A cognitive assessment tool that ignites learner capability and drives achievement
We created Aptem Assess in response to feedback that external systems and lengthy assessments often leave learners with a poor experience, and admin teams chasing learners to complete onboarding tasks.
Topics covered within this brochure
Introduction
Apprenticeship training providers are expected to assess learner support needs and act when a need is identified, to meet the funding rules. Aptem Assess is built into Aptem Apprentice, so that obligation becomes part of onboarding rather than a separate task.
See how a cognitive assessment tool designed by apprenticeship experts helps you identify additional learning support needs in minutes, not months, and link every adaptation straight back to your funding claims.
Why Aptem Assess exists?
Apprenticeship training providers should be assessing learner support needs and taking action where a need is identified, to meet the requirements of the funding rules.
We created Aptem Assess, embedded within Aptem Apprentice, in response to feedback that external systems and lengthy assessments often leave learners with a poor experience, and admin teams chasing learners to complete onboarding tasks.
Aptem customers have spoken about the limitations of current cognitive assessment tools that don’t link Learning Plan adaptations to Additional Learning Support (ALS) funding claims and ILR.
Why use Aptem Assess?
Aptem Apprentice’s industry-leading functionality appeals to a variety of stakeholders, including apprentices, employers and auditors, all of whom have different needs and priorities. In this context, it is clear that when it comes to the technology that sits at the heart of an ambitious training business, a ‘one size fits all’ approach will not deliver. Leading and growing providers often require processes and systems that will support high levels of personalisation and agility, while also meeting the latest compliance standards.
If tailored programmes get the best results, why are so many providers simply not taking this approach? For many without the supporting technology, it’s deemed ‘too cumbersome’, and would require a huge amount of manual work to create multiple programmes which, in turn, would be incredibly hard to manage. Aptem Apprentice enables you to customise while delivering at scale.
- Seamlessly integrate cognitive assessment into the onboarding process or where needed in the delivery programme.
- Offer 87% of learners an experience that takes no more than 15 minutes.
- Enable learners to complete assessments on a device of their choosing - mobile, tablet or desktop.
- Obtain guidance on reasonable adjustments for Learning Plans and End Point Assessment.
- Access learning support materials via the Aptem Resource Centre.
Learning support: what is expected of providers?
It is widely accepted that it’s good practice to assess and address an apprentice’s learning support needs.
- As a provider, you will want to mitigate the risk of drop-out, by giving learners the support they need.
- Ofsted will want to know that you are assessing the individual needs of each learner, to ensure you are not disadvantaging the learner.
With approximately one in seven (13.5%) apprentices having a neurodivergent profile, a provider with 2,000 learners could statistically have around 270 with additional learning support needs. The importance of cognitive assessment and tailored learning support is clear, particularly in light of the sector's collective effort to achieve a 67% apprenticeship achievement rate by 2025.
Our focus is on providing high-quality, inclusive training for everyone, regardless of their background. A cornerstone of our strategy is ensuring that every learner has the best chance of success. As part of this effort, we are excited to participate in the pilot programme for Aptem Assess. We are impressed by its engaging design, efficient completion time, and accessibility across all devices. The academic foundations are strong, and we look forward to piloting it with our learners.
Specialist Skills Hub
What is Aptem Assess from Aptem Apprentice?
Aptem Assess is a cognitive assessment tool, integrated within Aptem Apprentice, that enables you to seamlessly identify learning needs as part of your onboarding and Initial Assessment, and where needed during the delivery programme.
It is built into the Aptem onboarding process, so there is no need for a user to log off one system and on to another. Flexibility within Aptem’s onboarding allows you to select when this assessment takes place. You can also choose to assess a learner, or group of learners, at any point in the delivery programme, should a coach or learner flag a concern. Aptem Assess helps you to identify learning needs and offers you guidance on how to help the learner succeed in learning. Aptem already provides the tools to easily evidence the action and support you have given.
How does Aptem Assess work within Aptem Apprentice
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Start the assessment
On a device of their choice, learners navigate to Cognitive Assessment within the onboarding section of Aptem Apprentice. If they are already on programme a notification will appear on their dashboard and a requires attention card.
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Full-screen, distraction-free
When they click 'start assessment', they will be taken to a full-screen overlay, designed to minimise distractions.
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Eight cognitive areas
They then work their way through an assessment covering eight cognitive areas of the brain: working memory, processing speed, numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, spatial reasoning, literacy, executive functioning, short term memory.
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Adaptive questioning
For each cognitive area, if no evidence of additional learning support needs is identified in initial answers, the learner will progress to the next section. If evidence of neurodiversity is identified, further questions will be asked in order to accurately identify the learner's level on a normal distribution.
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15 minutes, on average
Due to its unique adaptive format, for an estimated 87% of learners, this assessment should take no more than 15 minutes.
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Accuracy and quality scoring
Aptem Assess will look at accuracy and speed to determine where the learner sits on the benchmarked scale, and whether they need additional learning support from their provider. A quality score is included for Skills teams to assess the accuracy of the results. Retesting is available if a learner is borderline.
