Improvements and updates to BTEC Tech Awards (2022)

Making and Withdrawing Entries

If you have learners taking a Pearson Set Assignment (PSA) for the May/June series, please remember that you must make entries to allow us to allocate a moderator to your centre. You can do this using the basedata for EDI entries, or directly through Edexcel Online. Entry deadlines can be found in the Key Dates Schedule, and the final date for making entries is 1 May.

New PSAs are released for use in each new series, so please ensure that learners are using the PSAs for the May/June 2023 series.

Please note that if you intend to withdraw any learners from the assessment, this must be done by 1 May in order to avoid one of the entries included with your registration fees being used up.

Further guidance on making entries, withdrawing entries and other key processes for new Tech Awards can be found in our Tech Awards Support Index.

Submission Deadline for Marks and Sampled Learner Work – 1 May

Please ensure that internal centre assessment and any necessary internal resubmissions are carried out in time for the mark and learner work submission deadline of 1 May 2023, unless you have been given an extension to this deadline. You will have access to the Learner Work Transfer (LWT) system from 17 April for uploading the work of sampled learners. The learners selected for sampling are indicated on Edexcel Online.

Mark submission and LWT are both accessed via Edexcel Online. Full guidance on submitting marks and learner work via LWT can be found on the Tech Awards 2022 Support Index.

Updates to Moderator Feedback

Based on the initial series of the new Tech Awards, we have taken into account centre and moderator comments on verbal moderator feedback. Centres told us that the draft written moderator report gave sufficient information, and that arranging a time to meet with the moderator was challenging. Based on this, starting this May/June series, the moderator will provide feedback to the nominated Programme Lead through a draft moderator report once they have completed their moderation. However, if there are significant issues with centre marking, the moderator will offer a verbal feedback session to clarify the report. Please note that for visiting moderation in Art and Design, the moderator will provide feedback to the Programme Lead at the end of the visit.

Where necessary, centres can then review their marks and submit amendments on Edexcel Online. You are not required to make mark adjustments based on moderator feedback. This is a service available to centres which allows them to apply feedback by reviewing the marks immediately. If you choose not to amend marks, the Pearson system will apply any necessary adjustments. The final moderator report and the final marks will be available on Edexcel Online on Results day.

You can read more about the moderation process in our Guide to Moderation. 

Selecting the Sample for Moderation in Sport

In the previous series, moderators contacted centres to agree the sampled learners for Sport Components 1 and 2 before they could be uploaded to Learner Work Transfer (LWT). However, from this May/June series on, to ensure moderation can begin on time, the sample does not need to be agreed by the moderator. The centre should now select the sample from those with video evidence and submit the work directly to LWT by the mark submission deadline of 1 May. To ensure your sample contains the correct number of learners and range of marks, please refer to the updated Administrative Support Guide.

Your moderator will still make contact with the Programme Lead during May, but centres should not wait for contact before uploading samples. If you have any questions or need further support, please contact us.

We’ve listened carefully to your feedback over the first series of the new Tech Awards and will be releasing all Pearson Set Assignments (PSAs) one month earlier within each series. This will give you more time to spend preparing for and administering the assessments. Please note that this change does not affect Performing Art and Art & Design. From September onwards, the PSAs will be released as follows:

We have published new Exemplar Standardisation Materials (ESMs) for most subjects with the rest to follow shortly. Teachers can refer to these for standardisation when marking learner responses to PSAs. You can access them using an Edexcel Online password in the Course Materials section of your subject’s qualification page, under ‘Teaching and Learning Materials’.

Live online Getting Started training sessions are continuing to run by popular demand. They are free to attend so be sure to book your space. If you can’t attend one of these sessions live, you can access the recordings for these, as well as the recorded Marking and Moderation events. 

Please be reminded that the legacy (2017) Tech Awards qualifications have their final external assessment opportunity this May/June 2023, with the exception of Engineering which will have further assessment opportunities but will no longer be on Performance Tables from 2024.

Learners registered for legacy Tech Awards must certificate this summer as there will not be another opportunity to sit or resit any assessments after summer 2023. All internally assessed units must be reported by 5 July 2023 to ensure qualification results are delivered on time.

If you have any questions or need further support, please contact us. 

We are currently recruiting moderators across all subjects. Please use this link to apply to become a moderator for BTEC Tech Awards. Working with Pearson as a moderator brings you the added benefit of being standardised directly by the Senior Assessment Team in your subject and seeing the work produced by many other schools throughout the moderation process.

Specifications for all Tech Awards 2022 subjects available for delivery in Wales have now been published in Welsh language. They can be downloaded directly from the relevant subject qualification pages of the Pearson website. Translated Sample Assessment Materials will follow over the coming months.

The requirement for video evidence for Component 2 'Construction in Practice' will be removed from September 2023. This change has been made following feedback from centres about manageability concerns. Instead, centres will need to submit an observation record accompanied by photographs demonstrating skills applied during the construction process, along with photographs, measurements and tolerances of the completed product.