Every ST1512 KSB, mapped to what you actually learn.
The Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner standard (ST1512) is built from 64 Knowledge, Skills and Behaviour statements. This is the only place that lists every one of them next to how you learn it on the TESS programme: the real tools, modules and builds behind each KSB, including the agentic AI work at the heart of the standard.
What KSBs are, and why they decide everything
KSBs are the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours that define an apprenticeship standard. They are not marketing copy: they are the legal specification of what an apprentice must know, do and demonstrate.
For the AI & Automation Practitioner, Skills England sets out 64 KSBs: 29 Knowledge statements (K1 to K29), 29 Skills statements (S1 to S29) and 6 Behaviours (B1 to B6). Each one is mapped to the occupation's 15 duties, and, crucially, the End-Point Assessment is scored against them. When a BCS assessor reviews an apprentice's project and holds their professional discussion, they are looking for evidence of these exact statements. So the KSBs are the honest answer to the question every employer should ask: what will my apprentice actually be able to do?
That is why a good provider designs backwards from the KSBs. Version 2.1 of the standard, which took effect on 22 May 2026, revised the assessment plan for ST1512, so how the KSBs are assessed matters as much as the statements themselves. We break down exactly what moved in our post on what changed in ST1512 v2.1. The KSBs below are taken from the current occupational standard, which you can always verify on the Skills England ST1512 standard page.
64 KSBs, three categories, one purpose: to prove an apprentice can identify where AI and automation pay off, build the solution in no-code tools, and put governance around it. Building agentic AI, real AI agents with human oversight, sits right at the centre of the standard.
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Ready to put these KSBs to work in your team? See the full Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner programme, or book a short call and we will map the standard to your roles.
Knowledge (K1 to K29)
What an apprentice must understand: the concepts, frameworks and principles behind responsible, effective AI and automation.
The role of organisational leadership in responsible AI adoption, including setting values, policy, and strategy. The business case for ethical AI adoption, including reputational risk, staff morale, and long-term sustainability.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You build the leadership case for AI in the governance module, weighing reputational risk, morale and long-term value the way a sponsor would.
Legal and regulatory frameworks including employment rights, equality, and responsible automation, data protection and GDPR. Ethical principles and professional standards relevant to AI development such as fairness, transparency, and accountability.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: The ethics and governance unit works through GDPR, equality and employment duties against real automation scenarios, so fairness and transparency are habits, not footnotes.
Understand the potential social and economic impacts of AI and automation on different roles, particularly for non-technical staff including change management principles.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Change management is taught alongside every build, so you can read the human impact of automating a task before you automate it.
Approaches for identifying and implementing incremental change, including piloting, evaluating solutions in relation to organisational constraints such as budget, time, and resources.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You pilot small, measure, then scale, using the same increment-and-evaluate loop we apply to every workflow you build.
Methods to identify opportunities to enhance productivity such as improve processes, reduce waste, increase user or customer satisfaction or optimise outcomes.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Process-mapping workshops train you to spot the waste and the quick wins, the opportunities where AI or automation actually pays back.
The importance of designing AI and automation systems that augment rather than replace human work, where feasible.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Every agent you build in Copilot Studio is designed to augment a person's day, keeping a human in the loop by design.
The capabilities, benefits and risks of automation, AI and digital tools including responsible use, ethical considerations and the potential impact on the workforce.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: The AI fundamentals module maps what these tools can and cannot do, and where the risks sit, before you point them at live work.
The capabilities, risks and implications of on-premise, cloud-based and third party solutions.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You compare on-premise, cloud and third-party options in the tooling module, weighing security and data residency against fit.
AI and automation concepts, models and limitations. The impact adoption may have on workplace culture and wellbeing.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You learn how generative, predictive and conversational AI models work, and where they break, so you set realistic expectations.
Sources of error and algorithmic bias, including how they may be affected by choice of dataset and methodologies applied, and the impact on the user and or organisation. Fairness metrics and mitigation approaches.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: The data analysis and ethics units show you where bias enters through the data, and the fairness metrics and mitigations that keep it out.
User requirements when designing and implementing AI and automation solutions including accessibility considerations.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You gather user requirements, including accessibility, as the first step of every build, not a retro-fit.
Product development lifecycle including consideration of user experience (UX) principles such as user centred design (UCD), data informed design and experimental testing.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You run each build through a user-centred lifecycle: design, test, iterate, using real feedback to shape the solution.
How to assess the viability of solutions, for example testing and evaluating solutions, using test data and results, feasibility (time, cost, data quality and process maturity), and user testing.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Before you build, you test the idea for viability against time, cost and data quality, so you back the workflows that will stick.
