NFQ Level 3 3N0896 Career Preparation Assessment Brief 2026 | QQI

3N0896 Assessment Brief

Purpose

The purpose of this award is to equip the learner with the knowledge, skill and competence to gather information and make informed judgments about work, training and educational opportunities, and gain practice in a range of skills needed to prepare for employment.

Learning Outcomes

Learners will be able to:

1. Describe the basic principles underpinning career preparation, to include the concepts of work, career, and planning
2. Distinguish between different types of work such as full time, part time, temporary/contract, and casual work
3. Describe local or foreign work opportunities, including sources of job information, vacancies, types of work, Europass, emigration supports, and work visa requirements
4. Identify local training and education opportunities including education and training programmes, access routes, certification offered, and progression possibilities
5. Compile a personal profile by exploring interests, skills, talents, personal qualities and characteristics, values, achievements, employment preferences, goals, and matching personal characteristics to possible careers
6. Identify preferred personal qualities for workplace employer and employee
7. Practice a range of personal interactions typical of work situations including initiating and maintaining conversations both formal and informal, listening, following instructions, clarifying instructions, contributing opinions, assertiveness skills, and personal care
8. Describe changes that may occur during a working life, including moving to a new position and unemployment, the difficulties associated with change in employment and how to cope with them
9. Prepare to participate in the workplace by using job seeking skills to source a suitable job advertisement, apply by CV and cover letter for the position, participate in a simulated interview, and evaluating own performance.

Assessment General Information

Details of FET assessment requirements are set out in Assessment Guidelines for Providers.

All FET assessment is criterion referenced. Successful achievement of the award is based on learners attaining the required standards of knowledge, skill or competence.

The techniques set out below are considered the optimum approach to assessment for this component. In exceptional circumstances providers may identify alternative assessment techniques through the provider’s application for programme validation which are reliable and valid but which are more appropriate to their context.

Assessment of a number of components may be integrated across programmes for delivery, provided that the learning outcomes of each minor award are assessed.

Group or team work may form part of the assessment, provided each learner’s achievement is separately assessed.

All providers are required to submit an assessment plan as part of their application for programme validation. Assessment Plans will include information relating to scheduling and integration of assessment. See current FET validation guidelines at www.qqi.ie.

Assessment Techniques

In order to demonstrate that they have reached the standards of knowledge, skill and competence identified in all the learning outcomes, learners are required to complete the assessment(s) below.

The assessor is responsible for devising assessment instruments (e.g. project and assignment briefs, examination papers), assessment criteria and mark sheets, consistent with the techniques identified below and FETAC’s assessment requirements.

Programme validation will require providers to map each learning outcome to its associated assessment technique. See current FET validation guidelines at www.qqi.ie.

All learning outcomes must be assessed and achieved

Portfolio / Collection of Work – 100%

Description

Portfolio / Collection of Work

A portfolio or collection of work is a collection and/or selection of pieces of work produced by the learner over a period of time that demonstrates achievement of a range of learning outcomes.  The collection may be self-generated or may be generated in response to a particular brief or tasks/activities devised by the assessor.

Grading

‘Successful’ indicates that the learner has achieved all of the learning outcomes for the award with some supervision and direction. The learner has demonstrated autonomy of action and has taken responsibility for generating appropriate evidence for all learning outcomes.