Call for Assessors for the Qualification in Occupational Psychology (Stage 2)

The Occupational Psychology Qualifications Board oversees the assessment of the society's Qualification in Occupational Psychology (Stage 2), which leads to eligibility to apply for Chartered Membership of the BPS and Full Membership of the Division of Occupational Psychology, and eligibility to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council for registration as an Occupational Psychologist.

The Board is seeking to appoint additional assessors to assist with the assessment of candidate work.

The primary focus will be assessing on the 2019 qualification route which comprises four Standards; candidates submit evidence in fulfilment of these Standards at three points during their enrolment.

Submissions are centred around reports of the candidate's application of the consultancy cycle within their supervised practice, with the final submission also including a report on their applied research.

The assessment of the first and second submissions is formative, with the assessment of the final submission (which includes a viva) being summative.

Each candidate is assigned two assessors, who assess that candidate through to completion of the qualification; initially new assessors are paired with a more experienced assessor.

The timescale for assessors to assess a submission is 4 weeks.

Assessments are conducted electronically.

Some new assessors may also have the opportunity to assess candidates on the 2012 route.

The 2012 route closed to new candidates prior to the launch of the 2019 route and enrolled candidates have until December 2025 to complete the qualification.

The assessor role may be of particular interest to people who currently supervise candidates on this qualification as being an assessor gives a deeper insight into how to support candidates in preparing their submissions.

An additional assessor benefit is that the effort invested in assessing contributes towards their CPD activities.

Assessors receive payment for each submission and payment for a viva.

Travel and subsistence expenses incurred when attending vivas or refresher training will be reimbursed in accordance with the society's policy although these activities are now conducted almost exclusively virtually.

In order to remain an assessor, assessors must attend at least one annual assessor training day in any two-year period although assessors are encouraged to attend the training day each year.

Personal Requirements

To become an assessor for the QOP (Stage 2) you will need to be:

• a Chartered Psychologist
• HCPC Registered as an Occupational Psychologist
• a Full member of the Division of Occupational Psychology (preferably for at least two years although there is some flexibility where appropriate)

You will also need:

• significant experience assessing work at post-graduate level in occupational psychology or evaluating professional practice against clear competency frameworks
• knowledge and understanding of assessment processes
• An ability to assess against a set of standards
• knowledge of professional standards of training for the Qualification in Occupational Psychology (Stage 2)

Overview of the role

The role of assessor involves marking allocated candidate submissions against a set of marking criteria, in line with the society's standards for post-graduate qualifications and the HCPC's SETs, and producing assessment reports by set deadlines.

As part of their role, assessors are expected to mark a minimum number of candidate submissions each calendar year although it is recognised that assessors may need to manage their monthly peaks and troughs.

In practice this means that assessors should be available to assess for a minimum of 6 months per year, with the flexibility to assess the second and third submissions from their allocated 2019 candidates as and when they are due.

Role Description

• to assess candidate submissions in the required format against marking criteria provided
• to provide detailed developmental feedback by set deadlines
• to make assessment decisions that are robust, fair and equitable
• where necessary, to engage in the assessment arbitration process, including provision of all relevant information to the Chief Assessor in order to allow for a fully informed and unbiased final assessment decision to be made
• to engage with and successfully complete assessor training and refresher training as required
• to assess candidates' competence through appropriate examinations, including viva voce examinations where required
• to attend assessment standardisation events as required (normally part of refresher training)
• to ensure that own specialist knowledge remains current
• to comply with all relevant codes and policies

Personal Qualities

• strong time management skills in order to work to required deadlines
• ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• excellent written communication skills
• attention to detail
• good communication skills

What Next?

If you are interested in becoming a QOP assessor, you will need to complete a statement of interest and send your C.V to apply for the role.

For a copy of the statement of interest, please email [email protected].

Your application will then be considered by the Occupational Psychology Qualification Board.

The closing date is 22 September 2024.

If you require more information about becoming an assessor and what the role involves please email [email protected] or call 0116 252 9516.

The British Psychological Society is committed to a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of your background or circumstances.