Assessment

The NTA’s Assessment and Certification Division performs a wide range of functions, inter alia:

• Development of policies, procedures and supportive guidelines for the national assessment processes and ensuring adherence;
• Liaising and establishing partnership and networking mechanisms with the industry, professional bodies, relevant stakeholders, etc;
• Establishment of the National Assessment Panels for the design and quality assurance of assessment tools and instruments;
• Provision of guidance on national assessment processes and requirements to the Vocational Training Providers (private & public), Assessment Centres, assessors, moderators, designers, trainees, candidates to be assessed, facilitators etc, and;
• Determination and inspection of assessment venues, appointment of assessors and moderators, provision for logistics, etc.;
• Planning, organising, overseeing, monitoring and evaluation of the national assessment processes; 

Other functions include providing feedback on all aspects with regard to national assessment to/from the NTA Management, Board, Industry Skills Committees, Standard Assessment & Certification Council, Namibia Qualifications Authority; and the issuing of Statements of Achievement and/or certificates based on credits accumulation within different occupational areas and levels of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The division also compiles, updates, manage and maintain National Records of Learning for the NQF.

Please click here to access the NTA Assessment & Certification Portal.

The Namibia Training Authority is responsible for the National Assessment for the purposes of national certification, credit accumulation, credit transfer, RPL and other reasons for various occupational areas within the NQF.

Amongst others, the following are the key requirements of the CBET Assessment:

• Unit Standards listed on the National Register of Qualifications (NRQ) are the benchmarks for assessment. These are industry-determined specifications of performance that set out the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to operate effectively in a specific industry or occupation.
• Assessment for the purposes of national certification must be undertaken at the registered assessment centres by registered assessors and moderated by registered moderators.
• Assessment decisions are based on quality evidence presented by the candidate and/or collected by the assessor.
• Outcomes are judged as “Competent” or “Not-Yet-Competent” and discourages the terms such as fail by considering what a candidate already knows and can do;
• Assessment processes must comply with the principles of validity, reliability, fairness and flexibility, consistency, transparency, authenticity, currency, manageability, sufficiency, appropriateness, openness, systematic approach;
• There are multiple assessment pathways that lead to national recognition;
• Assessment could lead to national certification, credit transfer or articulation within the national Qualifications Framework (NQF) or could be done for other reasons such as recognition, diagnostic, placement etc, and
• Internal/external moderation/verification processes should be part of the quality assurance processes for credibility of the assessment processes.

Assessment is managed through industry/occupation specific panels that are comprised of skilled experts in the various occupational areas. These panels include representatives from industry and are responsible for the development of national assessment tools and instruments. Membership requirements are as follows:

• Up-to-date knowledge of the relevant industry and its practices;
• Knowledge of the unit occupational standards, standards, qualification requirements, curriculum modules, trainee characteristics etc;
• Knowledge of Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) and CBA Systems;
• Sound understanding of CBET policies, procedures, principles and regulations, Vocational Education and Training Act; the Vocational Education & Training Policy; and related legislatives;
• Expertise knowledge and skills on assessment/test item development techniques and strategies, and
• Training and certification in supportive dimensions e.g. as assessor and/or moderator and/or designer and or verifier.

The NAPs are responsible for the development, quality assurance, moderation, verification, review and maintenance of national assessment tools and instruments, including Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) by avoiding conflict of interest at all times and strictly adhering to the Principles of Assessment. The NTA has developed a range of national assessment tools and instruments (materials) for a wide array of occupational areas for both the CBA and NTTC. These materials can only be administered by the assessment centres and assessors and or moderators who have been registered by the NTA.

To qualify for registration as an assessor, moderator or assessment designer within the VET system, an individual must:
• Be acquainted with the VET Act and related legislatives including Occupational Health, Safety & Environmental Standards.
• Be regarded as a subject matter expert. It is required that an assessor/moderator/designer must have a qualification in the subject matter field of at least one level higher than the level on which the assessment would be conducted.
• Have a minimum of four years working experience within the relevant industry.
• Have successfully completed the prescribed assessor, moderator or assessment designer training programme through an organisation registered with the NQA, SAQA or an equivalent quality assurance body.
• Sign and undertake to adhere to the assessor/moderator/ or assessment designer code of conduct as relevant.
• Apply on the prescribed form to the NTA for registration on the National Register for VET Assessors, moderators or assessment designers.
• Annually undertake initiatives to ensure that their subject-matter expertise remains current.

It is a prerequisite for an assessor to be qualified in an assessor training programme; a moderator to be qualified in an assessor and moderator training programme; and assessment designer in assessor, moderator and designer training programme; acquired from an accredited or registered institution.

The NTA’s Registration, Monitoring and Support Division coordinates and administers the registration of assessors, moderators and assessment designers. If you meet the requirements and want to join the growing fray of assessors, moderators and assessment designers, contact us at 061-2078557.

The registration application form can be downloaded through the link below:

Assessor, Moderator and Assessment Designer Registration – Application Form

The following fees are payable for CBA (inclusive of psychometric, cognitive and effective abilities):

• Individual enrolment at full qualification at each level (1-5) N$900,00
• Individual enrolment for a single unit standard N$160,00
• Individual enrolment for a cluster of unit standards N$375,00
• Group enrolment for full qualification at each level (1-5) N$450,0
• Enrolment of 10 or more candidates by a registered TP. N$450,00

The following fees are payable for TAS (NTTC):

• Group enrolment for full qualification at level 3 N$490,00
• Enrolment of 10 or more candidates by a registered TP N$490,00
• Group enrolment per theoretical subject N$60,00
• Trade Testing (Private Candidates) at level 3 N$250,00

The NTA’s Assessment and Certification Division coordinates and administers all assessment and related processes.

Contact us at 061-2078 200, with any questions and enquiries you may have.