Decoding TPECS Competency Units
and Examination Profiles:
Unveiling the Framework

Hi everyone,

Thanks to everyone that responded to last month’s newsletter. It was great to get your feedback and topic suggestions. Consequently, I would like to devote this month’s column to de-mystifying TPECS Competency Units and their partner, the Examination Profile.

Competency Units are the building blocks of Exemplar Global’s TPECS Certification. They have been developed to define the performance criteria required to be demonstrated by the individual undergoing assessment (usually the student) in a particular, narrow area of interest.

Competency Units can be used independently to focus on a particular topic or in combination with other units to define a broader assessment scope. Consider them the same way you would a module, combining them in various ways to achieve the desired outcome.

However you decide to use them, one important thing to keep in mind is that Competency Units require the examinee to demonstrate their ability to perform the tasks outlined in the ‘Evidence Guide’ column during an assessment activity. It probably won’t surprise you that the most common types of assessment activities tend to be multiple choice, written response, case study, role-play, group activity, short in-class Q&A, etc., but you should feel free to move outside of this list if desired or necessary to meet your specific needs.  

However, the most important thing to remember is that whichever type of assessment activity is chosen, it should enable you to collect sufficient evidence to determine if the examinee has sufficiently demonstrated their competence in that particular element.

Look to the wording in the ‘Evidence Guide’ column for each element to guide you in identifying the most appropriate assessment type for that element. Some elements require the examinee to demonstrate their knowledge, others require the examinee to apply their knowledge to a particular situation, while others require the examinee to analyse and make a decision (i.e., to act as an auditor).

As an example, the Evidence Guide column associated with Element 3.7.7 of the AU Competency Unit states, “Audit evidence is appropriately evaluated against criteria in order to identify audit findings.”

To satisfy this requirement, the examinee is required to review evidence (either collected by them or provided to them) to determine an audit finding. This goes beyond just remembering theory; it requires application and thought.

The partner document to the Competency Unit is the Examination Profile. The Examination Profile mirrors the Competency Unit on which it is associated, providing areas for you to record information about the type of assessment activity used for each element, where the assessment activity is within your materials and the approximate day/time that the examinee completes the assessment activity. The Examination Profile is simply a mapping document. See below: