Apprenticeship end-point assessments statistical report: March 2023 to February 2024
Published 5 December 2024
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2024
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This report provides information on the volumes and outcomes of apprenticeship end-point assessments (EPAs) undertaken in England from March 2023 to February 2024. This report only covers those apprenticeship EPAs which Ofqual regulates, and only presents data provided by the awarding organisations (AOs) which delivered EPAs during the period covered in the report. For information on the overall apprenticeships market, please see DfE’s report on apprenticeships.
Key headlines
The data shows that, between March 2023 and February 2024:
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EPAs in 569 apprenticeship standards were in scope for Ofqual regulation. Out of the 149 AOs recognised by Ofqual to offer EPAs, 132 AOs delivered EPAs across 456 apprenticeship standards. Numbers of AOs and EPAs have continually increased each year since 2020, following the requirement for them to be regulated.
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159,875 regulated EPAs were taken by apprentices and 144,895 EPAs were completed.
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The highest numbers of completed EPAs were in the Business and administration route (33,730 EPAs completed, equivalent to 23.3% of completed EPAs) and for the Business administrator apprenticeship standard (8,430 EPAs completed, equivalent to 5.8% of completed EPAs). City and Guilds of London Institute had the highest number of completed EPAs compared with other AOs (18,965 EPAs completed).
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Out of all apprentices completing EPAs, 89.7% passed all required components at the first attempt (without failing and subsequently re-sitting or retaking any components). First-attempt pass rates in level 2, 3 and 4 EPAs were lower than EPAs of levels 5, 6 and 7. Legal, finance and accounting, engineering and manufacturing, and catering and hospitality sectors were substantially lower than the overall first-attempt pass rate.
Introduction
Following the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s (IfATE) consultation to simplify and strengthen external quality assurance the majority of EPAs are now regulated by Ofqual, or for integrated degree apprenticeships, regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). A small number of standards are not covered by either regulator, and are quality assured by other bodies.
Ofqual collects a wide range of data about regulated qualifications to inform its regulatory activity. This includes regular data submissions from all AOs with EPAs on Ofqual’s register of regulated qualifications.
This report presents an analysis of the data submitted by AOs which Ofqual regulates. The data presented throughout this report is collected annually, covering a period from the start of March to the end of February.
The first part of the report focuses on the volume of the apprenticeship EPAs in the period from March 2020 to February 2024. This includes the overall number of AOs delivering EPAs regulated by Ofqual and the number of EPAs and assessment components taken by apprentices. The figures from March 2023 to February 2024 are then broken down by apprenticeship level, route, apprenticeship standard, and AO. EPA figures from 2020 to 2021 up until 2023 to 2024 are available in the accompanying data tables.
Overall EPA figures for Ofqual regulated apprenticeships
Number of AOs and apprenticeship standards
In the period from 2023 to 2024, out of 149 AOs recognised to offer EPAs, there were 132 AOs delivering apprenticeship EPAs regulated by Ofqual. Numbers of AOs and EPAs in Ofqual’s purview have continually increased each year since 2020 following the requirement that EPAs should be regulated. AOs delivered apprenticeship EPAs for 451 apprenticeship standards, out of a total of 569 apprenticeship standards with EPAs regulated by Ofqual available for apprentices.
Figure 1. (a) Number of AOs delivering EPAs regulated by Ofqual and (b) number of apprenticeship standards with EPAs delivered from 2020 to 2021 up until 2023 to 2024.
Table 1. Number of AOs delivering EPAs regulated by Ofqual and number of apprenticeship standards with EPAs delivered from 2020 to 2021 up until 2023 to 2024.
| 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of AOs | 43 | 75 | 121 | 132 |
| Number of apprenticeship standards | 88 | 202 | 389 | 456 |
Number of EPAs and EPA components taken by apprentices
EPAs may be started and not yet completed because one or more components were failed, or because one or more components were taken or assessed after the specified reporting period. During 2023 to 2024, 159,875 EPAs were started across 456 apprenticeship standards and 144,895 EPAs were completed (90.6%) across 451 apprenticeship standards. 129,955 EPAs were completed on the first attempt (without failing and subsequently resitting or retaking any components) across 449 apprenticeship standards in 2023 to 2024.
