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AIM Qualification and Assessment Group

Assistant Recording Technician: Top tips for Gateway

By Dave Tracey – AIM EPA Assessor, Internal Quality Assurer and Subject Specialist

I’m Dave, one of the industry specialist assessors for your Assistant Recording Technician apprenticeship here at AIM. In our other blog we shared some top tips for Assistant Recording Technician assessments, but what about preparing for your gateway. As you near the end of your apprenticeship, you’ll be thinking about passing through the Gateway to begin your end-point assessment – which isn’t as scary as it sounds! Knowing what’s expected of you before and during your assessments will allow you to concentrate on showing your assessor how good you are at your job. Here’s five top tips to help you get ready for Gateway:

1. Know the Assessment Record

‘Form 6: Assessment record’ may not sound very exciting, but getting to know this form inside out will help you prepare for and do your best in the assessments. This is the form that your assessor will use to grade you, but that you get to see it in advance as well. This means you’ll know exactly how you’re going to be marked! Not only does it have the grading criteria to show you how to get a pass or distinction, but it has ‘expansions’ to explain exactly what the grading criteria means. Know this form and you’ll know how to get the grade you deserve.

2. Talk to your employer about your project

All the details of the Assistant Recording Technician project assessment are in your apprentice pack but it’s worth talking to your boss about it well in advance so they can line you up with a project that’s the perfect fit. It’s got to provide opportunity to evidence all the grading criteria, but if it’s a type of project you feel confident on then that’s even better! Your first time recording a Death Metal band might not be the ideal project if you’re more used to Hip Hop acts… 

3. Plan your Gateway date

Think ahead with your employer to make sure your Gateway date works for you. You might time it so that it coincides with that perfect technical recording project you can use for your assessment, or there might be other priorities in the studio that you might need to work around, like new gear or software getting installed. Think about other things in your life to factor in, like your planned holidays. Work with your employer and us to make sure it works for you. 

4. Recognise your gaps

From reading the Assessment Record, you’ll be able to spot any areas that you’re not as confident on as you could be. Maybe there’s a skill that you haven’t had much opportunity to practice in the studio, or maybe an area of knowledge that you don’t want to get caught out on. Talk to your employer and training provider so they can make sure you’re confident on every single grading criteria.

5. Get your portfolio up to scratch

Your portfolio is submitted at Gateway for your assessor to read before your professional discussion assessment. Even though you’re not directly assessed on your portfolio, it needs to be top quality and showcase your work in your apprenticeship. By reading about what you’ve been involved in, your assessor will be able to ask questions that apply to you and your experience – and that makes the assessment better for you! Your training provider will help you collate your portfolio and it’s also a useful check to make sure you have evidence for all the grading criteria.

Discover more about the Assistant Recording Technician apprenticeship standard.


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