Principles and application of testing methodologies and their application in practice.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You apply structured testing to every Power Automate flow and every AI agent, so nothing ships on hope.
Principles of human oversight and human AI collaboration to achieve shared outcomes.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Human oversight is designed into your agentic AI builds: you decide where the AI acts and where a person signs off.
Feedback and evaluation loops to improve systems, processes, productivity and performance including human in the loop safeguards.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You wire feedback loops and human-in-the-loop safeguards into your automations, so they get better and stay safe in production.
Principles for designing sustainable solutions to support organisational strategies and objectives.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You learn to design solutions that last and align to strategy, not one-off hacks that rot the moment you leave.
Governance principles to ensure accountability and compliance, including methods to identify system vulnerabilities and mitigate threats or risks to assets, data and cyber security.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: The cyber and governance units cover accountability, vulnerabilities and the controls that keep your AI systems compliant and secure.
Engagement and training approaches used with non-technical staff to understand their roles, responsibilities, and concerns when AI automation solutions are proposed. Including best practice and methods to deliver training.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You practise engaging and training non-technical colleagues, because adoption is what turns a clever automation into real value.
Methods to develop resources such as manuals, short explainers, chat-based guidance, interactive wikis and training materials.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You create user guides, explainers and even chat-based guidance for the tools you deploy, so colleagues can actually use them.
Strategies for inclusive communication with stakeholders from diverse and non-technical backgrounds.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Communication modules train you to translate AI into plain language for every stakeholder, whatever their background.
Collaborative working principles to explore AI and automation solutions and implement prototypes, pilots or proof of concepts.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You collaborate to build prototypes and proofs of concept, the same way real automation teams pressure-test an idea before scaling it.
Mitigation strategies for post-deployment issues such as overreliance and automation bias.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You learn to guard against overreliance and automation bias after go-live, so people stay in control of the AI, not the other way round.
Principles to support project and change management delivery.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Project and change management principles run through your work-based project, so delivery is disciplined, not ad hoc.
Approaches to maintaining up-to-date knowledge of existing, evolving and emerging technologies and sector trends for example peer learning, online forums, AI tool release notes.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: We build the habit of tracking AI tool release notes, agentic AI developments and sector trends, because this field moves monthly.
The benefits of wellbeing and safe working practices.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Wellbeing and safe working sit alongside efficiency, so your automations lighten workloads rather than pile on pressure.
Methods for assuring compliance in AI and automation projects, including documentation of model decision-making, conducting structured risk assessments, and aligning implementation with recognised AI assurance and governance frameworks. The importance of auditability, transparency, and accountability in organisational contexts.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You document decision-making, run risk assessments and apply recognised assurance frameworks, so every project is auditable and defensible.
Principles and practices of algorithmic impact assessment and workforce equality monitoring, including methods to identify, assess, and mitigate potential disproportionate impacts of automation and AI systems on different workforce groups. Organisational responsibilities under equality and employment law, and methods to evidence fairness and transparency in adoption.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You run algorithmic impact assessments and equality monitoring, evidencing fairness across workforce groups the way regulators expect.
Principles and practices for the long-term monitoring of AI and automation solutions, including detection and mitigation of risks such as model drift, emerging bias, degraded performance, and security vulnerabilities.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You learn to monitor AI agents and automations long after launch, catching model drift, emerging bias and degraded performance before they bite.
Skills (S1 to S29)
What an apprentice must be able to do: the hands-on capabilities, from process mapping and prompt engineering to building and governing live automations.
Review, establish, follow and or amend policies and procedures on data and information security.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You work with real data and information security policies, learning to follow and improve them as you build.
Follow ethical, responsible and safe working practices respecting confidentiality and sensitive organisational matters.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Ethical, confidential working is assessed throughout your portfolio, not treated as an afterthought.
Undertake analysis to identify if automation is viable. Including assessing risks such as data quality, process maturity and unintended consequences of AI automation projects, such as the impact on job roles.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You analyse whether a process is even worth automating, weighing data quality, maturity and the impact on people's roles.
Engage with non-technical staff to understand their roles, responsibilities, and concerns when automation solutions are proposed and implemented. Adapt approach to support workforce needs when implementing solutions that impacts the workforce.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You interview and engage the colleagues affected by a build, adapting your approach to their concerns.
Support with the introduction, adaption, and implementation of change. Contribute to constructive dialogue between leaders and employees about the adoption of AI and automation solutions.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You practise brokering the conversation between leaders and staff about adopting AI, a core part of making change land.
Review and complete workflow and process mapping to identify problems or inefficiencies and recommend solutions including pilots, incremental changes and scaling opportunities.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Workflow and process mapping is a hands-on skill you use in every module to surface the inefficiencies worth fixing.
