| Duration: |
4.5 hours (3x 90 min sessions) |
Credits: |
4.5 CPD accredited hours |
Enrol before 16 Dec 2025 for the early bird price of £200.
Book now
Bookings close 26 Jan 2026 at 11am (UK time)
Discover how competence is defined, explore some of the challenges involved in assessing it, and learn how to develop valid and reliable competence assessments.
Why choose this workshop?
Assessing competence and skills like critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration are high on the agenda for educators, employers, and policymakers looking to reimagine an education system fit for the future.
Vitello, S., Greatorex, J., & Shaw, S. 2021 define competence as: ‘the ability to integrate and apply contextually-appropriate knowledge, skills and psychosocial factors (e.g., beliefs, attitudes, values and motivations) to consistently perform successfully within a specified domain.’
Join expert Margaret Cooze for a series of three live online workshops designed for anyone who wants to understand the key issues underpinning valid assessment of competence. These issues include, what makes up competence in a subject, the practical issues of assessing competence reliably and, stakeholder understanding (or lack of) of competence.
Through interactive breakout sessions and group discussions, Margaret will guide you through some of the approaches to assessing competence.
Over three weeks you’ll explore the challenges involved in creating competency assessments and you’ll learn about best practice when it comes to the design, marking, grading and quality assurance of competency assessments.
Who should attend?
This workshop will be useful for anyone involved in designing or delivering assessments and ideal if you’re looking to embed competence, competencies or twenty-first century skills into your teaching, learning or assessment.
The session is open to anyone who would find it useful. Previous attendees have included:
- Awarding and assessment managers
- Qualification managers
- Teachers from both general and vocational education
- Higher Education lecturers
Why choose The Assessment Network?
We’re trusted by over 1,000 organisations across 100 countries and are backed by world-class research from the University of Cambridge.
We proudly hold Dual Accreditation by the Professional Development Consortium, officially recognising us as a Provider of Training Excellence.
Upon successful completion of Assessing competence you’ll be awarded a Certificate of Attendance from Cambridge University Press & Assessment as recognition of your learning.
Workshop outline
This workshop series is accredited with a Certificate of Attendance for continuing professional development (4.5 CPD hours). To be eligible, two live sessions must be attended.
Workshop 1: 27 Jan 2026 | Exploring definitions of competence and the construction of competence frameworks
27 Jan 2026 | 12:30 - 14:00 (UK time)
The first session will explore how ‘competence’ is defined and its relationship to ‘twenty-first century’ and ‘transversal skills’. We’ll consider its use in education and how effective ‘competence frameworks’ can be constructed.
Workshop 2: 3 Feb 2026 | Validity, reliability, fairness and practicality when assessing competence
03 Feb 2026 | 12:30 - 14:00 (UK time)
The second session will consider the validity, reliability and fairness challenges that assessing competence can bring and explore these through case studies.
Workshop 3: 10 Feb 2026 | Features of competence assessment and approaches to marking, grading and quality assurance
10 Feb 2026 | 12:30 - 14:00 (UK time)
In the final session, you’ll explore different approaches that can be used to assess competence with a particular focus on assessment design, marking, grading and quality assurance. We’ll wrap up our three-week programme through a consideration of some common features found in current approaches to competence assessment and a summary of the key challenges to navigate.
What our attendees say
A very comprehensive course of a complex topic. The content and (especially) the interactions with other participants and the reflections that resulted from them were really valuable."
Cecilia Harmer, Insight Application Manager, United Kingdom
Key learning outcomes
By the end of the three sessions you will:
- Understand how competence is defined in the context of educational assessment
- Develop competence frameworks effectively to support valid and reliable assessment
- Reflect on a range of different approaches to assessing ‘competence’ and 21st century skills, drawing upon real world examples to consider what might work in your own practice
- Understand the issues related to validity, reliability, fairness and practicality in assessments that seek to assess competence
- Consider some common features of current approaches to competence assessment and key challenges to navigate.
Workshop trainer
Margaret Cooze is a freelance language and assessment specialist. She holds an MA in Applied Linguistics and an MSc in English Language Teaching Management. She has taught in Guatemala, Japan and the UK with a particular interest in the teaching and assessment of writing.
Margaret has also worked for Cambridge University Press & Assessment, managing the production of a range of assessments for language learners and teachers. She has also led on assessment reviews, benchmarking and comparability studies as well as supporting awarding bodies in gaining recognition for their assessments.
