---
title: Gateway Readiness
description: Find out about managing your apprentice in Proficient.
---
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28 October 2026
# Gateway Readiness
## Getting a learner gateway-ready is essential for avoiding delays, rejections, and unnecessary back-and-forth for training providers, employers, and learners.
Accurate information at registration and throughout the Gateway process ensures assessments can be scheduled quickly and correctly.
### **Registering the learner correctly**
Accurate registration is the foundation of a smooth gateway. Incorrect information almost always results in delays. We must verify learner identity, eligibility, and ESFA alignment. Any mismatch or missing information prevents gateway approval. Some of the key points to remember during registration are:
- Complete all fields in full.
- Add training provider details, On-Programme Assessor, correct standard/specialism, and ensure the **Apprenticeship Start Date** matches ESFA data.
- The learner’s full legal name must match their ID exactly.
- The ULN must match ESFA funding records.
- Mentor details in the Workplace Information section are essential.
- Ensure the learner is linked to the correct employer early on.
For a walkthrough of registering an apprentice, click [here](https://youtu.be/dNGqRX8mQMo?si=bkF8IVwak8rpMYlO).
### **Moving learners through Proficient stages**
Learners appear under 'Enrolled' in Proficient. Before moving them to 'Confirmed', double-check all details. Assessors rely on this information for planning. Incorrect employer, contact, or standard information can cause scheduling delays. Some of the key points to remember are:
- Confirm the standard, employer, and assessor information.
- Selecting Process shows all Gateway requirements.
- All questions and required uploads must be completed before submission.
### **Required Gateway Documentation**
Correct documentation is essential for Gateway approval. The apprentice’s name on Proficient must match the identification exactly. VQA accepts the following forms of identification:
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Workplace ID badge
- VQA ID Declaration Form
### Certificates
Certificates are only fully awarded certificates are accepted. Provisional or editable versions cannot be accepted.
### **VQA documentation**
Must be returned in the format provided. A separate signed page is acceptable if digital signatures cannot be added.
### **Portfolios**
You must upload portfolios as a single zipped folder, with the following formats accepted:
- PDF
- Office files
- Text Files
- MP4s
- Images.
Links cannot be accepted. If the file is too large, please send it via WeTransfer to [epasupport@vqa.org](mailto:epasupport@tquk.org).
### **Assessment preferences and requirements**
This section must be fully completed to allow suitable scheduling.
Some standards allow remote or face‑to‑face assessment; others require one method. For example, observations must always be face-to-face, and you must provide a full address where it is taking place, including the postcode. Please select only option per assessment component.
Online exams require three working days’ notice from booking, while provider-investigated paper exams require five working days’ notice. If VQA is invigilating the exam, you do not need to select a date.
If no assessment planning meeting (APM) preference is selected, a full APM will be arranged. When booking the APM, please ensure that you add preferred dates, dates to avoid, and shift patterns if relevant.
### **How incorrect Gateway submissions delay scheduling**
Incorrect or incomplete submissions prevent Gateway approval and stop the booking team from progressing the learner. Common causes include:
- name or ULN mismatches
- missing mentor/employer details
- incorrect assessment preferences
- incomplete certificates or portfolio issues.
Each rejection adds avoidable delays, especially during busy periods.
### **Submitting the Gateway and making corrections**
Once all information and documents are complete, you can submit the Gateway. After approval, assessments will be scheduled.
If details need changing after a learner is confirmed, Training Providers can reverse the learner in Proficient or contact VQA Support at [epasupport@vqa.org](mailto:epasupport@vqa.org) or 03333 583 344.
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