CMI L5 Coaching NCFE L3 AI Prompt Microsoft AB-730 EMCC pathway EPA gradebook Book a chat →
← Back to programme overview Qualifications in detail

Every credential. Every assessment.
Nothing extra to buy.

The ST1512 apprenticeship and its Ofqual-recognised End-Point Assessment, with three premium qualifications and an EMCC accreditation pathway included by TESS alongside it. The apprenticeship sits in the £18,000 funding band; the CMI Level 5 and coaching workshops are TESS’s extra, outside the funded apprenticeship.

3Premium qualifications
included
£0Out-of-pocket cost
for levy employers
15moDelivery + Gateway
& EPA window
72%Distinction rate across TESS
nearly double the national distinction rate
Included alongside the apprenticeship

CMI Level 5 Award in Professional Coaching Practice

A chartered, lifetime-portable credential that TESS includes alongside the apprenticeship. Earned via a formally assessed CMI assignment in month 11, at no extra cost. It sits outside the funded apprenticeship and its off-the-job hours.

Included alongside the apprenticeship CMI · Level 5
Award in Professional Coaching Practice
Awarding bodyChartered Management Institute
Qualification levelLevel 5 (RQF)
Credit value6 credits · 60 GLH
AssessmentWritten assignment (~3,500 words)
GradingPass / Refer
Cost if studied separately£1,295 + £100 CMI reg
PortabilityLifetime · chartered

What learners actually study

One CMI Level 5 unit, formally assessed and certificated by CMI. The unit covers the role of the professional coach, ethical and legal frameworks, contracting and the wider organisational context, extended by 5 supplementary workshops delivered by TESS.

Unit 521V1

Principles of Professional Coaching Practice

The formally-assessed core. Role of the coach · models · ethics · contracting · supervision · organisational fit.

TESS supplement

+5 deeper workshops on top

Self-awareness · core behaviours · models & methods · culture & impact · GDPR & supervision, delivered (not assessed) by TESS.

Learning outcomes (what learners can do)

  • Critically evaluate the role of a professional coach in a workplace setting
  • Apply ethical principles, boundaries and contracting across three levels (coachee, sponsor, organisation)
  • Select and apply appropriate coaching models, GROW, OSKAR, CLEAR, solution-focused, developmental
  • Engage in reflective practice and demonstrate the use of supervision
  • Articulate the place of coaching within organisational and cultural strategy
★ Formally assessed by CMI

One ~3,500-word written assignment submitted via OneFile. Marked by a CMI-approved assessor against the unit's assessment criteria. Internally moderated by TESS, externally moderated by CMI. Two re-submission opportunities, included, if a refer is given.

What it's worth on a CV

  • Chartered, lifetime, portable, sits on a CV permanently
  • EMCC-aligned, counts toward EMCC Foundation membership evidence
  • Recognised by every UK employer through CMI's chartered status
  • Gateway to the CMI Level 6 Certificate in Professional Coach Supervision (future progression)
TESS exclusive

NCFE Level 3 CQ in AI Prompt Mastery

A bespoke TESS qualification awarded by NCFE, the most respected Ofqual-recognised awarding body in the UK. Not available anywhere else.

Included at no extra cost NCFE · Level 3 CQ
AI Prompt Mastery
Awarding bodyNCFE
Qualification levelLevel 3 (RQF) · Customised
Credit value4 credits · 40 GLH
AssessmentPortfolio of evidence · 4 prompt artefacts
GradingPass / Refer · Distinction available
Cost if studied separately£395 (TESS exclusive)
Platforms coveredChatGPT · Copilot · Gemini · Claude

What learners actually master

Prompt engineering across the four major LLM platforms, applied to coaching workflows: session prep, reflective summaries, supervision notes, group-coaching design, and EMCC-aligned content development. No coding required.

Unit 1

Prompt foundations

Tokens, context windows, system prompts, temperature. The mechanics behind why prompts work (or don't).

Unit 2

Patterns & frameworks

Chain-of-thought · few-shot · role prompting · ReAct · self-critique loops · structured output (JSON / markdown).

Unit 3

Coaching-applied prompts

Session prep · reflective summaries · supervision notes · client-safe summarisation · GROW/OSKAR templated prompts.

Unit 4

Safety, GDPR & ethics

Anonymisation · client consent · model selection by sensitivity · audit trails · the new EMCC AI guidelines.

Assessment evidence

Submit a portfolio of 4 working prompt artefacts applied to real coaching scenarios. Each is annotated with rationale, model choice and ethical considerations. Assessed by TESS, externally verified by NCFE quarterly.

Microsoft credential

Microsoft AB-730 AI Business Professional

The globally-portable Microsoft credential. Sits on LinkedIn as a verified badge, travels with the apprentice across every employer, forever.

