Completing an Observation

Observations are practical assessments designed to evaluate your real-world skills and performance. Unlike knowledge-based assessments, observations focus on what you can do — demonstrated through evidence you provide, tasks your trainer watches you perform, or a combination of both. This article explains what observations are, how to complete your part, and how to view your result once marking is finalised.

What's Covered in This Article

This article guides you through the student experience of participating in an observation in Nimbu, from understanding the activity type through to receiving your result.

• What Observations Are: The purpose of observations and the two types you may encounter.
• Answering Observation Questions: How to respond to the different question types within an observation.
• Trainer-Marked vs Student-Completed Questions: Understanding which parts require your input and which your trainer handles.
• Submitting Your Observation: How to finalise and send your work for review.
• Viewing Results and Feedback: How to access your outcome and any comments from your trainer.

What Observations Are

Observations are a type of practical assessment that allows your trainer to evaluate your competency in a skill or task. Rather than answering a theory test, you are assessed on your ability to perform, demonstrate, or document real activities. Nimbu uses two types of observations, and the one you encounter will determine what is expected of you.

1. Trainer Observation

A Trainer Observation contains only trainer-completed questions. Your trainer observes you performing a task  in person or in a workplace setting; and records their assessment directly. You do not need to submit any answers for this type.

Once your trainer has completed their marking, the result is made available to you. You may be notified when the observation is finalised.

Examples: A trainer watches you perform a customer service interaction and completes a checklist, or a trainer observes you following safety procedures on a job site.

2. Student Observation

A Student Observation requires you to complete questions and submit your work before your trainer can begin marking. These questions ask you to provide evidence of your competency through written responses, uploaded files, or both. Your trainer may also have their own questions to complete alongside or after your submission.

Examples: You upload photos of a completed project and write a brief report, or you submit a portfolio of work samples for your trainer to review.

Note: If an observation appears in your unit but you cannot interact with it, it may be a Trainer Observation that does not require your input, or it may be awaiting activation by your trainer. Check with your trainer if you are unsure.

Answering Observation Questions

Student Observations may include one or more of the following question types. Your trainer's instructions within the observation will guide you on what is expected for each.

Short Answer

A text-based question asking for a written response, such as a professional reflection, a description of what you did, or an explanation of how you applied a skill.

• Click into the text field and type your response.
• Write clearly and address all parts of the question. Your trainer will read and mark this manually.

Upload (Online Submission)

A question asking you to attach files as evidence, such as photos, documents, videos, completed forms, or a portfolio of work.

• Click Upload or the attachment icon next to the question.
• Select the file or files from your device. Supported file types and size limits will be shown.
• Once uploaded, the file name will appear confirming the attachment.
• You can remove and replace uploaded files before submitting.

Tip: Review all questions before you start uploading to ensure you are providing the right type and format of evidence for each one.

Trainer-Marked vs Student-Completed Questions

Within a Student Observation, you may encounter two categories of questions.

Questions You Complete

These are the questions assigned to you as the student. They will appear with input fields - either a text area for written responses or an upload section for file attachments. You must answer and submit these before your trainer begins their marking.

Questions Your Trainer Completes

Some observations also include questions that only your trainer answers, such as a structured checklist of behaviours they observe directly, or a professional summary of your performance. These questions do not appear as interactive fields for you to fill in.

You will be able to see your trainer's responses to these questions once the observation has been marked, but you are not required to do anything for them in advance.

Note: Checklist questions are always completed by your trainer, not by you. They are used to record observed behaviours and task-by-task performance during or after your assessment session.

Submitting Your Observation

Before You Submit

Once you have answered all your questions, review your responses to make sure everything is complete and accurate. Check that:

• All required written responses have been filled in.
• All required file uploads have been attached successfully.
• Your responses reflect the quality of evidence expected.

How to Submit

1. When you are ready, click the Submit button.
2. A confirmation prompt may appear - confirm to finalise your submission.

Once submitted, your observation moves to TBM (To Be Marked) status. Your trainer will be notified and can begin reviewing your work and completing their own questions.

Important: You cannot edit your answers after submission unless your trainer requests a resubmission or revision. Submit only when you are confident your responses are complete.

Due Dates and Auto-Submit

If your trainer has set a due date for the observation, a countdown timer will be visible while you are working. If the due time is reached before you submit:

• The observation is automatically submitted by the system.
• A pop-up will appear on your screen confirming the auto-submission.
• Your trainer will receive the work as submitted, including any unanswered questions.

Submit before the due time to ensure your evidence is complete and presented as intended.

Viewing Results and Feedback

When Results Are Available

Observations are marked manually by your trainer. Results are not instant — your trainer needs to review your submitted evidence, complete their own questions, and assign a final result before you can see the outcome.

Once marking is finalised, you will receive:

• An in-app notification advising that your result is ready.
• An email with details of the outcome.

Accessing Your Result

1. Navigate to the relevant unit in your class.
2. Locate the observation and click View.
3. Your result will be displayed as either S (Satisfactory) or NS (Not Satisfactory), along with any written feedback your trainer has provided.

You will also be able to see the responses your trainer recorded for any checklist or trainer-only questions, giving you full visibility into how your performance was assessed.

If Your Result is Not Satisfactory

If you receive an NS result, your trainer may ask you to resubmit. This could mean:

• Resubmitting specific questions: providing improved evidence for selected parts of the observation.
• Resubmitting the entire observation: completing all student questions again as a new attempt.

You will receive a notification when a resubmission request is made. See the Resubmitting Your Work article for a step-by-step guide on what to do next.

Related Articles

• Viewing Your Progress & Results
• Resubmitting Work