements.

11.4 Technical Issues

Technical incidents affecting delivery or assessment must be recorded, reviewed, and resolved.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • LMS review reports
  • Platform access records
  • Learner activity logs
  • Online assessment logs
  • Digital submission records
  • Technical support records
  • Online attendance records
  • System incident records
  • Digital evidence archive
  • Data protection records

 

Standard 12: Result Verification and Approval

12.1 Result Verification Requirement

Assessment results must be verified through IQA before being submitted to ATU-CPAC or used for certificate eligibility decisions.

12.2 Result Approval Checks

The IQA must check that:

  • Learner or candidate registration is complete
  • Eligibility requirements are met
  • Attendance or participation requirements are met where applicable
  • Assessment evidence is complete
  • Assessment decisions are accurate
  • Rubrics were applied correctly
  • IQA sampling is completed
  • Corrective actions are closed
  • No unresolved malpractice issue exists
  • Result records are complete and accurate

12.3 Certificate Eligibility Sign-Off

For assessed training programs and professional certifications, IQA must confirm certificate eligibility before certificate requests are submitted.

12.4 Withholding Results

Results should be withheld where evidence is insufficient, assessment decisions are unreliable, malpractice is unresolved, or required quality assurance has not been completed.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Result verification checklist
  • IQA result approval records
  • Certificate eligibility checklist
  • Corrective action closure records
  • Result sheets
  • Certificate request records
  • IQA sign-off records
  • Withheld result records
  • Final approval records

 

Standard 13: Corrective Action and Improvement

13.1 Corrective Action Requirement

Where IQA identifies non-compliance, weakness, inconsistency, or risk, the provider must implement corrective action.

13.2 Corrective Action Areas

Corrective action shall relate to:

  • Assessment tool revision
  • Re-marking
  • Reassessment
  • Assessor guidance
  • Trainer support
  • Standardization
  • Recordkeeping improvement
  • Learner communication
  • Security controls
  • Digital platform improvements
  • Certificate request correction
  • Malpractice prevention

13.3 Corrective Action Plan

Corrective action plans must define:

  • Issue identified
  • Required action
  • Responsible person
  • Deadline
  • Evidence required
  • Follow-up method
  • Completion status
  • IQA verification

13.4 Verification of Completion

The IQA must verify that corrective actions have been completed effectively before results or certificate requests are finalized.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Corrective action forms
  • Corrective action log
  • Evidence of correction
  • Re-marking records
  • Reassessment records
  • Revised assessment tools
  • Staff training records
  • Follow-up review records
  • Closure sign-off records

 

Standard 14: IQA Reporting

14.1 IQA Report Requirement

The provider must produce IQA reports that summarize findings, risks, decisions, corrective actions, and improvement recommendations.

14.2 IQA Report Content

An IQA report should include:

  • Program or assessment reviewed
  • Date of review
  • IQA personnel
  • Sample selected
  • Sampling rationale
  • Evidence reviewed
  • Findings
  • Strengths
  • Areas for improvement
  • Non-compliance identified
  • Corrective actions required
  • Result approval decision
  • Follow-up requirements
  • Final IQA conclusion

14.3 Reporting to Management

IQA findings must be reported to provider management or the relevant quality committee to support oversight and continuous improvement.

14.4 Reporting to ATU-CPAC

Where required, IQA reports must be made available to ATU-CPAC for monitoring, audit, EQA, certificate approval, or renewal review.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • IQA reports
  • Program quality reports
  • Assessor review reports
  • Management reports
  • Quality committee minutes
  • ATU-CPAC submission records
  • Corrective action follow-up reports
  • Annual IQA summary report

 

Standard 15: IQA Records and Documentation

15.1 Recordkeeping Requirement

All IQA activities must be documented clearly, securely, and accurately.

15.2 Required IQA Records

IQA records shall include:

  • IQA plans
  • Sampling records
  • Assessment tool reviews
  • Learner evidence review forms
  • Assessor monitoring records
  • Standardization records
  • IQA reports
  • Corrective action records
  • Result approval records
  • Certificate eligibility sign-off
  • Trainer observation reports
  • Delivery monitoring records
  • EQA follow-up records

15.3 Confidentiality

IQA records must be handled confidentially, especially where they include learner data, assessor performance, complaints, appeals, malpractice, or assessment results.

15.4 Record Retention

IQA records must be retained for the period required by ATU-CPAC policy, applicable law, or provider agreement.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • IQA records archive
  • Secure storage evidence
  • Access control records
  • Retention schedule
  • Data protection records
  • IQA document index
  • Version control logs
  • Disposal records where applicable

 

Standard 16: IQA and Malpractice Control

16.1 Malpractice Monitoring

IQA must support the identification, prevention, investigation, and correction of malpractice and maladministration.