EPAs may consist of multiple components (individual assessments that contribute towards the EPA, such as observations, tests, projects, presentations, professional discussions, etc.). In 2023 to 2024, 411,100 individual EPA components were taken by apprentices and 366,665 were passed (89.19%). Numbers of EPAs and EPA components taken and passed have increased each year since 2020, in line with the number of standards with EPAs that are regulated by Ofqual.
Figure 2. (a) Number of EPAs regulated by Ofqual taken and completed, and (b) EPA components taken and passed by apprentices from 2020 to 2021 up until 2023 to 2024.
Table 2. Numbers of EPAs regulated by Ofqual taken and completed, and EPA components taken and passed from 2020 to 2021 up until 2023 to 2024.
| 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of EPAs completed | 13,405 | 44,125 | 110,675 | 144,895 |
| Number of EPAs taken | 15,095 | 51,125 | 124,835 | 159,875 |
| Number of components passed | 34,050 | 114,715 | 284,360 | 366,665 |
| Number of components taken | 37,105 | 130,030 | 317,860 | 411,100 |
EPA completions by apprenticeship level from 2023 to 2024
Apprenticeships are available at a number of levels, ranging from intermediate and level 2 (equivalent to GCSE) to degree and level 6 and 7 (equivalent to bachelor’s or master’s degree).
Note that integrated degree apprenticeships (usually at level 6 or 7) are not included here as these are regulated by the Office for Students.
The highest number of completed EPAs in 2023 to 2024 were at level 3 (65,880 EPA completions).
Figure 3. Numbers of EPAs completed from 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship level.
Table 3. Numbers of EPAs completed from 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship level.
| Level | Number of EPAs completed | Percentage of all completed EPAs |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 9,405 | 6.5% |
| 6 | 3,100 | 2.1% |
| 5 | 9,325 | 6.4% |
| 4 | 15,680 | 10.8% |
| 3 | 65,880 | 45.5% |
| 2 | 41,510 | 28.6% |
The highest number of EPA components taken in 2023 to 2024 was among level 3 apprenticeship standards (188,055 components taken by apprentices).
Figure 4. Numbers of EPA components taken from 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship level.
Table 4. Numbers of EPA components taken by apprentices from 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship level.
| Level | Number of components taken | Percentage of components taken |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 20,640 | 5.0% |
| 6 | 8,490 | 2.1% |
| 5 | 24,830 | 6.0% |
| 4 | 46,960 | 11.4% |
| 3 | 188,055 | 45.7% |
| 2 | 122,120 | 29.7% |
EPA completions by route from 2023 to 2024
Apprenticeships are classified by IfATE as belonging to one of 15 ‘routes’ comprising groups of occupations with related knowledge and skill requirements.
The highest number of completed EPAs in 2023 to 2024 was in the business and administration route (33,730 EPAs completed, equivalent to 23.3% of all completed EPAs).
Figure 5. Numbers of EPAs completed from 2023 to 2024 by route.
Table 5. Numbers of EPAs completed from 2023 to 2024 by route.
| Route | Number of EPAs completed | Percentage of all completed EPAs |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, environmental and animal care | 3,410 | 2.4% |
| Business and administration | 33,730 | 23.3% |
| Care services | 9,735 | 6.7% |
| Catering and hospitality | 4,425 | 3.1% |
| Construction and the built environment | 13,550 | 9.4% |
| Creative and design | 745 | 0.5% |
| Digital | 8,615 | 5.9% |
| Education and early years | 13,855 | 9.6% |
| Engineering and manufacturing | 11,895 | 8.2% |
| Hair and beauty | 4,335 | 3.0% |
| Health and science | 10,240 | 7.1% |
| Legal, finance and accounting | 10,940 | 7.6% |
| Protective services | 2,280 | 1.6% |
| Sales, marketing and procurement | 11,315 | 7.8% |
| Transport and logistics | 5,820 | 4.0% |
The highest number of EPA components taken in 2023 to 2024 was in the business and administration route (87,850 components taken, equivalent to 21.4% of all components taken).