Use automation design tools to suit the organisational context to configure, adapt and implement solutions for example Zapier, Make and Power Automate.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You configure and ship real automations in Power Automate, Make and Zapier, matched to your organisation's context.
Create and refine prompts for AI tools, using iterative testing to achieve accurate and useful outputs.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Prompt engineering is taught as an iterative craft: you test, refine and version prompts until the output is reliable.
Apply analytical and computational techniques using tools and datasets to design, evaluate, and optimise automation solutions.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You apply data analysis techniques to design and optimise automations, using real datasets, no coding required.
Integrate AI and automation technologies to collect, process, and manage data effectively, enabling intelligent and efficient system operation.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You connect AI and automation tools so data flows cleanly between them, the plumbing behind any working agent.
Design, integrate, and test digital workflows and AI automation tools using APIs, connectors, or low-or no-code integration methods.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You build and test end-to-end workflows using connectors and no-code integration, wiring AI agents into live systems.
Iterate solutions based on testing and feedback to ensure reliability, security, accessibility, and alignment with organisational needs.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You iterate every build on real feedback until it is reliable, secure and accessible.
Identify opportunities to deliver automation. Support leaders in integrating ethical, empathetic approaches when decision-making.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You spot automation opportunities and help leaders make the call ethically and empathetically, not just efficiently.
Support in the identification and evaluation of opportunities for increased productivity. For example, use of low-or no-code tools, streamlining processes and use of AI platforms.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You evaluate where no-code tools and AI platforms genuinely lift productivity, and where they do not.
Make evidence based suggestions to support governance, outcomes and facilitate improvement for example cost benefit analysis.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You build the cost-benefit case for each solution, so your recommendations are evidence-led, not vibes.
Report on productivity and efficiency savings and the opportunities for automation and where applicable when automation does not improve experience or processes.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You report honestly on the savings a build delivers, including the times automation is the wrong answer.
Contribute to sustainable and efficient AI and automation solutions.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You design for sustainability, efficient prompts and flows that do not burn compute or maintenance time.
Support with the delivery of training to technical and non-technical user groups or audiences adapting content and format responding to feedback and organisational context.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You deliver training on the tools you build, adapting to technical and non-technical audiences alike.
Contribute to the creation and or adaption of resources such as user guides, training materials, process documents to meet user requirements.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You produce the user guides and process docs that let a build outlive your involvement.
Work collaboratively to deploy AI and automation strategies. Support where required to deal with the impact of automation for example retraining, redeployment, or upskilling of affected staff.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You deploy automations as part of a team and help manage the people impact, upskilling and redeployment included.
Undertake data analysis, preparation, and conversion to support automation solutions.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You clean, prepare and convert data so your automations run on trustworthy inputs, a core data analysis skill.
Present and communicate information including the translation of technical concepts into accessible materials to support clear dialogue with stakeholders.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You translate technical AI concepts into plain, accessible materials for stakeholders, assessed in your professional discussion.
Work with others to achieve agreed outcomes or outputs. Provide evidence-based analysis and insight to leaders on the likely human impacts of automation projects.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You give leaders evidence-based insight on the human impact of a project, working collaboratively to agreed outcomes.
Use project management principles, techniques and tools to support the development of clear, balanced communications and briefings, articulating both opportunities and risks.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Project management tools structure your work-based project, so you brief clearly on both upside and risk.
Keep up to date with existing, evolving, emerging technologies and sector trends in AI, automation and technology including methods to evaluate vendor and supplier solutions.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You learn to scan the market and evaluate vendors, keeping pace with agentic AI and emerging automation tools.
Apply ethical and human-centred design principles when scoping, developing, and deploying automation and AI solutions, underpinned by robust governance.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Human-centred, ethical design underpins every build, backed by the governance you learn to apply.
Apply technical understanding to help align business needs with technical capabilities, supporting the development of solutions that are scalable, efficient, and aligned with the organisation's strategic objectives.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You bridge business need and technical capability, designing AI solutions that scale with the organisation's goals.
Undertake assurance activities to evidence responsible AI and automation, including maintaining clear documentation of design and decision-making, contributing to risk assessments, and applying assurance frameworks to support compliance with organisational, regulatory, and ethical standards.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You run assurance activities and keep the documentation that proves your AI work is responsible and compliant.
Apply algorithmic impact assessment and workforce equality monitoring techniques when scoping, implementing, and reviewing AI and automation projects. Gather and analyse relevant workforce data, identify potential equality risks, and contribute evidence-based recommendations to support fair and inclusive adoption.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You gather workforce data and run equality monitoring on live projects, recommending fixes that keep adoption fair and inclusive.
