Apprenticeship end-of-programme completion checklist

Use this checklist after the apprentice has completed the learning and applicable assessment requirements. It covers apprentices on existing end-point assessment plans and those on revised apprenticeship assessment plans, including ILR recording, gateway to completion, certification, employer notification and file retention.

ILR completion recording Certificate request File archiving Plan-version checks

Download checklist (CSV) EPA / assessment readiness checker

Published: 4 March 2026. Updated: 15 July 2026. The CSV is an editable workflow starter; replace its legacy labels and owners with the current steps below before operational use.

Completion stages covered

First confirm the apprentice's start date, standard code and version. Existing versions retain their published EPA, EPAO and gateway rules. Revised plans use apprenticeship assessment, assessment organisation (AO) and gateway to completion. The applicable plan — not a generic checklist — controls the completion evidence.

Assessment and completion checks

Result confirmed under the assessment plan for the exact standard version
Existing plan: EPA result recorded by the EPAO through the apprenticeship assessment service
Revised plan: AO records the result, unless mandatory qualification-only arrangements make the provider responsible
For revised plans, employer verification of every behaviour is recorded before certification
Apprentice and employer notified of the outcome and any next step

ILR record update

Learning actual end date reflects when learning activities for the programme aim ended, not the later assessment period
Completion status and outcome use the current ILR specification and reflect what actually happened
Achievement date and grading fields completed when required by the applicable specification
Record validated before the next appropriate monthly return

Certificates and documentation

Certificate request initiated through the apprenticeship assessment service by the responsible organisation
AO or EPAO normally requests the certificate; the provider does so for a revised mandatory qualification-only standard
English and maths certificates retained where those qualifications applied to the apprentice
Mandatory qualification and prior-learning evidence retained where applicable

File archiving

Funding evidence retained for 6 years from the end of the financial year in which the last payment was made
E-portfolio record locked or archived
Employer portal access reviewed (deactivate or retain per agreement)
Personal data reviewed against the documented UK GDPR retention schedule

Post-completion actions

Reconcile the learning actual end date, assessment end or result, completion status, outcome and achievement date against the current ILR specification; these dates do not necessarily match.
Submit the corrected ILR record in the next appropriate monthly return and review validation and apprenticeship-service reports.
Confirm all relevant activity is complete and any required employer co-investment is collected and recorded before expecting the completion payment. For 2026 to 2027 starts, the held-back 20% is a completion payment, not an assessment fee or a reward only for passing.
Confirm the responsible EPAO, AO or mandatory qualification-only provider has recorded the result and initiated the apprenticeship certificate through the assessment service.
Send the employer and apprentice a clear outcome notification, including resit or retake actions where applicable.
Conduct a post-programme review with the employer: what worked, what could improve, and whether further apprenticeships are appropriate.

Common errors at completion

Using the assessment date as the learning actual end date, even though that field excludes the later assessment period.
Applying a revised gateway-to-completion process to an apprentice still on an existing EPA-plan version, or vice versa.
Requesting an apprenticeship certificate from Skills England or IfATE instead of recording the result through the apprenticeship assessment service.
Assuming English and maths qualifications apply universally instead of checking age at start, level, rule year and any mandatory qualification.
Testing completion against a universal 20% off-the-job requirement or 12-month minimum. For starts from 1 August 2026, use the standard-specific off-the-job minimum and the eight-month minimum practical period; earlier starts follow their own rules.
Deleting evidence after three years instead of applying the funding record-retention period and the organisation's separate data-retention schedule.

Official guidance to check

Apprenticeship funding rules and assessment plan guidance, 2026 to 2027 — applies to starts from 1 August 2026; use the rules for the apprentice's start year.
Skills England requirements and guidance for apprenticeship assessment — revised plans, behaviours and gateway to completion.
Changes to apprenticeship assessment — transition, role allocation, grade recording and certification.
ILR 2026 to 2027: Learning actual end date — field definition and recording requirements.
Record keeping and retention information for training providers — funding evidence retention.
Apprenticeship assessment service — record assessments and request certificates.

Automate completion workflows?

TIQPlus triggers version-aware completion workflows when assessment results are received — notifying stakeholders and flagging outstanding ILR, gateway-to-completion, certification and retention steps.

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