On 22 May 2026 the Level 4 AI and Automation Practitioner apprenticeship (ST1512) moved from version 2.0 to version 2.1. Version 2.0 was retired for new starts the day before. If you employ apprentices on this standard, or you are planning a cohort, here is what the change actually is, what it is not, and what happens to learners already on programme.
Ready to put this to work? TESS Group delivers the AI & Automation Level 4 apprenticeship (100% levy-funded, no coding, 72% distinction rate), aligned to ST1512 v2.1 for every new cohort.
Book a 25-min call →What is ST1512 v2.1?
ST1512 is the Skills England reference code for the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation Practitioner occupational standard, the Level 4 apprenticeship that most UK employers know as the AI and Automation apprenticeship. Like every apprenticeship standard, it is versioned, and the official version log on the Skills England website is the single source of truth for which version applies to which start date.
Here is that version log, exactly as Skills England publishes it:
| Version | Change detail | Earliest start date | Latest start date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Assessment plan revised | 22 May 2026 | Not set |
| 2.0 | Approved for delivery | 10 December 2025 | 21 May 2026 |
Two practical takeaways. First, any apprentice who starts on or after 22 May 2026 starts on v2.1, full stop. Second, v2.0 is now closed to new starts: its latest start date was 21 May 2026.
What changed: the assessment plan
Only one thing changed in v2.1: how the apprenticeship is assessed. The occupational standard, what apprentices learn and are trained to do, is untouched. Skills England records the change as “Assessment plan revised”, and it marks this apprenticeship’s entry into the government’s wider 2025 to 2026 apprenticeship assessment reforms, a national redesign of how every standard is assessed that is being rolled out one standard at a time.
In plain terms: until now, apprenticeships used end-point assessment, or EPA, a single set of assessments sat at the very end of the programme, after a “gateway” sign-off and marked by an external end-point assessment organisation (EPAO). The reforms replace that with a more flexible model, often called “apprenticeship assessment”, where assessment can happen across the programme and the responsibilities are shared differently.
Old model vs new model
| Area | Old approach (v2.0, end-point assessment) | New approach (v2.1, apprenticeship assessment) |
|---|---|---|
| When assessment happens | One assessment event at the very end, after a gateway sign-off | Can happen throughout the programme where the plan allows, counting towards the final grade |
| What it is called | End-point assessment (EPA) | Apprenticeship assessment |
| Who marks it | An external end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) marks everything | The assessment organisation still designs it, quality assures it and sets final grades; training providers may deliver and mark some elements where the plan allows |
| How behaviours are judged | Assessed separately by the provider or EPAO | The employer formally verifies each behaviour has been demonstrated before certification |
| The plan itself | Long, with multiple methods and some duplicated testing | Short (around three to four pages), built on assessment outcomes, one mandatory method, no duplicated testing |
The new column reflects the national reform principles. The exact methods for the AI and Automation Practitioner Level 4 sit in the published v2.1 plan, with implementation timing still being confirmed (see below).
What it means for apprentices
Assessment is less likely to be one high-stakes event at the very end. Where the plan allows, parts can be assessed as you go, and those results count towards your final grade. You should not be re-tested on knowledge or skills you have already evidenced. Your behaviours, the “how you work” part of the standard, are confirmed by the employer who actually sees you work, rather than judged separately in an assessment setting. And if you are already on v2.0, nothing changes: you finish on the plan you started on (see “Who is affected, and who is not” below).
What it means for employers
You take on a formal role: verifying that each behaviour has been demonstrated before certification can be requested, in practice a workplace sign-off rather than an extra exam. Assessment should be shorter and less repetitive, which can mean less time off the job for your apprentice. But plan with a margin, because the exact methods and dates for the AI and Automation Practitioner Level 4 under v2.1 are still being finalised nationally.
What is still being confirmed
We are not going to pretend the whole picture is settled, though most of it now is. Ofqual published its Apprenticeship Assessment Regulatory Framework on 1 April 2026, so the rules that govern the reformed model are live. The piece still outstanding for this standard is the effective date: Skills England’s ST1512 page still lists exactly when apprentices begin being assessed under the revised plan as to be confirmed. Until that date is set, the existing EPA-style arrangements continue to apply. So v2.1 is the version every new start enrols on, but if an exact assessment date drives your planning, confirm it with your training provider or DfE before you commit.
What did not change
Three things worth being equally clear about:
- The occupational standard itself. The version log names only the assessment plan. This revision is not logged as a change to the occupation's duties or to the knowledge, skills and behaviours apprentices are trained against.
- The training code. DfE guidance confirms that revisions to an assessment plan do not affect the occupational standard training code, so existing enrolment and ILR processes carry on as before.
