Ofqual has introduced a new regulatory framework, called the VTQ Contingency Regulatory Framework (VCRF). 

The VCRF will permit Awarding Organisations to issue results on the basis of alternative evidence including teachers’ judgements of learners’ performance when exams do not take place and/or when learners cannot complete all internal assessment.

Read more

Learners certificating in 2021 ​

Learners on a one year or two-year programme who plan to certificate in summer 2021 and are registered on a qualification that the regulator has recognised as having a need for an alternative arrangement to assessment and certification in 2021. ​

Please refer to the guidance documents listed below.

Mid-flight learners ​

Learners who started a two-year programme in September 2020, and will be certificating in 2022, please refer to the BTEC Approach to Awarding and Certificating Learners in 2021 guidance below.

See further guidance regarding mitigations, teaching and learning

Qualification-level Teacher Assessed Grade guidance 

We have included below a range of documents to help you as you prepare to submit your Qualification-level Teacher Assessed Grades.
Timeline

We’ve created an overview to help clarify when the different assessment stages need to be completed when preparing your Q-TAGs.

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Teacher Assessed Grade guidance

The following guides have been created to help explain what has changed and help with any questions you may have.  

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List of vocational qualification categories

Please download and view the list of BTEC qualifications to check whether your qualifications are identified as those where results will be issued based on a Teacher Assessed Grade.

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Qualification-level sector performance indicators

The following Qualification-level sector performance indicators have been created to support a holistic approach to preparing your Q-TAGs.

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Guidance for BTEC Higher National qualifications 

We have included below a range of documents to help you with delivery and assessment for BTEC Higher Nationals for summer 2021.

Overview of the guidance
Timeline

Please see the document below for a timeline of activities for BTEC Higher Nationals.

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Guidance for delivery and assessment

Wherever possible delivery and assessment should continue where safe to do so or via online delivery, using adaptations outlined in the Delivery and Assessment Guidance for BTEC Higher Nationals 2020-2021.  

The primary mitigation for BTEC Higher National qualifications will be to 'Adapt' assessments, however, we understand that in some instances that will not be possible. Ofqual-regulated BTEC Higher Nationals are in Category B2 and eligible for Unit Level Teacher Assessed Grades (TAGSs), with some exceptions. 

Where unit assessments are incomplete, or have not taken place, centres are advised to use completed formative and summative assessments to make Teacher Assessed Grade decisions at unit level. You can download our Delivery and Assessment Guidance for further information. 

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Assessment Boards

What are the key things to know?

  • Assessment Boards will continue to be integral to awarding grades this summer and we will request Assessment Board minutes and a completed Assessment Grade Tracker, which will contain a Grade Declaration, for all grades (even where Unit Level TAGs are not being used). Our guidance sets out the details for the Grade Declaration and who can sign it.  
  • As part of the VCRF requirements, once you’ve determined your Unit Level TAGs, you’ll need to do complete a high-level check to ensure the grades are not overly lenient or too harsh compared to results in previous years.  
  • You can start to submit your Assessment Board Minutes, Grade Tracker and Grade Declaration to your External Examiner as soon as you are ready, but if your students need to have their results by August 2021, please make your submissions no later than 9 July 2021.   
  • Remote ‘visits’ by External Examiners will take place this year as previously communicated. Please follow the guidance on remote EE sampling in the Centre guide to EE (for UK Centres) and International Remote Sampling guidance (for International centres) linked below.
  • Your External Examiner will carry out an external quality review of the grades in the Assessment Board Tracker, alongside the Assessment Board minutes and the Grade Declaration.   
  • Certificates can be claimed via Edexcel Online in the usual way, but only once your External Examiner has released your programmes.  

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List of HN vocational qualification categories

Ofqual regulated BTEC Higher Nationals will be in Category B2 meaning that they are in scope for alternative arrangements, which will include Unit Level Teacher Assessed Grades (Unit Level TAGs) (with some exceptions). Please download and view the list of Higher National qualifications for details.

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Additional support

We will continue to review our FAQs regularly, adding more information when needed. 

You can also attend one of our live training sessions where we will explain the guidance to assessment and awarding for Higher Nationals in 2020/21: