Key takeaways
- Every unit is described twice: the Occupational Standard says what a competent worker does; the Curriculum says how to train it.
- A unit breaks down into elements, and each element into measurable performance criteria.
- Learning outcomes (curriculum) usually mirror the elements (OS).
- Units are classed as basic, common or core.
- Results are Competent or Not Yet Competent, backed by a portfolio of evidence.
CBET comes with its own vocabulary, and the same few words appear on every curriculum, every Occupational Standard, every learning plan and every assessment tool. Once these terms are clear, the documents stop looking intimidating. This glossary explains each term, shows where you'll meet it, and gives a worked example from a real unit.
New to CBET? Read What is CBET? first, then come back here.
The two documents behind every unit
Almost every CBET term lives in one of two official documents published by TVET CDACC. It helps to know which is which.
| Occupational Standard (OS) | Curriculum (CU) | |
|---|---|---|
| Answers | What must a competent worker be able to do? | How do we train someone to that standard? |
| Written for | Industry, assessors and trainers | Trainers and institutions |
| Main contents | Unit description, elements, performance criteria, range, required knowledge and skills, evidence guide | Unit duration, learning outcomes, content per outcome, suggested delivery methods, suggested assessment methods, recommended resources |
| You use it to | Decide what to assess and the standard to assess against | Plan the term, sessions and notes |
Rule of thumb
Plan from the curriculum, assess against the OS. A good Learning Plan uses both: sessions and content from the curriculum, benchmarks (criteria) from the OS.
Qualification-level terms
- Qualification
- The award a trainee works towards, such as a Certificate or Diploma in a trade. Each qualification is made up of units of competency and placed at a level on the KNQF.
- KNQF (Kenya National Qualifications Framework)
- The national framework, maintained by KNQA, that places every qualification on a level so qualifications can be compared and recognised. TVET qualifications typically sit around levels 3 to 6; you'll often see the level on the curriculum cover (for example "Level 5").
- Module
- A stage of a qualification (Module I, II, III…) made up of a group of units, usually delivered over a term or more. Assessments are often organised by module.
- Course / programme
- The full training programme leading to the qualification, e.g. "Diploma in Electrical Engineering". The programme name appears at the top of learning plans and session plans.
Unit-level terms
- Unit of competency
- One individually assessable part of a job, such as Apply Basic Electronics or Perform Field Crop Production. It is the unit you plan, teach and assess. One Learning Plan covers one unit.
- Unit code
- The unique code that identifies a unit, printed on both the OS and the curriculum. Formats vary between older and newer documents (you may see codes like
IT/CU/ICT/CC/1/6or newer numeric codes). Always copy the code exactly as printed; it is how documents and results are matched. - Unit title
- The name of the unit, such as Apply Basic Electronics. Use the title from the OS or curriculum, not the document's cover heading.
- Basic units
- Foundational units needed in almost every occupation: communication skills, numeracy, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, employability skills, environmental literacy and occupational safety and health.
- Common units
- Units shared by a group of related occupations in the same sector. For example, units on drawing or basic electronics may be common to several engineering trades.
- Core units
- Units specific to the occupation the qualification prepares for, the heart of the trade.
- Unit description
- A short paragraph in the OS describing the competencies the unit covers. Learning plans often call this the skill or job task.
- Unit duration (total unit hours)
- The number of training hours the curriculum allocates to the unit. You use it to work out how many sessions your Learning Plan needs.
Terms inside the Occupational Standard
- Element
- One of the main tasks that together make up a unit. Elements are numbered (1, 2, 3…) and written as actions, e.g. 1. Identify electrical circuits.
- Performance criteria
- The measurable statements listed under each element (1.1, 1.2… or a, b, c…) describing the standard the task must be done to, e.g. Types of electrical circuits are identified with examples. Assessments check these. Learning plans often call them benchmarks.
- Range (variables)
- The different contexts, tools, materials or conditions the competency must be shown in. For example, "circuits may include series, parallel and series-parallel". Assessment should sample this range.
- Required knowledge
- What the trainee must understand to perform the unit, such as theory, principles, regulations and terminology.
- Required skills
- The practical and generic skills needed: using tools, measuring, communicating, problem solving and so on.
- Evidence guide
- Guidance for assessors: the critical aspects of competency that must be seen, resource implications, suitable methods of assessment, the context of assessment and guidance for assessment.
Worked example: one element from an Occupational Standard
Element 1. Identify electrical circuits
1.1 Electrical circuits are identified accurately.
1.2 Electrical quantities and their units are identified correctly.
1.3 Types of electrical circuits are identified with examples.
Read it like this: to be competent in Element 1, a trainee must be seen doing all three things in 1.1 to 1.3. Each of those statements will become a benchmark in the Learning Plan, a learning check in a Session Plan and an item on an assessment checklist.
