Since April 2025, apprenticeship reforms have been reshaping how apprenticeships are assessed. One of the biggest changes is the removal of ‘behaviours’ from End-Point Assessment, a reform that was first floated in early 2024, before being scrapped by the end of that year, then reintroduced in 2025: a ‘will they/won’t they’ process that didn’t exactly help to smooth the transition. Yet now, under the new Apprenticeship Assessment Principles, employers – not Assessment Organisations (AOs) – are officially responsible for judging apprentice behaviours.
The government’s rationale is simple: behaviours are best observed in the workplace, by those who see apprentices every day. This is intended to cut duplication, reduce cost, and make assessments more streamlined and authentic. However, it also creates new pressure points. Employers may lack the tools, consistency, or confidence to do this well, and AOs need to redefine their role in the ecosystem.
For AOs, the question is not “what have we lost?” but “where can we add new value?” Knowledge and skills are now centre stage, and employers will need guidance to take on their fresh responsibilities with confidence. That puts AOs in a strong position: to refine their core offer, extend their influence in smarter ways, and help employers navigate this transition.
Here are five smart steps to start with.
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Focus more on quality in knowledge and skills
With behaviours moving off the AO’s agenda, knowledge and skills become even more critical. Employers and providers will look to AOs for assessments that are robust, reliable, and defensible, especially as scrutiny on outcomes increases.
Now is the time to refine assessment tools, tighten moderation, and streamline processes, providing skills and knowledge assessments that aren’t just functional, but easy to engage with and, as a result, drive success. Ask yourself, is your assessment process as simple and effective as it could be? Does it generate a positive experience for everyone in that chain, from the learner to the training provider?
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Build bridges with employers
Employers are stepping into unfamiliar territory. They’re expected to validate behaviours fairly and consistently, but most won’t have the frameworks or tools to do this on their own.
AOs can step up as partners. Offering guidance, practical solutions, or even training for supervisors shows leadership and keeps AOs connected to the “behaviour” conversation, even if they’re not formally assessing it.
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Innovate with holistic assessment design
Just because behaviours aren’t formally assessed doesn’t mean they disappear. In practice, they often surface naturally when apprentices apply knowledge and skills.
By designing scenario-based, or real-world tasks, AOs can ensure assessments reflect the way people actually work. This makes assessments more authentic, and keeps behaviours visible without stepping outside the new rules.
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Invest in data and insights
Reforms or not, AOs hold one of the most valuable assets in the system: assessment data. Turning raw results into meaningful insights can give providers, employers, and even regulators a clearer view of performance trends, sector benchmarks, and areas for improvement.
This is a powerful way to extend value beyond the exam room. With Skilltech Solutions’ analytics dashboards, AOs are already uncovering patterns in apprentice performance and feeding these back to employers, strengthening relationships and demonstrating ongoing relevance.
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Evolve your services portfolio
The apprenticeship system is becoming more collaborative, and AOs that diversify their role will stay ahead. This might mean offering development for assessors, digital tools to log on-programme behaviours, or consultancy support for employers navigating new responsibilities.
Diversification isn’t about abandoning your core role; it’s about staying aligned to where the sector is going.
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Watch out for risks
While the reforms open new opportunities, AOs should also remain alert to the risks. With behaviours now out of scope, some may struggle to justify existing fee levels unless they can clearly demonstrate added value in other areas. There is also a quality risk to consider: if employer validation of behaviours is inconsistent, apprenticeship credibility could be undermined unless AOs step in to provide clear guidance and frameworks.
At the same time, the shift of responsibility to employers creates a visibility gap, with AOs at risk of losing influence if they don’t actively maintain strong relationships. Finally, policy uncertainty remains, as assessment plans are still being updated in phases through 2025-26, meaning further tweaks could yet emerge.
What’s next?
Yes, saying goodbye to behavioural assessment marks the end of an era, but it doesn’t have to mean a smaller role for AOs. By focussing on quality, partnering with employers, innovating assessments, unlocking insights, and expanding services, AOs can remain vital in the apprenticeship ecosystem.
At Skilltech Solutions, we’re supporting AOs as they navigate the reforms, with flexible solutions that can evolve as and when apprenticeship standards do. If you’re looking for a way to build smarter assessment processes and support stronger employer partnerships, book a demo to see how our platforms can support you: book a demo.
