The following is the full requirements required to be completed in order to renew a CPCS Tester Card after the 4^th January 2021:

• Hold a CPCS Full Tester Card
• Hold valid in date First Aid certificate
• Hold one of the following Health & Safety Qualifications:
  1. NEBOSH Construction Certificate within 5 years
  2. NEBOSH Construction Certificate with IOSH Membership (Tech IOSH Level Membership as a minimum) if older than 5years
  3. Site Managers Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)
  4. Managing and Co-ordinating Plant (MCP) with Refresher were applicable
  5. IOSH Managing Safely (within 5 years)
  6. Level 5 or 6 H&S Qualification accompanied with an in date CSCS card stating the following occupation routes:
  7. Construction Health and Safety Manager (with Minimum Tech IOSH Membership)
  8. Construction Health and Safety Senior Manager (with Minimum Tech IOSH Membership)
• Demonstrate Practical operating ability for the categories held on the CPCS Tester Card.  – This can be evidenced by either of the following options:
  • Hold a Valid CPCS Competent Operator Card for the categories held on the tester card
  • Undertaken an Advanced Technical Test for a category within the last 5 years.
  • Complete and achieve the Advanced on Site Assessment (AOSA) for all categories held on the CPCS Tester Card.

What is the Advanced On Site Assessment (AOSA)?

As testers who hold a Valid CPCS Competent Operator card can use this to demonstrate practical operating ability as part of the renewal process, it would be unreasonable to ask those without this card to undertake a more rigorous process to demonstrate operating ability.  Therefore, as the standard On Site Assessment (OSA) can be used to renew the Competent Operator card in lieu of a Logbook, then the same can be used by testers who do not hold a CPCS Competent Operator card.

The AOSA has been developed based on the same content as the standard OSA but does allow some differences in delivery such as the inclusion of a professional discussion element for the activities which cannot be undertaken due to operational restrictions. For use when assessing Off Centre Categories, such as elements within Piling Operations.

For all On Centre categories, it is expected that all elements of the AOSA can be undertaken, so no professional discussions will be allowed for these categories. For example, the Forward Tipping Dumper etc.

The advanced on site assessment are available via the Revision Support Documents page of the NOCN Job Cards web site – Revision Support Documents – NOCN Job Cards

Notification of the AOSA

The AOSA’s are notified in the same manner as the standard OSA using the Test Centre Management System, using the same timings. Centres will only be able to notify AOSA for the categories they are accredited to deliver.

Quality Assurance

Your sector EQA does not need to be notified as the TCM system informs the EQA of all tests being delivered within that sector.  The EQA may decide to observe the delivery of the assessment or make a request that the assessment is visually recorded to allow quality assurance to be completed at a later date.

How to identify which AOSA are required

As part of the agreement with CPCS Management Committee (MC), concessions have been agreed to reduce the number of AOSA that need to be undertaken in order to demonstrate the required level of practical operating ability to renew their cards.

The concessions are in line with those agreed within the Renewal Test tool, which identify the required Renewal Theory Tests to be undertaken as part of the renewal process for the CPCS Competent Operator Card.  In order to reduce the number of theories required, the renewal test tool combines plant categories which are similar in operation or grouped within occupational groupings such as Excavating and Extracting.

For example: if a tester holds A10, A12, A58 & A59 then only the AOSA for the A59 will be required to be undertaken.

To identify the AOSA required, please refer to the following documents located in the Revision Support Documents page of the NOCN Job Cards web site – Revision Support Documents – NOCN Job Cards

·       Working Instructions for the Groupings and Concessions for the AOSA

·       AOSA Groupings and Concessions

Who can deliver?

Any tester who has a valid CPCS tester Card for the required AOSA can undertake the delivery of the AOSA.

How is the AOSA delivered?

The AOSA is delivered exactly the same as the OSA, with the expectation that any CPCS categories which are delivered on Centre are done so with the AOSA.  When undertaking an off centre category, if an element of the assessment cannot be undertaken then it is allowed the candidate and tester should undertake a professional discussion (PD).

The PD should cover the criteria detailed in the sections titled Activity and Additional standards required in the AOSA form.

Should a PD be required to take place, then this should be recorded using the script which will be available on the Revision Support Documents on the NOCN website and in the CPCS ACOD when this is updated early in 2021. Also, comments should be written in the comments section confirming that the element has been recorded and that the standard has been met or not met.

What’s the duration?

The duration for an AOSA is set at 40mins on the TCMS which is the same for the OSA, centres are asked to be aware that on occasion the AOSA may take longer than the system allows for and consideration is to be made taking into account the needs of the tester and candidate.

What happens if I don’t achieve the AOSA?

Should the situation arise that a candidate does not meet the standard required to achieve the AOSA, then the candidate will be allowed to retake the assessment following a period of training. Should the candidate not be successful on the second attempt then the candidate will be required to undertake a full CPCS Advanced Technical Test, Theory and Practical to be able to retain the category on their CPCS Tester Card.

How long are the AOSA valid for?

As with the other CPCS Technical tests the AOSA will be valid for two years, allowing testers to spread the costs etc. to be able to undertake all the required AOSA prior to renewing their card.