What exactly is a skills assessment?

'Competency assessment' is a term we hear more and more of these days. However, not everyone is aware of what a competency assessment involves or who should consider undertaking one. At Mími, our learning and careers advisers are well-versed in competency assessments and what they entail.

A competency assessment is a way of evaluating skills and knowledge acquired outside the classroom, for example, in the workplace. Those who are eligible for a competency assessment must be 23 years of age and have confirmed three years of work experience in the relevant field. It is assessed for credits, but the recognition of prior learning can potentially shorten a course of study and be sufficient motivation to complete it.

How does the practical assessment take place?

You book an appointment with a careers adviser who will give you a screening questionnaire. The careers adviser will then guide you through recording the knowledge, experience and skills you possess. You then carry out a self-assessment with the support of the careers adviser. Following this, assessment interviews are conducted to review your relevant skills and assess their suitability for the course of study and/or job. Once the results are available, the careers adviser will go over them with you and provide advice on the options these findings present.

Examples of how practical assessments have been used?

As an example of how a skills assessment can be used, let's say that Jóhanna wants to return to education. She left school after a short time in secondary school and went to work. Johanna started at a nursery as a general assistant but is now the manager of the youngest age group. She decided to take the plunge and book an appointment with a careers adviser at Mímis. In short, Jóhanna had the secondary school credits she had completed assessed. Because she had gained good experience in her job, she was able to have that experience assessed for credits after a competency-based assessment with Mímis. When everything was tallied up, it turned out that Jóhanna only had a few credits left to complete her A-levels. In a follow-up interview with the counsellor, Jóhanna decided to enrol in a nursery assistant course with Mímir. After that, she plans to study to become a nursery teacher at the University of Iceland. In addition, she plans to get the credits she needs for her A-levels and received help from the careers adviser on where and how she could achieve those goals.

It is worth noting that a skills assessment can be taken in various fields. It is best to contact a careers adviser and assess your options in a consultation, which can be booked. here.Please note that a consultation with a careers adviser is free of charge.

Want to know more about the practical skills assessment? Click here. here.