Reliability of Vocational Qualifications

An evaluation of level 3 electro-technical qualifications

OFQUAL launched its Reliability Programme in May 2008 to investigate the reliability and validity of results in national tests, public examinations and other qualifications in England. It was set up to help develop OFQUAL's regulatory policy on reliability and indicate where to improve the assessment systems in use.

Reliability is a measure of the consistency of the results of qualifications and assessments. A reliable qualification would mean that a student would receive the same result if they took a different version of the exam, took the test on a different day, or if a different examiner had marked the paper.

This project investigated the reliability of three high-stakes City & Guilds qualifications that allowed qualified electricians to certify their professional knowledge.