Figure 6. Numbers of EPA components taken from 2023 to 2024 by route.
Table 6. Numbers of EPA components taken by apprentices from 2023 to 2024 by route.
| Route | Number of components taken | Percentage of all components taken |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, environmental and animal care | 10,635 | 2.6% |
| Business and administration | 87,850 | 21.4% |
| Care services | 21,150 | 5.1% |
| Catering and hospitality | 18,640 | 4.5% |
| Construction and the built environment | 48,740 | 11.9% |
| Creative and design | 1,995 | 0.5% |
| Digital | 21,800 | 5.3% |
| Education and early years | 32,290 | 7.9% |
| Engineering and manufacturing | 39,200 | 9.5% |
| Hair and beauty | 8,350 | 2.0% |
| Health and science | 35,235 | 8.6% |
| Legal, finance and accounting | 28,745 | 7.0% |
| Protective services | 6,020 | 1.5% |
| Sales, marketing and procurement | 32,255 | 7.8% |
| Transport and logistics | 18,200 | 4.4% |
EPA completions by apprenticeship standard from 2023 to 2024
An apprenticeship standard is a description of an occupation with associated duties, knowledge, skills and behaviours (and also includes the assessment plan and funding band). Occupational standards and assessment plans are designed by employers and approved by IfATE. AOs use the assessment plan as the basis on which to design EPAs.
Due to the large number of standards available, in this report we will focus on the 10 standards which had the greatest number of completed EPAs reported from March 2023 to February 2024. Numbers of components taken by apprentices are also shown for the same 10 standards. These may not necessarily be the standards with the most components taken and may not have been regulated by Ofqual in previous years. Data for all standards can be found in the accompanying data tables
The business administrator apprenticeship had the highest number of completed EPAs in 2023 to 2024 (8,430 EPAs completed, equivalent to 5.8% of all completed EPAs).
Figure 7. Numbers of EPAs completed from 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship standard.
Table 7. Numbers of EPAs completed from 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship standard.
| Standard | Number of EPAs completed | Percentage of all completed EPAs |
|---|---|---|
| Accountancy or taxation professional | 4,155 | 2.9% |
| Business administrator | 8,430 | 5.8% |
| Carpentry and joinery | 3,120 | 2.2% |
| Early years educator | 6,425 | 4.4% |
| Early years practitioner | 3,390 | 2.3% |
| Hairdressing professional | 3,335 | 2.3% |
| Lead adult care worker | 3,750 | 2.6% |
| Operations or departmental manager | 4,705 | 3.2% |
| Senior leader | 4,655 | 3.2% |
| Team leader or supervisor | 7,575 | 5.2% |
The highest number of EPA components taken in 2023 to 2024 was in the business administrator apprenticeship standard (26,880 components taken, equivalent to 6.5% of all components taken).
Figure 8. Numbers of EPA components taken from 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship standard.
Table 8. Numbers of EPA components taken from 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship standard.
| Standard | Number of components taken | Percentage of all components taken |
|---|---|---|
| Accountancy or taxation professional | 9,505 | 2.3% |
| Business administrator | 26,880 | 6.5% |
| Carpentry and joinery | 11,080 | 2.7% |
| Early years educator | 15,370 | 3.7% |
| Early years practitioner | 7,735 | 1.9% |
| Hairdressing professional | 5,350 | 1.3% |
| Lead adult care worker | 7,955 | 1.9% |
| Operations or departmental manager | 11,800 | 2.9% |
| Senior leader | 9,515 | 2.3% |
| Team leader or supervisor | 17,095 | 4.2% |
EPA completions by awarding organisation from 2023 to 2024
Awarding organisations (AOs) are organisations recognised by Ofqual to deliver regulated qualifications, such as EPAs. The full list of AOs can be found in Ofqual’s register of regulated qualifications.
Due to the large number of AOs available, in this report we will focus on the 10 AOs which had the greatest number of completed EPAs reported from March 2023 to February 2024. Numbers of components taken by apprentices are also shown for the same 10 AOs. These may not necessarily be the AOs with the most components taken and may not have been regulated by Ofqual in previous years. Data for all AOs can be found in the accompanying data tables
City and Guilds of London Institute delivered the highest number of completed EPAs in 2023 to 2024 (18,965 EPAs completed, equivalent to 13.1% of total completed EPAs).
