What is the difference between a competency assessment and a skills matrix?

The assessment is the check for one person, with the evidence for each rating. The skills matrix shows the results for the whole team on one grid, so you can see cover and gaps. If you want the team view, use the free skills matrix template; this form feeds its rows.

What evidence should a competency assessment use?

Watching the person do the task, checking their output and records, and questioning them. Questioning should only add to the other methods, because knowing the steps does not show someone can do them; the UK Office of Rail and Road's competence guidance (2016) makes the same point.

How often should competency be assessed?

When someone starts a role or task, after training, after an incident or a change to the work instruction, and on a regular cycle set by the risk of the work. The Excel uses 12 months as an example and works out the next due date from it.

How is this different from the training matrix and the training sign-off sheet?

The training matrix records which trainings each role needs and when they expire, and the sign-off sheet records who attended a session. Both show training happened. This form records what the person can actually do afterwards.

Free template

Updated October 9, 2026

Competency assessment form

A competency assessment checks what one person can do against the standard for each task in their role, from evidence rather than time in the job. It is the record behind that person's row on a skills matrix: the matrix shows the whole team at a glance, and this form shows why each rating was given. It uses the same 0 to 4 scale as the free skills matrix template (0 not trained, 1 in training, 2 can do it with help, 3 can do it alone to standard, 4 can train others), and level 3 or 4 counts as qualified. For each task you record the evidence, whether you saw the person do it and how many times, questioned them, checked their output or the records, or saw them train someone. The Excel version checks that the level matches the evidence: level 2 or more needs the task seen done, level 3 or 4 needs it seen alone at least as many times as your rule, and level 4 needs evidence of training someone. It works out the gaps, gives you the row to paste into the skills matrix, and turns each gap into a training plan row with a level 4 trainer.

Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.

Page 1 of the competency assessment form — 0 to 4 skills matrix scaleEvidence per taskTimes seen aloneLevel against targetEvidence checksRow for the skills matrixTraining plan for gapsSign-off

Filled-in Competency assessment form: a packing line operator assessed on 8 tasks — The same sheet filled in with the worked example (page 2 of the PDF, illustrative numbers). Open full size (opens the picture in a new tab)

When to use it

When to use a competency assessment

When someone starts a role or a new task, to set their starting levels on the skills matrix.
After training, to confirm the person can now do the task alone to standard before they are counted as cover.
On a regular cycle set by the risk of the work, so the skills matrix stays honest.
After an incident or quality problem that involved the task, or when a work instruction changes.

How to fill it in

1
List the tasks and targets
Every task in the role, the work instruction or SOP it is judged against, and the target level the role needs. Not every task needs level 3: in the example the film change has a target of 2.
2
Watch the work
See the person do each task alone on a normal shift, and count the times. Check the output and the records. Ask questions to fill gaps, not instead of watching.
3
Rate what you saw
Award the level the evidence supports and write what you saw, so someone else could check the rating. The Excel flags a level the evidence does not support.
4
Plan every gap
One training row per gap, with what the training is, a trainer at level 4 on that task, a start, a target date and a reassessment. The Excel flags a gap with no plan row and a trainer below level 4.
5
Update the skills matrix
Paste the levels into the person's row on the skills matrix (the Excel lays them out in task order) and set the next assessment date. Sign it: employee, assessor and supervisor.

Evidence

What evidence each level needs

These are the checks the Excel makes. The scale is the site's own; the rule that questioning alone is not enough follows the UK Office of Rail and Road's competence guidance. Set your own number of times seen.

Level	Means	Evidence needed	Counts as qualified?
0	Not trained	None	No
1	In training, supervised	Any evidence: knows the steps, has started training	No
2	Can do it with help	Seen doing the task, with help or checks	No
3	Can do it alone, to standard	Seen doing it alone, to standard, at least your rule's number of times (2 in the example)	Yes
4	Can train others	As level 3, plus evidence of training someone to level 3	Yes, and as a trainer

0
Means
Not trained
Evidence needed
None
Counts as qualified?
No
1
Means
In training, supervised
Evidence needed
Any evidence: knows the steps, has started training
Counts as qualified?
No
2
Means
Can do it with help
Evidence needed
Seen doing the task, with help or checks
Counts as qualified?
No
3
Means
Can do it alone, to standard
Evidence needed
Seen doing it alone, to standard, at least your rule's number of times (2 in the example)
Counts as qualified?
Yes
4
Means
Can train others
Evidence needed
As level 3, plus evidence of training someone to level 3
Counts as qualified?
Yes, and as a trainer

A filled-in example

Illustrative, not a benchmark

An example (illustrative): Jordan, a packing line operator six months into the role, assessed by the line lead on 8 tasks. The PDF page 2 and the Excel Example sheet hold the same assessment.

The example operator's 8 tasks against their targets

Case erector setuplevel 3on target
Label printer changeoverlevel 2gap of 1: OJT
Checkweigher verificationlevel 1gap of 2: OJT
Palletizing pattern changeslevel 4trains others
Line start-up checkslevel 3on target
Metal detector testlevel 3on target
Shrink wrapper film changelevel 2on target (2)
Lockout for jam clearinglevel 3on target

6 of 8 at or above target (75%). The two gaps, 3 levels to close, become OJT bookings; the level 4 task becomes a chance to train two new starters.

Case erector setup, line start-up checks, metal detector test and lockout for jam clearing: level 3 against a target of 3, each seen done alone 2 or 3 times.
Label printer changeover: level 2, target 3, a gap of 1. Seen once; needed help to load a new ribbon.
Checkweigher verification: level 1, target 3, a gap of 2. Knew the steps when questioned, but the records show no verification signed alone, so it cannot rate higher.
Palletizing pattern changes: level 4, target 3. Seen three times and has trained a new starter. Shrink wrapper film change: level 2 against a target of 2.
Training plan: OJT on the label printer with the line lead and on the checkweigher with the quality tech, both level 4 trainers; and Jordan to train two new starters on palletizing, development rather than a gap.

8 tasks assessed, 6 at or above target (75%), 2 gaps with 3 levels to close, 5 tasks qualified at level 3 or 4 and 1 at level 4. Every check reads OK. The row for the skills matrix, in task order, is 3, 2, 1, 4, 3, 3, 2, 3, and the next assessment falls 12 months on.

Common mistakes

Rating by time in the job
Two years on a line does not make someone level 3 on every task. Rate what you saw this time.
Questioning instead of watching
Knowing the steps is not doing them. A person who can only explain a task is level 1 at most; the Excel will not accept level 2 or more without the task seen done.
Level 3 from one good run
One clean try can be luck. Set how many times you need to see it done alone, and keep to it.
Treating it as a performance review
It is a check against the standard. The output is a training plan and an honest skills matrix, not a grade.
Gaps with no plan
Every gap needs a training row with a trainer at level 4, a target date and a reassessment, or it is still a gap next year.

Download the template

Free to use: print it, copy it and edit it for your team. Enter your name and work email once to download.

Run this template in LeanSuite

In LeanSuite each job profile sets the skills and levels it needs with criteria for moving up each level, levels update from courses, assessments and sign-offs, and gap planning suggests the training to close each gap.

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