(introduction...)

Assessment is perhaps the most vital of all the processes in vocational education. A high-quality assessment system provides the right emphasis on the different aspects of a course, gives students appropriate feedback, ensures that the right students are deemed to have learnt sufficient, and results in a qualification that is well understood. With the right procedures in place, students can be confident in the quality of their training, and employers can have confidence in qualified students. Without them, however, any of these can be placed in jeopardy.