Figure 9. Numbers of EPAs completed from 2023 to 2024 by AO.
Table 9. Numbers of EPAs completed from 2023 to 2024 by AO.
| Awarding Organisation | Number of EPAs completed | Percentage of all completed EPAs |
|---|---|---|
| Association of Accounting Technicians | 4,270 | 2.9% |
| BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT | 4,720 | 3.3% |
| Chartered Management Institute | 12,120 | 8.4% |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 18,965 | 13.1% |
| Highfield Qualifications | 10,530 | 7.3% |
| Innovate Awarding | 9,275 | 6.4% |
| NCFE | 8,310 | 5.7% |
| Pearson Education Ltd | 6,630 | 4.6% |
| Training Qualifications UK Ltd | 7,320 | 5.1% |
| VTCT | 4,150 | 2.9% |
The AO assessing the highest number of EPA components in 2023 to 2024 was City and Guilds of London Institute (55,580 components assessed, equivalent to 13.5% of all components assessed).
Figure 10. Numbers of EPA components assessed from 2023 to 2024 by AO.
Table 10. Numbers of EPA components assessed from 2023 to 2024 by AO.
| Awarding Organisation | Number of components assessed | Percentage of all components assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Association of Accounting Technicians | 12,040 | 2.9% |
| BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT | 8,040 | 2.0% |
| Chartered Management Institute | 27,240 | 6.6% |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 55,580 | 13.5% |
| Highfield Qualifications | 30,770 | 7.5% |
| Innovate Awarding | 29,315 | 7.1% |
| NCFE | 21,020 | 5.1% |
| Pearson Education Ltd | 21,515 | 5.2% |
| Training Qualifications UK Ltd | 18,360 | 4.5% |
| VTCT | 9,920 | 2.4% |
EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024
EPA grades are awarded on a range of grading scales. Some standards only award pass grades. Of those standards that award grades higher than a pass, some will award either a pass, a merit or a distinction, some will award either a pass or a merit and some will award either a pass or a distinction.
In 2023 to 2024, the greatest proportion of EPAs taken by apprentices were graded on a pass or distinction scale (79,885 EPAs, equivalent to 66.4% of EPAs where a single grading scale could be reported). Pass and merit grades were the most frequently awarded grades across all grading scales.
Note that due to changes to some apprenticeship standards and their associated assessment plans over time, it is not always possible to report a single grading scale for an EPA. Grading scale data presented in this report only covers those apprenticeship standards and their completed EPAs where a single grading scale was used this year (429 apprenticeship standards, 128,685 EPAs). In 2023 to 2024 a single grading scale could not be reported for 25 (5.9%) apprenticeship standards. Additionally, grade distributions are only shown for the grading scale and level, sector, and standard combinations where there are at least 3 AOs and at least 250 EPAs completed. Where there is no grading scale for that level, sector, and standard this is left blank in the charts and noted “[z]” in the tables.
Inferences between outcomes across apprenticeship levels, routes, or apprenticeship standards should not be made as they will depend upon the differing make-up of the cohorts taking them, and assessments will differ according to the requirements of a particular industry.
Grading scale data refers to proportions of all apprentices completing EPAs, and not just those who passed at the first attempt.
Table 11. Number and percentage of EPAs and standards by grading scale in 2023 to 2024.
| Grading scale | Number of EPAs taken | Percentage of EPAs taken | Number of apprenticeship standards | Percentage of apprenticeship standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass or fail | 9,880 | 8.2% | 40 | 9.3% |
| Pass or merit | 495 | 0.4% | 7 | 1.6% |
| Pass or distinction | 79,885 | 66.4% | 286 | 66.7% |
| Pass, merit or distinction | 29,985 | 24.9% | 96 | 22.4% |
As opportunities to resit or retake failed components are generally available to apprentices taking EPAs, “fail” grades are not routinely reported for overall EPAs. Therefore, this report also presents data on the proportion of apprentices completing EPAs who have passed each component (and therefore the overall EPA) at the first attempt, compared to those who have needed to resit or retake any component at least once. In 2023 to 2024, 89.7% of apprentices completing EPAs (129,955 apprentices) passed all required components at the first attempt.