She is now involved in the design, development and production of assessment materials as well acting as moderator and Principal Examiner for English assessments for Cambridge International. Alongside this, Margaret has recently written for Cambridge University Press and also designs and delivers training on the principles of assessment, question paper content writing, the operational aspects of assessment systems and also language awareness for teachers with recent work in Sweden, Lesotho, Pakistan, Botswana, Eswatini, The Bahamas and Vietnam.
FAQs
What is competence?
Vitello, S., Greatorex, J., & Shaw, S. 2021 define competence as: ‘the ability to integrate and apply contextually-appropriate knowledge, skills and psychosocial factors (e.g., beliefs, attitudes, values and motivations) to consistently perform successfully within a specified domain.’
Why train with The Assessment Network?
The Assessment Network at Cambridge is a global community of assessment professionals, committed to equipping practitioners with a clear understanding of core assessment principles and practices. Through accredited training, professional membership, and career development opportunities, we support individuals and organisations in becoming recognised, up-to-date assessment leaders.
We enable positive change by helping practitioners enhance the impact of assessment for learners, offering CPD courses, bespoke solutions, and professional recognition for every challenge and role. Trusted by over 1,000 organisations across 100 countries, and backed by world-class research from the University of Cambridge, we unite professionals who connect, share learning, and stand out as experts in their field.
How much does it cost?
Assessing competence: Definitions, challenges and strategies costs £265 or you can receive a 10% discount on your booking as a Member.
I want to register my team, what’s the best way to do this?
If you’re looking to book five or more places on an upcoming workshop or workshop series, you can receive a group discount. Please get in touch for a quote.
How do I register?
If this workshop is currently available use the Book Now button to complete your registration on our booking platform. If the workshop is not available, you can register your interest.
How will I learn?
Live workshops are interactive, practical sessions offered online, either as standalone sessions or as part of a series.
Led by assessment experts, these sessions require live attendance, via our online learning site, providing opportunities for direct guidance and real-time answers to your questions. These practical explorations and discussions with your assessment peers will help transform your assessment practice.
Will I be able to discuss the workshop topic during the session?
You can engage regularly throughout the online workshops via chat boxes, breakout rooms, polls, and quizzes.
What level of English do I need to be able to complete the course?
The course is delivered in English so you are required to have sufficient competence in English to participate in the training. You should have English language competence comparable to Level B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). We recommend a minimum requirement of 5.5 on the International English Language Testing System. Further information may be obtained through the IELTS website.
My place on the workshop is now confirmed, what happens next?
Once you’ve completed your booking you’ll receive a confirmation email. Joining instructions for the workshop or series are normally sent after the booking deadline has passed.
What happens if I can't attend one of the sessions?
To receive certification for a workshop series, you can only miss one session.
You’ll be able watch a recording of this missed session, but please note breakout rooms will not be recorded, and attendance is strongly recommended whenever possible.
What kind of certification is available upon completion of the workshop?
You’ll be awarded a Certificate of Attendance from Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It is expected that participants will attend at least two out of three live sessions to be eligible for a Certificate of Attendance at the end of the series.
How many CPD learning hours is this accredited for?
This workshop series is accredited for 4.5 learning hours. You must meet the attendance requirements to be eligible to receive the learning hours.
The Assessment Network has been awarded Dual Accreditation by the Professional Development Consortium, meaning we are officially recognised as a Provider of Training Excellence, alongside being a trusted provider of fully CPD accredited assessment training activities.
The majority of our professional development courses are also CPD accredited. Accredited courses are clearly marked with the CPD hours available, and a full list can be found on the CPD Standards website.
Some newer workshops and courses may not yet be accredited by the CPD Standards Office. However, as an assured provider of training excellence, all our workshops meet the same rigorous standards as our accredited training.
What can I do with my learning hours?
At The Assessment Network, learning hours from completing professional development courses contribute directly toward earning awards that recognise your assessment expertise. There are two levels of awards, the Assessment Practitioner Award and the Advanced Assessment Practitioner Award.
How long will I have access to the recording/resources after the workshop ends?
Recordings, slides, and any extra resources will be available via the online learning site for 40 days for a standalone workshop or 90 days for a workshop series.
When is the next workshop running?
We aim to run our workshops at least once a year. If the workshop is not currently available to book, please use the register your interest page.