Behaviours (B1 to B6)
How an apprentice must conduct themselves: empathy, professionalism, curiosity and the judgement to balance efficiency with fairness to people.
Demonstrates empathy by actively considering the perspectives and concerns of staff who may be impacted by AI-driven change. Acts responsibly, recognising organisational efficiency goals with fairness to employees.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Empathy is coached throughout: you learn to hold efficiency goals and fairness to colleagues in the same hand.
Maintains professionalism and upholds confidentiality when discussing sensitive workforce impacts, showing respect for individual contributions.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You handle sensitive workforce data and conversations professionally, a behaviour assessed in your professional discussion.
Demonstrates confidence in sharing concerns or alternative perspectives of self or others, even when under pressure to deliver efficiencies.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You practise speaking up, flagging a risk or a better route even when the pressure is to just ship the automation.
Balances respect for leadership decisions with advocacy for employees.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You learn to respect the leadership call while advocating for the people the change affects.
Support leaders to consider the impact of AI automation adoption, not just immediate organisational gains.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: You prompt leaders to look past the quick win to the longer-term impact of AI adoption.
Shows curiosity and initiative, experimenting with AI and automation, while ensuring such exploration is conducted safely, ethically, and with regard for potential impacts.
How you learn it on the TESS programme: Curiosity is rewarded: you experiment with new agentic AI tools and automations, safely and ethically, throughout the programme.
How the KSBs map to the End-Point Assessment
The KSBs are not assessed one by one on a checklist. The BCS End-Point Assessment gathers evidence of them holistically, across two connected methods.
- A work-based project. The apprentice scopes, builds and writes up a real AI or automation solution inside their own organisation. This is where the Skills come alive, S6 to S12 in particular, alongside the Knowledge that underpins good design and the governance KSBs like K27 and K28.
- A professional discussion, underpinned by a portfolio. A structured conversation with a BCS assessor, evidenced by the portfolio the apprentice builds throughout the programme. This is where Behaviours B1 to B6 and the communication and reflection Skills, such as S22 and S23, are drawn out.
Because the two methods overlap, a single build can evidence many KSBs at once: an AI agent shipped in Copilot Studio can demonstrate the fundamentals (K7, K9), human oversight (K15, K16), the build skills (S11, S12) and the behaviours around safe, curious experimentation (B6) in one go. That is the point of mapping teaching to the KSBs from day one, rather than cramming for an exam at the end. The exact structure and weightings follow the current ST1512 assessment plan, revised at v2.1, on the Skills England standard page.
When every module ties back to specific KSBs and every apprentice keeps a live portfolio in OneFile, coverage is tracked, not hoped for. Across our apprenticeship portfolio, 72% of TESS apprentices finish with a distinction.
ST1512 KSBs: frequently asked questions
What are KSBs?
KSBs are the Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours that make up an apprenticeship standard. They are the official statements of what an apprentice must know, be able to do, and how they must conduct themselves. For ST1512, the End-Point Assessment tests directly against these KSBs, so every one of them shapes what you learn and how you are judged.
How many KSBs are in ST1512?
The AI and Automation Practitioner standard defines 64 KSBs: 29 Knowledge statements (K1 to K29), 29 Skills statements (S1 to S29) and 6 Behaviours (B1 to B6). Each is mapped to one or more of the 15 occupation duties, and the End-Point Assessment samples across them holistically.
Did v2.1 change the KSBs?
Version 2.1, which took effect on 22 May 2026, revised the assessment plan for ST1512 rather than rewriting the occupational standard itself. The KSBs remain the reference point for what apprentices learn. We explain exactly what moved in our post on what changed in ST1512 v2.1, and the current standard always lives on the Skills England page.
How does TESS make sure every KSB is covered?
Every module maps back to specific KSBs, and each apprentice keeps a portfolio that evidences them across real workplace builds. Your coach tracks coverage in OneFile throughout the programme, so nothing is missed before gateway. It is one reason TESS apprentices reach a 72% distinction rate across our portfolio.
Do apprentices build real AI agents?
Yes. Building agentic AI is core to this standard, and by month four every apprentice ships a working AI agent into their own workplace. You design, test and govern agents in tools like Copilot Studio, wiring in human oversight and monitoring, which is exactly what KSBs like K6, K15, K16 and B6 demand.
Is the apprenticeship funded?
Yes. ST1512 is fully funded through the Apprenticeship Levy at up to 18,000 pounds per learner for levy payers, and 95% government co-funded for smaller employers. The apprentice never pays.
Start here
Ready to put these KSBs to work in your team? See the full Level 4 AI & Automation Practitioner programme, or book a short call and we will map the standard to your roles.
Standard reference based on the ST1512 occupational standard. Last reviewed June 2026.