Note that grade distributions are only shown for the grading scale outcomes where there is data to show. Where there is no grade used for that grading scale this is shown as “[z]” in the tables to denote this is not applicable.
Figure 11. Overall EPA outcomes for each grading scale (pass, merit or distinction, pass or merit, and pass or distinction) awarding grades that are pass and above.
Table 12. Overall EPA outcomes for each grading scale (pass, merit or distinction, pass or merit, and pass or distinction) awarding grades above a pass.
| Grade | Pass or distinction | Pass or merit | Pass, merit or distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass | 63.6% | 41.7% | 31.7% |
| Merit | [z] | 58.3% | 34.4% |
| Distinction | 36.4% | [z] | 33.9% |
EPA outcomes by apprenticeship level
In 2023 to 2024, grade distributions varied across levels and grading scales. The proportion of EPAs resulting in a grade higher than a pass being awarded ranged from 30.7% (for level 5 EPAs graded pass or distinction) to 89.1% (for level 6 EPAs graded pass, merit or distinction).
Note that grade distributions are only shown for the grading scale and level combinations where there are at least 3 awarding organisations and at least 250 EPAs completed. Where there is a grading scale for that level but the data is insufficient to show it will show as a grey bar with “insufficient data” in the chart, and be denoted as [low] in the tables. Where there is no grading scale for that level this is shown as “[z]” in the tables to denote this is not applicable.
Figure 12. EPA outcomes by apprenticeship level.
Table 13. EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship level (pass, merit or distinction).
| Level | Pass, merit or distinction: pass | Pass, merit or distinction: merit | Pass, merit or distinction: distinction | Completed EPAs: Pass, merit or distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 20.2% | 52.6% | 27.2% | 4,695 |
| 3 | 37.0% | 30.7% | 32.3% | 14,055 |
| 4 | 32.2% | 30.1% | 37.7% | 7,315 |
| 5 | 39.4% | 38.6% | 22.0% | 920 |
| 6 | 10.9% | 32.0% | 57.1% | 1,655 |
| 7 | [low] | [low] | [low] | [low] |
Table 14. EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship level (pass or merit).
| Level | Pass or merit: pass | Pass or merit: merit | Completed EPAs: pass or merit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 41.9% | 58.1% | 465 |
| 3 | [low] | [low] | [low] |
| 4 | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| 5 | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| 6 | [low] | [low] | [low] |
| 7 | [z] | [z] | [z] |
Table 15. EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship level (pass or distinction).
| Level | Pass or distinction: pass | Pass or distinction: distinction | Completed EPAs: pass or distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 63.3% | 36.7% | 30,030 |
| 3 | 62.4% | 37.6% | 34,625 |
| 4 | 67.4% | 32.6% | 8,035 |
| 5 | 69.3% | 30.7% | 3,690 |
| 6 | 66.4% | 33.6% | 1,045 |
| 7 | 51.2% | 48.8% | 410 |
In 2023 to 2024, first attempt pass rates ranged from 86.8% at level 4 to 95.7% at level 6. In level 5, 6 and 7 EPAs first-attempt pass rates exceeded the overall first-attempt pass rate (89.7%), whereas first-attempt pass rates in level 2, 3 and 4 EPAs were lower than the overall first-attempt pass rate.
Figure 13. First-attempt EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship level.
Table 16. First-attempt EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship level.
| Level | Passed | Did not pass | Completed EPAs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 95.7% | 4.3% | 9,405 |
| 6 | 95.7% | 4.3% | 3,100 |
| 5 | 91.6% | 8.4% | 9,325 |
| 4 | 86.8% | 13.2% | 15,680 |
| 3 | 89.1% | 10.9% | 65,880 |
| 2 | 89.5% | 10.5% | 41,510 |
EPA outcomes by route
In 2023 to 2024 EPAs in the engineering and manufacturing route which were graded on a “pass or merit” scale had the highest proportion of grades above a pass awarded (over 82%). EPAs in legal, finance and accounting which were graded on a “pass or distinction” scale had the lowest proportion of grades above a pass awarded (18.2%).