16.2 Malpractice Indicators

IQA should monitor indicators such as:

  • Similar learner submissions
  • Unusual assessment patterns
  • Very high or very low pass rates
  • Missing evidence
  • Inconsistent marking
  • Unauthorized assessment changes
  • Unclear identity verification
  • Late or altered records
  • Complaints about assessment fairness
  • Suspected AI misuse where prohibited

16.3 Escalation

Serious malpractice or maladministration concerns must be escalated to provider management and to ATU-CPAC where required.

16.4 Result Protection

Results affected by suspected malpractice must not be finalized until the matter is reviewed and resolved.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Malpractice monitoring records
  • Malpractice reports
  • Investigation records
  • Evidence comparison records
  • AI use review records where applicable
  • Escalation records
  • Result hold records
  • Corrective action records
  • Final decision records

 

Standard 17: IQA and Complaints and Appeals

17.1 Link to Complaints

IQA must consider complaints related to training quality, assessment administration, assessor conduct, feedback quality, learner support, or certificate eligibility.

17.2 Link to Appeals

IQA must review appeals data to identify assessment inconsistencies, procedural weaknesses, or quality risks.

17.3 Appeal Evidence Review

Where an appeal relates to assessment, IQA records shall be reviewed to confirm whether the assessment decision was valid, reliable, fair, and properly recorded.

17.4 Improvement from Complaints and Appeals

Findings from complaints and appeals must be used to improve program delivery, assessment design, assessor guidance, learner communication, and quality assurance procedures.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Complaints records
  • Appeals records
  • IQA review notes
  • Appeal evidence review records
  • Complaint trend analysis
  • Corrective action records
  • Improvement records
  • Communication records
  • Final outcome records

 

Standard 18: IQA Personnel Competence

18.1 IQA Competence Requirement

Internal quality assurers must have appropriate knowledge, skills, experience, and authority to review assessment and quality assurance activities.

18.2 IQA Knowledge Areas

IQA personnel should understand:

  • ATU-CPAC standards
  • Program specifications
  • Learning outcomes
  • Competency frameworks
  • Assessment principles
  • Rubrics and assessment criteria
  • Sampling methods
  • Assessor monitoring
  • Standardization
  • Corrective action
  • Recordkeeping
  • Data protection
  • Complaints and appeals
  • Malpractice procedures

18.3 IQA Approval

IQA personnel must be approved by the provider and, where required, by ATU-CPAC.

18.4 IQA Continuing Professional Development

IQA personnel must maintain competence through CPD, standardization, quality assurance training, professional updating, and review of ATU-CPAC requirements.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • IQA CVs
  • IQA qualification records
  • IQA approval records
  • IQA training records
  • CPD records
  • Standardization records
  • Performance review records
  • Conflict of interest declarations
  • ATU-CPAC approval records where required

 

Standard 19: Management Review and Continuous Improvement

19.1 Management Review

Provider management must review IQA findings regularly to ensure that quality risks are addressed and improvement actions are implemented.

19.2 Review Inputs

Management review should consider:

  • IQA reports
  • Assessment outcomes
  • Pass and fail rates
  • Learner feedback
  • Trainer feedback
  • Assessor feedback
  • Complaints and appeals
  • Malpractice cases
  • EQA findings
  • Audit findings
  • Corrective action status
  • Program review outcomes
  • Certificate request issues

19.3 Improvement Planning

Management must use IQA findings to improve:

  • Program design
  • Delivery quality
  • Assessment tools
  • Assessor performance
  • Learner support
  • Records management
  • Certificate eligibility controls
  • Digital learning systems
  • Provider policies and procedures

19.4 Monitoring Improvements

Improvement actions must be monitored until completed and evaluated for effectiveness.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • Management review minutes
  • Quality committee reports
  • Annual IQA summary
  • Improvement plans
  • Corrective action tracking logs
  • Program review records
  • Policy revision records
  • Evidence of implemented improvements
  • Effectiveness review records

 

Standard 20: Preparation for External Quality Assurance

20.1 EQA Readiness

The provider must maintain IQA records and evidence in a format suitable for ATU-CPAC external quality assurance, audits, monitoring, and renewal reviews.

20.2 Cooperation with EQA

The provider must cooperate with external quality assurance activities and provide requested documents, records, evidence, and access to relevant staff.

20.3 EQA Follow-Up

Where ATU-CPAC or external quality assurance identifies findings, the provider must implement corrective action and update internal quality assurance procedures accordingly.

20.4 Integration of EQA Findings

EQA findings must be reviewed internally and used to strengthen the provider’s IQA system.

Compliance Evidence

The provider should maintain:

  • EQA preparation checklist
  • EQA submission records
  • External audit reports
  • EQA findings log
  • Corrective action plans
  • Follow-up evidence
  • Management review of EQA findings
  • Updated IQA procedures
  • Renewal review evidence

 

Internal Quality Assurance Methodology Framework

ATU-CPAC internal quality assurance shall use a combination of the following methodologies according to program type, assessment method, risk level, and provider scope.