Included at no extra cost Microsoft · Professional
AB-730 AI Business Professional
Awarding bodyMicrosoft
Credential typeProfessional certification
Exam length~60 minutes · multiple choice
Pass mark700/1000
ValidityLifetime (Professional category)
Cost if studied separately£99 · exam vouchers
DeliveryPearson VUE · online proctored

Exam domains

  • AI fundamentals & business value, concepts, capabilities, limitations, common business cases
  • Responsible AI, fairness, reliability, privacy, transparency, accountability
  • Copilot in Microsoft 365, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams workflows
  • Copilot Chat & enterprise data grounding, citations, scope, Microsoft Graph
  • Building & adopting AI, Copilot Studio basics, governance, change management

How TESS prepares learners

  • Module 11 of the ST1512 curriculum maps 1:1 to the exam domains
  • 3 full mock exams graded via Coachy with AI explanations of every wrong answer
  • Live revision clinic in month 13, 90 minutes, with cohort Q&A
  • Exam voucher provided · resit covered if first attempt is missed by ≤5%
★ The LinkedIn badge that matters

The credential auto-verifies into Microsoft's Credential ID system and into LinkedIn's Skills section. Recruiters can verify it instantly. The single most-portable AI certification on the market, and 100% included.

EMCC accreditation pathway

The route to EMCC Global Individual Accreditation.

EMCC (European Mentoring & Coaching Council) is the most-recognised coaching membership body in the UK. TESS actively supports apprentices through the accreditation pathway, not just framework alignment on paper.

Stage 1

EMCC Student Member

Included at enrolment. Access to the EMCC community, journal, events & CPD library. TESS handles the application.

Stage 2

Foundation Practitioner

On completion of CMI L5 + 50 logged practice hours. Your CMI portfolio counts as foundational evidence.

Stage 3

Senior Practitioner

Post-apprenticeship pathway. TESS supports CPD log, supervision evidence and the application narrative, at no extra cost.

Stage 4

Master Practitioner

Long-term goal. TESS alumni get continued post-apprenticeship support through our coaching supervision pool.

What TESS actually does for EMCC: we provide application templates, evidence mapping from your apprenticeship portfolio, application coaching from a Senior Practitioner, and pay your first-year Foundation Practitioner fee. This is included.
ST1512 End-Point Assessment · gradebook

The exact grading criteria.

Two assessment methods, independently graded by the IAO (Independent Assessment Organisation), combined into the final grade. Here's exactly how TESS supports each one.

Method 1 · Work-Based Project & Report

A real workplace AI/automation initiative the apprentice identified, scoped, delivered and evaluated. Written up as a max 4,500-word report with appendices.

CriterionPassDistinction
Opportunity identificationIdentifies workplace AI opportunityArticulates strategic value & alternatives
Ethical & governance reasoningApplies governance basicsAnticipates harms, designs mitigations
ImplementationDelivers an AI solutionIterates, evaluates, optimises
ReflectionReflects on outcomesCritical reflection on alternatives

Method 2 · Presentation + Professional Discussion

30-minute presentation of the work-based project, then 60 minutes of open competency questioning from the IAO assessor. KSBs are covered systematically.

CriterionPassDistinction
Communication & presentationClear, structured presentationTailors to audience, persuasive
Depth of KSB coverageDemonstrates each KSBIntegrates KSBs across scenarios
Critical reasoningJustifies decisionsCompares against alternatives
Forward-looking thinkingIdentifies next stepsAnticipates risks & scale-up

TESS Distinction Playbook (included)

  • ✓ Project scoping clinic in month 5, pick a strong, distinction-grade project
  • ✓ Draft report review in month 12, Coachy + skills coach feedback
  • ✓ 4 mock EPA sessions with the TESS coaching team
  • ✓ Real-IAO formatted feedback grids matching the actual gradebook
  • ✓ Presentation rehearsal with cohort peers (Lencioni-style critique)
  • ✓ Resit guarantee: we cover EPA resit cost if needed
What this would cost separately

Bought separately: £3,985+. With TESS: all included.

Levy-funded employers spend nothing out of pocket. SMEs access 95–100% government co-investment. The apprenticeship and its EPA sit inside the £18,000 ST1512 funding band. The CMI Level 5, EMCC support and the other qualifications are included by TESS at no extra cost, outside the funded apprenticeship.

ItemStandalone priceWith TESS
CMI Level 5 Award in Professional Coaching Practice£1,395Included
NCFE Level 3 CQ in AI Prompt Mastery£395Included
Microsoft AB-730 exam + 3 mock exams£99 + £180Included
EMCC Foundation Practitioner (1 year)£145Included
11 ST1512 AI & automation modules£1,400 (CPD market rate)Included
Coachy AI tutor (24/7, 15 months)£270 (SaaS equivalent)Included
EPA + 4 mock EPAs + resit guarantee£500Included
Total if bought separately£4,384All included

All figures based on publicly-listed standalone fees from awarding bodies and CPD providers, May 2026. The standalone bundle does not include workshops or 1:1 coaching.

Talk to TESS

See the full qualifications stack in 30 minutes.

A no-obligation Teams chat. We'll walk you through the CMI L5 assignment, the AB-730 mock, the EPA gradebook, and demo Coachy live. Response within 1 working day.

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