Candidates must provide sufficient and valid evidence to prove their competence meets the requirements of the qualification. This evidence can be:

• Performance-based – evidence will come from a candidate carrying out workplace activities.
• Knowledge-based – evidence may come from a candidate carrying out workplace activities or from the candidate answering the assessor’s questions.

The way in which most candidates collect and organise their evidence is generally referred to as a portfolio of evidence.

The portfolio usually contains copies of documentation and may be presented as hard or soft copy, or may be signposted to its original location within the candidate’s workplace. You can also use an e-portfolio if you wish.

The cumulative assessment record (CAR) is normally included in the candidate’s portfolio:

This is the candidate’s record of the evidence that has been assessed and accepted as proof of competence by the internal assessor.

It is the responsibility of the candidate and the centre to complete the CAR and should be regularly updated.

It may be viewed by the centre’s internal quality assurance personnel and OCR External Quality Assurer (EQA) for sampling purposes as part of the quality assurance process.

Templates are available for the recording documents to be used in a CAR from the relevant qualification page and centres will need to customise these for the qualification the candidate is taking.

You may also design your own forms which must be approved during the approval visit or by our EQA as part of the quality assurance process. Any amendments must also be approved by the OCR EQA. You must keep a record of when and by whom the document was approved for future reference.

If the CAR is designed by the centre, it must: 

• Provide general and specific guidance on how it should be completed by the candidate
• Identify the qualification title and level and name OCR as the awarding body
• Summarise and record evidence on an element or unit basis
• Identify the achievement of each unit
• Ensure all the requirements of the qualification have been met to show:
  • All the performance criteria have been met 
  • There is evidence available for all the evidence requirement variables (where applicable) 
  • All the knowledge criteria have been met 
  • What the evidence is and where it can be found 
  • The assessment method that is used
• Make provision for signature against each element/unit by the candidate and the assessor, including the dates of the signatures and any countersignature, if necessary
• Allow assessors and candidates to provide a written declaration that the evidence is authentic and that the assessment was conducted under the specified conditions or context
• Make provision for signature, with date, by the internal verifier if the evidence has been included in any sampling of assessments by the internal verifier.

A reliable system must be in place for recording assessment judgements and decisions. 

Assessment records are required for internal and external verification. They must be securely retained by the centre for a minimum of three years following candidate achievement of the qualification. 

Assessment records can be in any format but must show: 

• Who assessed who, what, how and when 
• The assessment decision 
• The assessment method(s) used 
• The location of the supporting evidence 
• Feedback given and further action/assessment plans negotiated 
• Regular monitoring of the candidate’s progress 
• The achievement(s) of the candidate. 

Please refer to the relevant centre handbook for any additional requirements.