Assessment is an integral element of learning. All those who facilitate learning processes and activities and manage and administer assessment, such as educators, trainers, mentors, etc., are referred to as assessors. Assessors register with a relevant Education and Training Quality Assurance body. This registration is a means of ensuring that whoever assesses learner competence across all fields and economic sectors and at all National Qualifications Framework levels, meet a consistent set of criteria agreed by SAQA.

To become a registered assessor, one needs to take note of the following:

1. All registered assessors must have met the requirements of the generic assessor standard, and should be certificated by the Education, Training and Development Practices SETA (ETDP SETA) or by the relevant Education and Training Quality Assurance body (ETQA) in agreement with the ETDP SETA in this regard.

2. This requirement will be enforced from the end of May 2004, by which time all assessors should be able to demonstrate competence against the new standard, either through participating in a training and assessment programme or through undergoing a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. Once the system is fully operational, the status of certificated assessors can be checked on the National Learner Records Database.

3. All registered assessors are registered to assess using specified standards and/or qualifications: the registered assessor must be able to demonstrate competence in relation to these specified standards and qualifications, at or above, the level of the qualifications in question. The status of registered assessors can be checked on the appropriate ETQA database or Website.

4. All registered assessors must have met any additional requirements laid down by their constituent ETQA.