The final hurdle or a meaningful milestone? Evaluating the educational value of the end-point assessment in advanced practice education

Purpose: To evaluate educator and apprentice perceptions of the educational value of the end-point assessment (EPA) within the Level 7 Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) apprenticeship.

Design/methodology/approach: A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used, underpinned by a pragmatic paradigm, combining quantitative and qualitative data from questionnaires distributed to educators (n = 16) and apprentices (n = 18). The integrated quantitative and qualitative approaches objectively evaluate educators' and apprentices' perceptions of the EPA in the ACP apprenticeship.

Findings: Findings revealed mixed opinions on the EPA's educational value and fairness. Thematic analysis identified seven core themes: structural burden and assessment burden and learner vulnerability; redundancy and overlap; educator role tension and reward; valued yet demanding experience; pedagogical integration and skill consolidation; and inconsistency and subjectivity in assessment. Results suggest the EPA provides a meaningful summative experience but requires reform to enhance proportionality, reduce duplication and align more closely with authentic professional practice. While apprentices viewed the EPA as relevant and an opportunity to consolidate learning, both groups highlighted substantial duplication with existing MSc assessments, excessive workload and emotional strain. The EPA was described as administratively burdensome, disproportionate in scope and inconsistent across assessors. Nonetheless, many apprentices and educators acknowledged its reflective and integrative value, seeing it as a professional milestone that consolidates clinical, leadership, educational and research skills. These findings align with current government reforms aimed at simplifying apprenticeship assessments and ensuring they remain rigorous yet proportionate to purpose.

Originality/value: This study provides timely evidence on the educational impact of the EPA in ACP, offering insights that align with national policy changes. It highlights tensions between summative assessment and authentic professional practice, contributing to ongoing debates about proportionality and integration in apprenticeship assessment design.