Assessment Tools

What is a SimBiz Supported Assessment Tool?

SimBiz Supported Assessments - No workplace? No worries!

Support students without access to necessary workplace documentation

Assessment tools supported by a simulated business (SimBiz) are developed with the recognition that students may not be in the workplace or may not have access to the required workplace documents necessary for assessment.

A SimBiz is a simulated business framework and will provide the context for assessment. Questions and tasks that require responses and performance "according to workplace policy and procedure" are taken care of with all scenarios and benchmark responses in SimBiz-supported tools linked back to a consistent understanding and application of the unit of competency. Students can draw on the supporting framework just as they would any workplace/staff manual or guide.

Simbiz frameworks are available for separate purchase.

Activities and tasks that can be applied as simulations or in a fully simulated environment

Tasks and skills demonstration requirements in a SimBiz-supported assessment will have been written to occur as simulations that can be applied in an actual workplace environment OR as simulations in a simulated workplace setup.

Clear guidance to users

Full instructions to users and resources required for the simulations are included in these tools.

Can I use the assessments without buying a SimBiz?

While our SimBiz-supported assessments could be used by an RTO without the SimBiz, naturally, we recommend getting access to the SimBiz so that students can get a consistent understanding of the workplace context plus access to items that provide valuable learning. For RTOs choosing not to get access to the SimBiz framework, there will be some contextualisation required to the tools to genericise the existing benchmarks (which will draw on the SimBiz policies and procedures). The existing benchmarks can also be used as the basis for developing some of the required workplace SOPs.

Hear about CannyHQ - the SimBiz for BSB AQF 1-3 qualifications

(Certificates I - II in Workplace Skills and Certificate III in Business)

What is a Dual Context Assessment Tool?

Dual Context - SimBiz supported or the student's workplace

Increase flexibility

Dual context assessment tools have been developed to be suitable for use with students in a workplace environment as well as students yet to enter the workplace, so all skills demonstration benchmarks reference the requirements from the simulated (SimBiz) workplace or the student’s own workplace.

(See the section above for more information about SimBiz-supported assessment tools.)

The advantage of a Dual Context tool is that it can be used with cohorts that have access to a workplace as well as cohorts seeking to enter the workforce.

Dual context tools may still use scenarios for role plays to ensure the opportunity to provide the evidence required by the unit of competency is provided.

What is a Workplace Based Assessment Tool?

Existing workers and trainees

Learn and earn

When a student is already in the workplace and working in the specific vocational area, it is likely they are in a situation of formalising their existing knowledge and skills with a qualification or are working towards a credential while they learn on the job.

Workplace Based assessment tools are designed to be used in cases where there is on-the-job training and assessment occurring. It is expected that students will have access to the required workplace policies, procedures and other documents required for assessment and all benchmarks will direct the assessor to confirm evidence supplied aligns with the particular workplace's way of operation.

What is a Knowledge Bank?

Knowledge evidence - done!

Pre-developed questions for unit requirements

Knowledge Banks are the assessment questions designed to cover the requirements and Knowledge Evidence components of a unit of competency*. They are designed to be used by training providers as a stand-alone knowledge assessment or as a product that can be integrated with the RTO’s existing skills assessments. Knowledge Banks can also be used to build RPL assessments.

As a stand-alone product, Knowledge Banks can be administered using the provided instructions to users and framework for recording assessor judgements - if your RTO is looking for content to drop into your own assessment templates and/or platform for learner management, Knowledge Bank Lite is an option presented without the instructions to users or any fields to record decision-making in the assessment process.

*In cases where the unit requires knowledge of a specific workplace policy, procedure and/or protocol, a question may be supplied with the understanding that the RTO will need to contextualise according to business needs and student cohort requirements. For easy reference, these are highlighted in green within the tools.

What is a Third Party Verification?

Collect supplementary evidence to support a claim of competency

The assessor can't always be there

Also known as 'third-party reports' or 'referee reports', a third party verification is used to gather and provide additional evidence for the assessor's consideration.

Typically, verification reports are used to collect evidence of a student’s performance in times when an assessor is unable to view the evidence first-hand. These reports are not designed to cover a unit in its entirety, but rather, specific aspects that may be deemed as feasible for a third-party to have knowledge / experience of in relation the student’s capabilities and performance.

Training Tools' third-party verification tools come with instructions for users, space to record details about the verifying manager/third-party, as well as a user-friendly checklist to record the third party's observations about the student's abilities and performance.

General Information about Training Tools Assessment Material

Some answers to common questions about our assessment tools

Train and assess pathway

Unless specifically advertised, assessment tools by Training Tools are developed for train and assess pathways.

Independently validated

As part of the development cycle, Training Tools assessments are independently validated to confirm their design will collect sufficient, valid evidence against the unit of competency and Training Package requirements.

What's included

Training Tools assessment materials are supplied as:

Assessment marking guide with complete instructions and benchmark answers for assessor-only use
Student assessment with instructions for use
Validated mapping document

All tasks, observation checklists, instructions and benchmark answers are fully developed.

Other tools such as verification checklists can be purchased separately.

Licence arrangement

Purchase of a Training Tools product gives a non-exclusive licence to the purchasing RTO to use the materials according to the Licence Agreement. There is no fee-per-student cost linked to our products.

Cost

The value of our products is reflected in the value of our products. Our business is focused on production of robust, quality materials and we do not compete or use price point as a measure of worth to an RTO's Quality System. We choose to work with and supply businesses whose values align with our own.

Samples

Considerable time and effort goes into producing the IP linked to all our products. If you are from an RTO, email us to request a sample and for assessment materials, we'll send an example of our writing style.

Please note: Not all requests can be actioned, as for some products, a 'sample' would be the actual product for sale.

About Training Tools Assessment Materials