- The funding band. No funding band change is recorded against v2.1. The apprenticeship remains in the £18,000 band. When Skills England does change a band, it says so in the version log.
Who is affected, and who is not
New starts from 22 May 2026: every new apprentice enrols on v2.1 and will be assessed under the revised plan. There is no opt-out and no need for one.
Apprentices already on programme: they stay on the version they started on. DfE guidance is explicit that apprentices continue to follow the occupational standard and assessment plan that was current at their start date. A learner who began in, say, February 2026 is on v2.0 and completes on v2.0, with their EPA running as originally planned.
Transfers are possible but optional. Under the 2025 to 2026 funding rules, an apprentice can move to the newer version where the apprentice, employer and training provider all agree, the training plan and apprenticeship agreement are updated, and there is enough time left to cover everything the new version requires. For standards over 12 months, the guidance says transfers are generally expected where sufficient time remains, but the decision sits with the three parties, and once an apprentice has moved they cannot revert. If anyone proposes moving your apprentices to v2.1, ask them to walk you through the assessment differences first, in writing.
How to check the detail yourself
You do not need to take any provider's word for this, ours included. Three steps:
- 1. Open the official page. Search “Skills England ST1512” or go directly to the apprenticeship finder. The page shows the occupational standard, the assessment section and the version log together.
- 2. Compare the plans. Read the v2.1 assessment section against the v2.0 plan your current cohort started on. The differences in assessment methods and timing are visible side by side.
- 3. Ask which version each learner is on. It is recorded on the training plan and in the ILR. Any provider should be able to answer this in one email.
What TESS Group is doing
We deliver ST1512 as our flagship Level 4 programme, so we moved early:
- All new cohorts enrol on v2.1. Our curriculum is mapped to the revised assessment plan, and Coachy, our AI tutor, has been aligned so that practice tasks and assessment preparation reflect v2.1 for every new cohort.
- BCS continues as our assessment organisation, and integrated assessment preparation stays built into the programme rather than bolted on at the end. We will confirm assessment scheduling with employers as Skills England and Ofqual publish the remaining implementation detail.
- In-flight apprentices stay on v2.0 with zero disruption: same plan, same preparation, same EPA they enrolled for. Where a transfer to v2.1 would genuinely benefit a learner, we will raise it individually with the trade-offs set out in writing.
If you want the version question settled for your own team in one conversation, that is exactly what a 25-minute call is for.
Related Reading
Frequently asked questions.
What is ST1512 v2.1?
ST1512 is the Skills England reference for the Level 4 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation Practitioner apprenticeship. Version 2.1 is the current version of that standard. The Skills England version log records the change as “Assessment plan revised”, with an earliest start date of 22 May 2026. Version 2.0 was closed to new starts on 21 May 2026.
When did ST1512 v2.1 take effect?
From 22 May 2026. Any apprentice who starts the AI and Automation Practitioner apprenticeship on or after that date starts on version 2.1. Apprentices who started on or before 21 May 2026 are on version 2.0 and continue on it unless a formal transfer is agreed.
Do apprentices already on programme move to v2.1?
No, not automatically. DfE guidance is clear that apprentices follow the version of the standard and assessment plan they started on. A transfer to the new version is possible under the 2025 to 2026 funding rules, but it must be agreed by the apprentice, the employer and the training provider, the training plan must be updated, and once an apprentice has moved they cannot revert. If a transfer is proposed for your learners, ask your provider to set out the assessment differences in writing first.
What exactly changed in the v2.1 assessment plan?
Skills England logs the change as a revision to the assessment plan, approved under the government's 2025 to 2026 apprenticeship assessment reforms. Those reforms allow assessment to take place during the apprenticeship rather than only at the end, give employers the role of verifying behaviours, let providers deliver and mark some assessment elements where the plan permits, and replace long EPA documents with short plans built around assessment outcomes. The exact assessment methods for ST1512 are set out in the published v2.1 plan on the Skills England website, and implementation timing is still being confirmed, so check the detail with your training provider or DfE.
Has the £18,000 funding band changed?
No funding band change is recorded in the ST1512 version log for v2.1. The change detail names only the assessment plan, and the apprenticeship remains in the £18,000 funding band. When Skills England changes a funding band it records this in the version log, as it has done on other standards. If your levy planning depends on it, confirm the current band on the Skills England page or with your provider.
What is TESS Group doing about v2.1?
All new TESS cohorts enrol on v2.1, and our curriculum and Coachy, our AI tutor, are aligned to the revised assessment plan for every new cohort. Apprentices already on programme stay on v2.0 with no disruption, and BCS continues as our assessment organisation. Where a transfer to v2.1 would genuinely benefit a learner, we will raise it case by case with the trade-offs in writing.