Note that grade distributions are only shown for the grading scale and route combinations where there are at least 3 awarding organisations and at least 250 EPAs completed. Where there is a grading scale for that route but the data is insufficient to show it will show as a grey bar with “insufficient data” in the chart, and be denoted as [low] in the tables. Where there is no grading scale for that route this is left blank in the charts and “[z]” in the tables.
Figure 14. EPA outcomes by route.
Table 17. EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by route (pass, merit or distinction).
| Route | Pass, merit or distinction: pass | Pass, merit or distinction: merit | Pass, merit or distinction: distinction | Completed EPAs: Pass, merit or distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, environmental and animal care | 21.9% | 44.0% | 34.0% | 1,110 |
| Business and administration | 22.3% | 29.6% | 48.1% | 3,795 |
| Care services | 21.8% | 56.3% | 21.9% | 6,770 |
| Catering and hospitality | [low] | [low] | [low] | [low] |
| Construction and the built environment | 54.1% | 33.2% | 12.7% | 775 |
| Creative and design | [low] | [low] | [low] | [low] |
| Digital | 38.7% | 23.2% | 38.1% | 8,435 |
| Education and early years | 43.7% | 3.4% | 52.9% | 350 |
| Engineering and manufacturing | 53.4% | 33.1% | 13.5% | 1,680 |
| Hair and beauty | [low] | [low] | [low] | [low] |
| Health and science | 23.6% | 46.0% | 30.4% | 1,995 |
| Legal, finance and accounting | [low] | [low] | [low] | [low] |
| Protective services | [z] | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Sales, marketing and procurement | 36.7% | 15.2% | 48.1% | 3,195 |
| Transport and logistics | [low] | [low] | [low] | [low] |
Table 18. EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by route (pass or merit).
| Route | Pass or merit: pass | Pass or merit: merit | Completed EPAs: pass or merit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, environmental and animal care | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Business and administration | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Care services | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Catering and hospitality | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Construction and the built environment | [low] | [low] | [low] |
| Creative and design | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Digital | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Education and early years | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Engineering and manufacturing | 17.7% | 82.3% | 265 |
| Hair and beauty | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Health and science | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Legal, finance and accounting | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Protective services | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Sales, marketing and procurement | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Transport and logistics | [low] | [low] | [low] |
Table 19. EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by route (pass or distinction).
| Route | Pass or distinction: pass | Pass or distinction: distinction | Completed EPAs: pass or distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, environmental and animal care | 64.2% | 35.8% | 2,305 |
| Business and administration | 64.2% | 35.8% | 12,930 |
| Care services | 55.7% | 44.3% | 2,965 |
| Catering and hospitality | 67% | 33.0% | 2,230 |
| Construction and the built environment | 68.0% | 32.0% | 8,110 |
| Creative and design | [low] | [low] | [low] |
| Digital | [low] | [low] | [low] |
| Education and early years | 51.0% | 49.0% | 13,500 |
| Engineering and manufacturing | 76.2% | 23.8% | 6,665 |
| Hair and beauty | 77.2% | 22.6% | 4,230 |
| Health and science | 66.0% | 34.0% | 5,870 |
| Legal, finance and accounting | 81.8% | 18.2% | 4,510 |
| Protective services | 57.8% | 42.2% | 2,270 |
| Sales, marketing and procurement | 51.0% | 49.0% | 8,120 |
| Transport and logistics | 70.6% | 29.4% | 3,735 |
In 2023 to 2024 first-attempt pass rates were the highest for EPAs in the hair and beauty (96.2%) route. The lowest first-pass rates were recorded for EPAs in the catering and hospitality (79.9%) route. First-attempt pass rates in the legal, finance and accounting, catering and hospitality and engineering and manufacturing routes were lower than the overall first-attempt pass rate (89.7%) and were the lowest compared to the other routes shown.
Figure 15. First-attempt EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by route.