Terms inside the Curriculum
- Learning outcome
- A statement of what the trainee will be able to do after training, e.g. Identify electric circuits. Curricula list them in a "Summary of learning outcomes" table, usually with the hours for each. They normally mirror the OS elements.
- Content
- The topics to be covered under each learning outcome, e.g. "definition of terms, types of circuits, Ohm's law". Content becomes your session titles and notes.
- Suggested assessment methods
- How each learning outcome should be assessed: written tests, practical tasks, oral questioning, projects, observation and so on.
- Suggested delivery methods
- Recommended teaching methods: demonstration, practical work, discussion, field visits, case studies, projects.
- Recommended resources
- The tools, equipment, materials and references needed to train the unit. These feed the "resources and references" column of your plans.
Worked example: learning outcomes for the same unit
1. Identify electric circuits
2. Identify electronic components
3. Understand semiconductor theory
4. Identify and classify memory
5. Apply number systems
6. Explain emerging trends in electronics
Notice how outcome 1 (Identify electric circuits) matches Element 1 in the OS example above. That match is what lets you trace a session back to the standard it serves.
Planning and delivery terms
- Learning Plan
- The term-long plan for one unit, showing every week and session with its outcome, activities, resources and learning checks. Full guide.
- Session
- One scheduled teaching slot, usually one or two hours. Learning plans number sessions consecutively through the term.
- Session Plan
- The detailed plan for a single session, commonly written in the BOPPPS format. Full guide.
- BOPPPS
- A six-stage lesson structure: Bridge-in, Objectives (outcomes), Pre-assessment, Participatory learning, Post-assessment and Summary.
- Learning check
- A quick way of confirming that trainees achieved a session's outcome: questions, a short task, a demonstration back to the trainer.
- Record of Work Covered
- The dated log of what was actually taught in each session. Full guide.
- Trainer and trainee activities
- What the trainer does (demonstrates, explains, guides) and what trainees do (practise, discuss, perform) in each session. CBET plans list both so the session is clearly participatory.
- Industrial attachment
- A period of training in a real workplace, where trainees apply their skills under supervision.
Assessment terms
- Competent (C) / Not Yet Competent (NYC)
- The two possible results of a CBET assessment. NYC means the trainee needs more practice and will be reassessed.
- Criterion-referenced assessment
- Judging each trainee against fixed criteria (the performance criteria), not against classmates.
- Formative and summative assessment
- Formative assessment happens during training to guide learning; summative assessment confirms competence at the end of a unit or module.
- Assessment tool
- The instrument used to assess: a written paper, a practical task sheet, an observation checklist, an oral question bank, with a marking scheme or guide.
- Assessor
- A qualified person who judges evidence against the criteria and records the result.
- Portfolio of evidence (POE)
- The organised collection of a trainee's evidence of competence: results, checklists, work samples, photos, reports and logbooks.
- RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)
- Assessing and certifying skills a person already has, however they gained them, without requiring them to repeat training.
See competency-based assessment in TVET for how these fit together.
Putting it all together
Here is how the terms connect, from the top of the system to a single lesson:
- The OS defines the unit
Elements, and under each element its performance criteria.
- The curriculum turns elements into learning outcomes
With content, hours, delivery and assessment methods.
- The Learning Plan spreads the outcomes across the term
Sessions, activities and learning checks, with the OS criteria as benchmarks.
- Each Session Plan delivers one slice of an outcome
Through the six BOPPPS stages, ending with a learning check.
- The Record of Work logs what was actually taught
Session by session, with dates.
- Assessment checks the performance criteria
And the evidence goes into the trainee's portfolio.
Next, see how this becomes your main planning document in Part 3: What is a Learning Plan?
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an Occupational Standard and a Curriculum?
The Occupational Standard (OS) describes what a competent worker must be able to do: the unit's elements and performance criteria, the range of contexts, required knowledge and skills and an evidence guide. The Curriculum describes how that competence is trained: learning outcomes, content, hours, delivery methods, assessment methods and resources. You plan from the curriculum and assess against the OS.
What is the difference between an element and a learning outcome?
Elements come from the Occupational Standard and describe the main tasks of a unit. Learning outcomes come from the curriculum and describe what the trainee will be able to do after training. They usually line up closely, often one learning outcome per element, but they are written in two different documents for two different purposes.
What are basic, common and core units?
Basic units are foundational skills needed in almost any job, such as communication, numeracy, digital literacy, entrepreneurship and occupational safety. Common units are shared by several related occupations in a sector. Core units are specific to the occupation the qualification is for.
What are performance criteria?
Performance criteria are the measurable statements, listed under each element of an Occupational Standard, that describe the standard a task must be done to. They are what an assessor checks to decide whether a trainee is Competent or Not Yet Competent.
What is a portfolio of evidence?
A portfolio of evidence (POE) is the organised collection of proof that a trainee is competent: assessment results, observation checklists, work samples, photos, project reports, logbooks and similar evidence, kept for review and verification.