Portfolio help
If you are studying on the NVQ/SVQ pathway to the AAT Accounting Qualification you will need to build a portfolio. On these pages you'll find detailed help about how to build your portfolio, where to start, and what counts as evidence. You can also find more information in your Student Record, which can be downloaded below:
(If you are studying on the Diploma pathway to the AAT Accounting Qualification, this pathway is assessed differently and you don't need a portfolio).
Please study the following sections:
- What is an accounting portfolio?
- Why do I need to build a portfolio?
- How does building a portfolio benefit you?
- Who's who in portfolio building?
- What is evidence?
- Standards of evidence
- Index of evidence
- Evidence example
- Your responsibilities
- Assessor responsibilities
- Portfolio checklist
What is an accounting portfolio?
There is nothing mystical or too difficult about a portfolio or how to build one. A portfolio is a collection of evidence which shows your skills.
It should contain some personal details about who you are, where you work and the type of job you do. It should also contain the details of the qualification that you are working towards, and your Student Record.
Next and most importantly it should contain a collection of evidence - examples of the types of work that you have done and that are part of the qualification you are working towards.
Why do I need to build a portfolio?
The easy answer to this question is that it is a vital part of the NVQ/SVQ pathway to the AAT qualification you are working towards. A portfolio of evidence is an integral part of any NVQ/SVQ qualification and you can't achieve this pathway to the AAT qualification without one.
How does building a portfolio benefit you?
Your portfolio displays the areas of work in which you are competent - it allows you not just to tell people what you can do but also show them!
The portfolio is there to show your ability to perform a range of accounting tasks to a standard which has been set by industry. Just as you take the exams to prove what you know, you build the portfolio to show what you can do. The two together prove that you have both the knowledge and skills necessary to work as an accounting technician.
You can use your portfolio for job interviews and staff appraisals.
It can reflect to an employer how you would present work in the work place, even if you don't currently work in that area of accounting, and a well-referenced portfolio can allow you to refer quickly to areas where you have experience in an interview.
Many employers and universities regard building a portfolio as a useful learning and development tool.
''As a large employer of AAT students we feel that the portfolio is a key component of the qualification. Building the portfolio allows the student to demonstrate competence in day to day accounting activities that are practical and transferable in the workplace and shows they can do more than just pass an exam.''
Pam Dyson
National Head of Finance Staff Development, NHS
''A portfolio represents physical evidence of a student's ability. Exam results are nice, but they don't show soft skills, such as organisational or presentational skills. A portfolio is a student's chance to distinguish themselves from everyone else, which in a competitive market can make the difference.''
Karen Boyd
Senior Lecturer at the University of Northumbria
Who's who in portfolio building?
There is a range of people involved in building and assessing your portfolio. You may not meet all of them but they are important in terms of ensuring the quality and standard of the work you present.
Student/Learner/Candidate
That's you! You are responsible for collecting the evidence and presenting it in a clear way. You are responsible for matching the work you have done to the standards, with help from others if needed.
Assessor
This could be your lecturer, or someone else associated with your college/training provider. This person is responsible for making the decision as to whether the work you have presented meets the requirements of the NVQ/SVQ.
Mentor
Not all of you will have a mentor but they can be really helpful. This is someone who understands the qualification - it could be someone who works with you, who can help and support you in collecting the evidence. They may be able to give you ideas about what you can do to cover parts of the qualification.
Witness
This is a person with accounting experience and knowledge (lecturer, mentor, workplace supervisor) who can confirm your ability to do certain tasks. This may be in the form of a witness statement. Your assessor cannot be used as a witness, as it is their responsibility to confirm the witness judgements.
Internal verifier
This is someone who works for your AAC and who looks at the decisions made by the assessor. They may meet you to discuss your portfolio or they may just look at the portfolio. Sometimes they may observe the assessor working with you. They do look at your work but their main function is to ensure that the assessor is doing their job properly.
External verifier
This person is employed by the AAT to check what the internal verifier and assessor are doing. They can ask to see your portfolio at anytime, and will visit your college/training provider at least once a year; they also may ask to talk to you. Remember, they are there to check the quality of your learning experience and the assessment decisions made by your AAC - this is shown in part by your portfolio.
Evidence is the term used for anything that goes into proving your abilities meet the accounting standards.
It can be in any format, and does not necessarily live in your portfolio - though you must always make reference in your portfolio to what the evidence is, what it proves and where it can be found. One example is an AAT simulation that you complete - the simulation itself will stay with your assessors but the results will go in your portfolio.
Your evidence will come from a variety of places and sources:
Assessor observation
Your assessor may visit you in the workplace to observe you working and write out a report for you. This will detail what skills and knowledge you have shown and will be matched to the NVQ/SVQ accounting standards.
Workplace (paid or voluntary)
Copies of work that you have produced, (with names etc. deleted for confidentiality) sets of accounts, working papers, VAT returns, journals, telephone log, copies of e-mails - in fact, anything that relates to the standards.
Written statements from your colleagues and supervisors which detail your abilities and confirm your use of the skills, as set down in the standards. Your assessor can give you guidance on this.
