Assessment pays a lot of attention to the log book and cannot be made without a suitably informative record of your past experience.

Before you book onto a Single Pitch Award assessment, make sure you have done the following:

• You must have attended a Single Pitch Award training course or been granted exemption
• You must have logged in your DLOG a minimum of 40 lead climbs, outdoors on leader-placed protection (a substantial number of these must be at least Severe grade at on a variety of rock types)
• You must be proficient in the use of climbing walls, you can record your visits in your DLOG.
• You must have assisted in the supervision of approximately 20 instructed sessions at a variety of locations, some outside and some inside (a session is a half day or evening) and have recorded these in your DLOG.
• You must hold a current first aid certificate, minimum 16 hours and relevant to your work as a Single Pitch Award holder. You can present either the original at assessment or scan this into your DLOG.


• Completed your Home Theory Paper, available to download here

This two day assessment, including an evening session, will be based closely on the syllabus requirements. Assessment will include practical, written and oral examination.

The programme may be revised at short notice to take account of weather and other considerations, in such a way as to satisfy the spirit and detail of the Single Pitch Award syllabus. The two days are generally split into the following areas:

• Current access and conservation issues


• Understanding of how to minimise our impact on the crag environment


• Knowledge of different rock types, and fauna and flora

• Group Management


• Introducing climbing through bouldering


• Teaching/coaching a particular technique


• Bouldering as training


• Common injury and avoidance


• Awareness of hazards

• Personal lead climbing at Severe grade


• Choice of suitable route(s) for novice climbers


• Set up bottom roping system


• Set up top roping system


• Assessment of anchor placements and rigging methods


• Set up abseil and safeguard, as appropriate


• Awareness of hazards, safety and group control


• Different abseil devices


• Solving stuck climber problem


• Solving stuck abseiler problem


• Tying on to rope, use of harness and helmets

• Group supervision


• Hazards in a climbing wall


• Warming up/stretching/warming down


• Bouldering activities


• Ropes climbing - top roping - belay technique, as appropriate


• Coaching climbing technique