  1. Pre-Assessment Verification

IQA reviews assessment tools, rubrics, instructions, and assessment conditions before assessment is conducted.

  1. During-Assessment Monitoring

IQA monitors assessment activity, delivery conditions, assessor performance, learner instructions, and assessment security while assessment is taking place.

  1. Post-Assessment Sampling

IQA samples learner evidence, assessor decisions, feedback, result records, and certificate eligibility evidence after assessment.

  1. Risk-Based Sampling

IQA applies higher sampling where there are higher risks, such as new assessors, new programs, online assessment, complaints, appeals, borderline results, or previous non-compliance.

  1. Assessor Standardization

IQA coordinates activities to ensure assessors apply criteria consistently and fairly.

  1. Corrective Action Verification

IQA verifies that required improvements have been completed before results or certificate requests are approved.

  1. Continuous Improvement Review

IQA uses evidence, data, feedback, complaints, appeals, and EQA findings to improve systems and procedures.

 

Compliance Rating System

ATU-CPAC shall classify internal quality assurance compliance findings as follows:

Compliant

The IQA system meets the standard and maintains sufficient evidence.

Minor Non-Compliance

The requirement is generally met, but documentation, consistency, sampling, implementation, or recordkeeping requires improvement.

Major Non-Compliance

A key IQA requirement is not met, creating risk to assessment validity, assessor consistency, learner protection, certificate eligibility, or ATU credential credibility.

Critical Non-Compliance

There is serious quality failure, absence of IQA, result approval without evidence, assessment manipulation, ignored malpractice, unauthorized certificate request, data misuse, or conduct that threatens the credibility of ATU-issued credentials.

 

IQA Decisions and Outcomes

Based on internal quality assurance review, the provider or ATU-CPAC shall recognize or require one or more of the following outcomes:

  1. Assessment tool approved for use
  2. Assessment tool approved with conditions
  3. Assessment tool returned for revision
  4. Assessor decision confirmed
  5. Assessor decision returned for review
  6. Re-marking required
  7. Reassessment required
  8. Additional evidence required
  9. Result approved
  10. Result withheld pending correction
  11. Certificate eligibility confirmed
  12. Certificate request withheld
  13. Corrective action required
  14. Assessor support required
  15. Assessor approval reviewed
  16. Program delivery improvement required
  17. Issue escalated to management
  18. Issue escalated to ATU-CPAC

 

Obligations of Approved Providers

Approved providers must:

  • Establish and maintain an IQA system
  • Appoint competent IQA personnel
  • Prepare IQA plans
  • Review assessment tools before use
  • Sample learner or candidate evidence
  • Monitor assessor decisions
  • Conduct standardization
  • Verify results before submission
  • Confirm certificate eligibility
  • Maintain IQA records
  • Report serious concerns
  • Implement corrective actions
  • Use IQA findings for improvement
  • Cooperate with ATU-CPAC external quality assurance

 

Obligations of Internal Quality Assurers

Internal quality assurers must:

  • Apply ATU-CPAC standards objectively
  • Review assessment tools and criteria
  • Sample learner evidence
  • Review assessor decisions
  • Monitor assessment consistency
  • Provide feedback to assessors
  • Identify risks and non-compliance
  • Require corrective action where needed
  • Verify completion of corrective action
  • Protect confidentiality
  • Declare conflicts of interest
  • Maintain accurate records
  • Support continuous improvement
  • Escalate serious concerns

 

Obligations of Assessors in Relation to IQA

Assessors must:

  • Cooperate with IQA review
  • Provide requested assessment records
  • Apply assessment criteria consistently
  • Respond to IQA feedback
  • Complete corrective actions
  • Attend standardization meetings
  • Maintain accurate assessment records
  • Declare conflicts of interest
  • Report assessment concerns
  • Avoid finalizing unsupported decisions

 

Minimum IQA File Requirements

Each provider should maintain an internal quality assurance file containing:

  1. IQA policy
  2. IQA procedure
  3. IQA responsibility matrix
  4. IQA personnel approval records
  5. IQA annual plan
  6. Program-level IQA plans
  7. Risk assessment records
  8. Assessment tool review forms
  9. Assessment approval records
  10. Sampling strategy
  11. Sampling records
  12. Learner or candidate evidence samples
  13. IQA decision review forms
  14. Assessor monitoring records
  15. Assessor feedback records
  16. Standardization meeting records
  17. Trainer observation records where applicable
  18. Delivery monitoring records
  19. Result verification records
  20. Certificate eligibility sign-off records
  21. Corrective action logs
  22. Corrective action closure evidence
  23. IQA reports
  24. Management review records
  25. Complaints and appeals review records
  26. Malpractice review records
  27. EQA reports and follow-up records
  28. Annual IQA summary report
  29. Version control records