Specific examples would include:
- sales and purchase ledger evidence e.g. invoices, credit and debit notes, statements, quotations, day books, ledgers (manual and computerised), and letters to customers.
- any banking work you have completed, e.g. copies of cheques.
- payroll work, extracts from the cash book, bank reconciliations, control account reconciliations.
Testimony evidence
Supervisor testimonies e.g. on how you communicate with customers or your ability to work with computers. Customer testimony on how you helped resolve problems. Personal testimony on how you have resolved problems.
Approved assessment centre
Much of your evidence will come from the AAC you are studying with. This may include simulations, assignments and projects set by the centre, and records of written and oral questioning by your assessor.
Prior learning and achievement
Have you already achieved something that is in the accounting standards? Let your assessor know, as they may be able to take it into account and use it instead. For example, have you passed a computerised accounting course or achieved the health and safety unit in another NVQ/SVQ? You may be able to use this in your current portfolio.
However, whatever the evidence is, it must follow certain rules which will be checked for by the assessor:
Validity - the evidence must be relevant against the standards that you are matching it to. It is no use putting in a balance sheet that you have produced if you are trying to prove that you can complete a VAT return. You must be able to map the evidence to the standards in your Student Record - if you cannot map it to any of the standards then it is not valid for that particular unit.
Authenticity - the evidence must be your own and you must be able to prove this to your assessor. You can do this by signing (and dating) each piece of evidence as you put it in.
You may consider getting your supervisor to sign workplace evidence as well or to provide you with a statement saying that the evidence in the portfolio which has been produced in the workplace is your own work.
Currency - the evidence must be recent, and up-to-date in the use of relevant NVQ/SVQ accounting standards. Evidence should normally never be more than two years old.
Sufficiency - there must be enough evidence to prove your ability, and there must be at least two different types of evidence used in each unit (e.g. AAT simulation and record of oral questioning).
Try and match the evidence to the standards in your student records, and ensure that you have covered all performance criteria, range statements and knowledge and understanding. If there are gaps, talk with your assessor who can help fill these. A good piece of evidence may prove your competence in more than one area.
Remember - evidence must be:
- Yours
- Recent
- Two different types for each unit
- Must meet all the standards.
In the "Index of evidence" section of your Student Record, you should list all of the evidence and give each piece a reference number.
By listing all your evidence in one section and giving each piece of evidence a reference number you will be able to use the same piece of evidence to prove your competence over different units, elements and performance criteria by referring to the evidence number. This saves time and effort in duplicating evidence unnecessarily.
Arrange your portfolio into sections of evidence for each unit of the NVQ/SVQ.
The index will provide a clear pathway through your portfolio for the people who will need to see it. Always assume that the next person who picks up your portfolio has never seen one before and needs a clear guide through your work.
Index:
| Evidence number | Description |
| 1 | AAT simulation result D112 |
| 2 | Assessor observation |
| 3 | VAT return (work) |
| 4 | Oral questions |
| 5 | Written questions on VAT |
| 6 | Journals (work) |
| 7 | Witness testimony (work supervisor about VAT) |
| 8 | Letter to HM Customs & Excise |
As an AAT student member it is your responsibility to choose evidence that will prove to your assessors that you are consistently competent in performing against the NVQ/SVQ standards. To do this you will need to think about which of your activities are relevant and how you can obtain evidence that will demonstrate your competence in these activities.
It is your responsibility to:
- identify your evidence
- compile your evidence
- present the evidence
- reference it to the standards
You'll need to think about the standards you are working towards and plan your activities with others carefully to ensure that you are generating the required evidence.
- In some areas you may have to change your working practices, particularly in the area of measuring and analysing your own performance.
Organising, referencing and presenting your evidence, so that it demonstrates your competence, is your responsibility. You should not expect the assessor to search through files of unreferenced, unorganised paper-work in an effort to establish your competencies.
Your assessor has a formal responsibility within the quality assurance system. It is the assessor's responsibility to:
- agree an assessment plan for each unit with you and review it on a regular basis
- check your evidence for:
- validity
- authenticity
- currency,
- sufficiency,
and ask for further evidence if necessary
-
provide guidance on how you can obtain the evidence
-
give you clear, constructive feedback.
-
help identify your learning needs
-
support you in portfolio building
-
help identify sources of evidence.
Before you can claim your portfolio is complete, please check the following points carefully.
| Check that you have included the following: | Yes/No |
| Title page | |
| Curriculum Vitae | |
| Job description | |
| Organisation chart | |
| Witness signature lists | |
| Student Record completed (no gaps) | |
| All evidence is numbered and cross-referenced to evidence list | |
| Unit summary sheets are complete and signed by you and your assessor | |
| All evidence is valid | |
| All evidence is authentic | |
| All evidence is current (dated) | |
| All evidence is sufficient | |
| All work evidence is explained and authenticated (statement, story board, or description) | |
| Has confidentiality been maintained throughout? |
Warning
DO NOT REMOVE ANY EVIDENCE FROM YOUR PORTFOLIO ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED IT.
It may be recalled anytime within the next three years by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) or by government inspectors and it MUST be available and complete.