Table 20. First-attempt EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by route.
| Route | Passed | Did not pass | Completed EPAs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, environmental and animal care | 89.1% | 10.9% | 3,410 |
| Business and administration | 93.9% | 6.1% | 33,730 |
| Care services | 94.7% | 5.3% | 9,735 |
| Catering and hospitality | 79.9% | 20.1% | 4,425 |
| Construction and the built environment | 87.3% | 12.7% | 13,550 |
| Creative and design | 95.9% | 4.1% | 745 |
| Digital | 92.8% | 7.2% | 8,615 |
| Education and early years | 86.9% | 13.1% | 13,855 |
| Engineering and manufacturing | 81.2% | 18.8% | 11,895 |
| Hair and beauty | 96.2% | 3.8% | 4,335 |
| Health and science | 92.6% | 7.4% | 10,240 |
| Legal, finance and accounting | 83.0% | 17.0% | 10,940 |
| Protective services | 91.8% | 8.2% | 2,280 |
| Sales, marketing and procurement | 89.9% | 10.1% | 11,315 |
| Transport and logistics | 90.4% | 9.6% | 5,820 |
EPA outcomes by apprenticeship standard
In 2023 to 2024 proportions of grades awarded varied across apprenticeship standards. Due to the large number of standards available, in this report we are focusing on the 10 standards which had the greatest number of completed EPAs reported from March 2023 to February 2024. Data for all standards where there are at least 3 awarding organisations and at least 250 EPAs completed can be found in the accompanying data tables. Note where there is no grading scale for a standard this is left blank in the chart and “[z]” in the tables.
Figure 16. EPA outcomes by apprenticeship standard.
Table 21. EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship standard (pass, merit or distinction).
| Standard | Pass, merit or distinction: pass | Pass, merit or distinction: merit | Pass, merit or distinction: distinction | Completed EPAs: Pass, merit or distinction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult care worker | 22.0% | 56.7% | 21.4% | 3,025 |
| Business administrator | [z] | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Customer service practitioner | [z] | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Data analyst | 33.9% | 27.8% | 38.3% | 2,555 |
| Early years educator | [z] | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Early years practitioner | [z] | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Hairdressing professional | [z] | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Information communications technician | 44.3% | 21.1% | 34.6% | 1,925 |
| Lead adult care worker | 21.6% | 56.0% | 22.4% | 3,750 |
| Teaching assistant | [z] | [z] | [z] | [z] |
Table 22. EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship standard (pass or distinction).
| Standard | Pass or distinction: pass | Pass or distinction: distinction | Completed EPAs: pass or distinction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult care worker | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Business administrator | 61.4% | 38.6% | 8,430 |
| Customer service practitioner | 26.3% | 73.7% | 2,840 |
| Data analyst | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Early years educator | 42.6% | 57.4% | 6,425 |
| Early years practitioner | 63.0% | 37.0% | 3,390 |
| Hairdressing professional | 74.2% | 25.8% | 3,335 |
| Information communications technician | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Lead adult care worker | [z] | [z] | [z] |
| Teaching assistant | 62.4% | 37.6% | 2,770 |
In 2023 to 2024 first-attempt pass rates in EPAs for carpentry and joinery, early years educator and early years practitioner apprenticeships were lower than the overall first-attempt pass rate. First-attempt pass rates in EPAs for all other apprenticeship standards exceeded the overall first-attempt pass rate (89.7%).
Figure 17. First-attempt EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship standard.
Table 23. First-attempt EPA outcomes in 2023 to 2024 by apprenticeship standard.
| Standard | Passed | Did not pass | Completed EPAs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountancy or taxation professional | 91.4% | 8.6% | 4,155 |
| Business administrator | 93.3% | 6.7% | 8,430 |
| Carpentry and joinery | 88.0% | 12.0% | 3,120 |
| Early years educator | 82.1% | 17.9% | 6,425 |
| Early years practitioner | 89.1% | 10.9% | 3,390 |
| Hairdressing professional | 95.7% | 4.3% | 3,335 |
| Lead adult care worker | 95.6% | 4.4% | 3,750 |
| Operations or departmental manager | 95.8% | 4.2% | 4,705 |
| Senior leader | 99.8% | 0.2% | 4,655 |
| Team leader or supervisor | 93.0% | 7.0% | 7,575 |
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