Observed moderation is an important part of the quality assurance work at Toi Mai – an opportunity for us to watch learners being assessed in real time. We recently spent several days observing hairdressing ākonga (students) being assessed, looking at a range of factors, including whether ākonga are being assessed in line with the unit standards’ criteria, if their physical environment is appropriate, and if the assessor makes the right decision in terms of competent or not yet competent.

This observed moderation in the hairdressing sector gave us the opportunity to see some amazing work – professionalism and the positive relationship between learner and assessor resulting in some good outcomes and even better conversations. Doing this kind of moderation allows us to appreciate what happens in these pressured situations and grows our understanding of our industries.

Observed moderation is just one of the ways we moderate assessments to look at provider performance and ensure a national standard is maintained. So far, we’ve been impressed with the standard we’ve observed.