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One learner profile
The learner profile in Aptem Apprentice will be conveniently populated with the cognitive assessment results rather than a separate PDF, alongside their responses to ILR questions, and their English, Maths and Digital Skills Initial Assessments. Assessors can deep dive into the results and all information can be extracted using OData.
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Reasonable adjustments
The results will indicate where the learner scores on a normal distribution for each cognitive area. The report will suggest reasonable adjustments that should be made to the Learning Plan and the End Point Assessment, to give the learner the best chance of completing their apprenticeship.
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Visible to the right people
This information is available for the relevant people to see, this could be the Coach who is delivering the learning, the Compliance Lead who is making the funding claim, the Operations Manager who oversees quality, a separate ALS team, or indeed an Ofsted inspector or DfE auditor.
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Resources in one place
Additional learning support resources in the Aptem Resource Centre can be used to modify a learner's Learning Plan.
Supporting beyond assessment
If a learner is identified as having a learning need across one or more of the eight assessment areas, you can provide additional learning support resources to them. These are uploaded via SCORM into the Aptem Resource Centre or directly into a Learning Plan or sub-programme.
Why customers choose Aptem Assess over other cognitive assessment tools
What we heard
- Providers underclaim ALS funding, or risk claw-back, as they lack the ability to link assessment with Learning Plans and evidencing of learning support.
- Employers are frustrated with the amount of assessment that has to take place at the start of the apprenticeship.
- Learners expect the flexibility to complete onboarding on a device of their choice.
- With already heavy caseloads, coaches struggle to keep on top of multiple systems.
- Having a myriad of systems to access, learners frequently misplace logins and need prompting to complete each aspect of onboarding
- With data siloed in multiple systems, providers struggle to accurately report on funding related to additional learning needs.
How Aptem Assess helps
- By integrating this cognitive assessment tool into the system delivering the learning plan and supporting learners throughout their apprenticeship journey, it’s simple to link assessments and evidence learning support.
- Aptem Assess is an adaptive tool that only requires learners to answer enough questions to ascertain if there is a neurodiverse need that requires further assessment.
- Aptem Assess is fully responsive and works on mobile, tablet or desktop. This contributes to a positive experience in the all-important onboarding period.
- For coaches, everything is in one place – from cognitive assessment results to subsequent Learning Plan adaptations. This frees them up to focus on quality of delivery.
- Learners will need to log in to only one system to complete their cognitive assessment and onboarding. A seamless experience, at a critical time.
- As with other Aptem solutions, in‑built Power BI reports are included to give providers full oversight.
After a thorough review of similar products on the market, we found Aptem Assess to be the most user friendly for both staff and more importantly apprentices. It integrated into their existing learner management system which was really important to us, we feel this will improve engagement from learners having everything in one place. It also takes away any stigma that they may feel having a separate log in to something specifically for additional support.
Kelly McAllister, Head of Apprenticeships and Business Development, Bradford College
What our customers say
Aptem is an important part of our growth journey. With a single, integrated platform, we can take on more clients and deliver an even better service.
Sean Riley, Chief of Transformation, tend (formerly Impact Futures)
LSBU has gone from learners having to wait up to five months to start using an online apprenticeship management system, to having it available on day one of their programme. That makes a huge impact on their engagement and progress.
Aptem is saving us an estimated £150,000 – £200,000 per year in administration cost and time.
Sammy Shummo, Group Director of Apprenticeships,
London South Bank University
Corndel has been using the Aptem platform since 2017 to both manage the compliance side of our apprenticeship delivery and deliver the actual learning. That we can cover off all that we need for our apprenticeship delivery all in one place makes it so much easier and more secure to manage. Without Aptem we quite simply could not deliver the quality service that we do for our clients and learners. Richard Bridge, Director of Learning Technology, Corndel.
Richard Bridge, Director of Learning Technology,
Corndel
By upgrading to the Platinum service package, we will benefit from tailored support and strategic insight to enhance delivery and learner outcomes. The annual tenant audit, bespoke training and monthly update calls will ensure our teams are upskilled regularly and stay aligned with system updates and best practice.
Lee Hughes, Head of Apprenticeships, Learning Curve Group
We formed a Board for our apprenticeship provision, which is there to ensure our compliance obligations are met. It is therefore important that they have access to both quarterly and real-time compliance MI. The embedded Dashboards in Aptem focusing on Quality, Ofsted, Compliance and Funding are indispensable to us.
Jacky Ellison, Head of Learning and Development,
Resolve ASB
I cannot stress enough how impactful it’s been pushing everything into Aptem and making it a one-stop shop, particularly for the learner.
Dom Wilkinson, Product Owner, Lifetime Training
Aptem Apprentice is supporting us to change our practice and the way we’re doing things, not the other way around. With Aptem, there is genuine alignment between our values and shared goals. Our partnership continues to strengthen.
Terry Barnett, Chairman and Executive Sponsor of the project, Hawk Training
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We'd love to hear from you
The best way to experience our platform is through a consultative chat with one of our friendly experts. They can take you through the system and show you the benefits of Aptem that are most relevant to your business.
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