International Vocational Qualifications Bulletin October 2025
Welcome to the first edition of your International VQ Bulletin: a new quarterly update designed to keep you informed and supported in delivering vocational qualifications globally.
What you’ll find in each International VQ Bulletin
- key updates and reminders to help you stay on track
- training events and opportunities to build knowledge and confidence
- highlights from our international Pearson teams working with centres like yours.
If any of your colleagues would like to receive this directly, they can sign up for future editions.
Heads of centres need to confirm their Edexcel Online accounts and accept our updated terms and conditions by 28 October. Exams officers, you’ll play a big part too. You’ll need to work with your head of centre to check accounts are up to date and make sure only the right people have secure access.
We’ve sent full details, guidance and step-by-step support directly to heads of centres and exams officers.
Missed the email? Read more about the action needed by 28 October.
Plan with confidence for the year ahead
Our new guide brings together all the key dates, deadlines and reminders you need to stay organised, supporting you from registrations and sampling visits to certificate delivery.
It’s designed to make sure your students get their results on time and are ready for their next steps.
Bookmark it. Share it. Refer to it whenever you need a reminder of what’s next.
We’re developing a new way to manage international standards verifier (ISV) activity and reporting through a dedicated hub in the Progress platform, creating a faster, simpler, and more secure way to work.
What can I expect?
This hub will give you:
- real-time visibility of ISV progress
- secure access to information without relying on emails
- better support, including live chat, multilingual help and automated ticket tracking.
What's happening next?
When the hub is ready, we’ll share everything you need to get started, from step-by-step guides and support articles to videos and Q&A sessions.
For now, nothing changes. We’ll keep you updated as this work develops and if you have any questions you can contact us through the Pearson support portal.
Allocations for 2025/26
We'll share allocations for 2025/26 with our international standards verifiers in December, and they'll start making contact with you once they've accepted their allocations. You can expect to hear from all your allocated standards verifiers in January, following the Christmas break. You'll be able to see your allocated standards verifiers for each programme on Edexcel Online.
Download your updated handbooks
We're currently updating all of the international quality assurance handbooks, and they'll be live on our quality assurance pages by the end of October.
Download your updated quality assurance handbooks
Any questions?
If you have any questions on sampling, your first point of contact is your standards verifier. If you have any questions your standards verifier is unable to answer, please contact us via the Pearson support portal.
Throughout 2025/26, you’ll have access to a series of live online events and on-demand training designed especially for exams officers and new staff.
All our training sessions are hosted on the Development Hub, your dedicated space for exams officer and admin training.
Upcoming events:
- Intro to BTEC – Wednesday, 8 October 2025
- Registrations and Amendments – Wednesday, 15 October 2025
- Making Claims and Eligibility/Results – Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Across our international centres, educators are continuing to build their skills, share best practice and make a real impact for their students. Our professional development opportunities are here to help you stay confident, connected, and ready for what’s next.
Recent IV Assessor programmes in Thailand and the UAE strengthened quality assurance practice, while training in Jordan supported continued improvements in teaching and learning.
Looking ahead, there’s plenty to get involved with:
- BTEC educator training in Jordan supporting 120 teachers following the new HTU agreement.
- Uzbekistan teacher training (10–21 Nov) preparing 180 teachers across 14 technicums for Level 3 BTEC delivery.
- BTEC roadshows coming to Spain, Kenya, UAE, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.
- AI Essentials and new professional development programmes building skills in AI, classroom management, communication, and more.
The BTEC International Level 5 Professional Diploma and Level 7 Professional Qualifications in Applied Teaching and Education (SRF) are now available, designed to support educators in advancing their careers in technical and vocational education.
The Level 5 qualification replaces the previous UK-regulated diploma and is only available to international learners. Completing Level 5 allows progression to Level 7, which can then lead to an MBA or other Masters programmes.
These qualifications help strengthen teaching expertise, improve learner outcomes, and develop the skills needed to meet the evolving needs of vocational education.
We wrote to all international centres earlier this year introducing these new qualifications. Missed the email?
Find out more about qualifications in Applied Teaching and Education
We’d love to hear how your centre uses digital tools, including learning management systems (LMS), and how you manage assessment for BTEC qualifications.
This will help us understand what works best for you today, and make sure future developments are designed around your needs. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete, and every response helps shape what comes next.
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This service offers independent validation of your education and training delivery, ensuring it meets Pearson’s internationally benchmarked standards. Whether you're a school, college, employer, or private provider, Assured by Pearson helps you stand out in a competitive landscape.
To find out more about Assured by Pearson, read our handbook or contact George.Jefferies@pearson.com.