Vocational Qualifications Bulletin April 2025
This month's VQ Bulletin covers support for the summer exam series, the cohort confirmation, getting ready for the new BTEC Nationals 2025 (AAQ) and BTEC Technicals, and much more.
As April draws to a close, you’ll now be in the final stages of preparing for the May/June exam series. Thank you for all the hard work, care and dedication you've put into getting your learners—and everything else—ready.
This is the culmination of months of effort, and it’s thanks to you and your teams that each exam series runs smoothly and successfully.
To support you through this busy time, we’ve pulled together a range of helpful resources, from exam day guidance and key checklists to training sessions and FAQs, all designed to help things run as smoothly as possible.
Ofqual recently shared a message with school and college leaders with important reminders about exam security and contingency planning. We’d recommend you read the message in full to make sure you’re fully prepared.
Read Ofqual’s message to school and college leaders
If there’s anything more we can do to help, or if you’d like to share your feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out via the Pearson support portal. We’re here and ready to support you every step of the way.
Best wishes,
Nick Cutland
Director, Vocational Qualifications Assessment
Dates for your diary
Date
|
Description
|
Qualification
|
|---|---|---|
2 May |
Re-entry deadline for learners who sat assessments in the March 2025 series | BTEC Level 2 Technicals |
2 May |
Cohort reconfirmation: your Head of Centre signs a new declaration to confirm which learners are still expecting a qualification result on Level 2 and/or Level 3 results days in August 2025 |
BTEC Firsts, Nationals, Tech Awards, Level 2 Technicals |
15 May |
Deadline for mark submission and upload of work of sampled learners for internal assessments NB: Art and Design Practice marks must be submitted 48 hours in advance of the agreed moderation visit |
BTEC Tech Award |
In this month's update
With the summer exam series almost here, there’s still time to make sure everything’s in place. Here are three simple things you can do now to feel more confident and prepared.
Review your security and access
If you’re an exams officer and may need access to secure assessment material in May and June, now’s the time to check your system access. This avoids any unnecessary delays on exam days.
This includes making sure multi-factor authentication is set up and you have the secure download service on your Edexcel Online profile. This allows you to download BTEC and T level assessment secure assessment materials.
Check your contingency planning
Things don’t always go to plan. Whether it’s transport strikes or severe weather, you should have a robust contingency plan in place to make sure assessments can still go ahead. Some contingencies you can explore include having alternative staff members ready to invigilate external assessments or moving start times of examinations (within JCQ guidance), if this would allow external assessments to take place.
Read the JCQ advice on contingency planning
Explore our training and support
We’ve rounded up all your essential support articles into one handy index, meaning that you can find answers fast.
Get ahead of the summer series with expert tips, key reminders, and your questions answered.
Every month, our exams officer webinar gives you a direct line to the latest updates from Pearson—plus the chance to ask anything that’s on your mind. This May, we're diving into everything you need to feel ready for the summer.
If you're getting ready for May and June, this session’s especially for you. Don't worry if you couldn't make it; the recording's available on the Pearson Development Hub.
The second term-time checkpoint is now underway, with the deadline to complete this Friday, 2 May. We’re only asking you to complete this if you’re potentially affected by level 3 defunding or have missing summer external assessment entries. We’ll have written directly to your exams officer and quality nominee with more detailed information.
Not sure if you need to complete? Log in to the VQ Learner Tracker and if a cohort confirmation banner appears at the top of the page, your centre does need to complete this. If you’re unsure, you can contact us through the Pearson support portal and we’ll be happy to help.
With first teaching set for September, now’s the perfect time to get ahead on planning for the new BTEC Nationals 2025.
Whether you already deliver BTEC Nationals or are new to vocational qualifications, we’re here to help you feel confident and ready.
What’s changing?
BTEC Nationals 2025 have been designed to reflect what learners really need: stronger skills, deeper knowledge, and clearer pathways into work or further study. It’s vocational learning that works harder for your students.
What can I do now?
Explore the new qualifications
The specifications are live, with clear structures, practical content, and updated assessment. You can find them on our BTEC Nationals 2025 hub.
Explore the BTEC Nationals from 2025
- Teaching and learning materials to support your delivery are now available.
- Use the supplementary information guide to support your assessment and delivery of the new qualifications.
- Pearson-set assignment briefs for internally assessed units are available under padlock.
Check your centre approval
If you already offer BTEC Nationals, your centre will already be approved. If you need to apply for or update approval, you can do this now to help everything run smoothly in September.
Access our support
You can access free support tools, training sessions, and expert guidance to help you every step of the way. Find everything at your fingertips in our quick guide.
Download samples and get ready to order your copies soon
What other resources can I expect?
Additional support for exams officers is also coming soon, with training and step-by-step guidance to help with registrations and understand how BTEC National 2025 is different.
More training and events will be released over the coming months, giving you the chance to ask questions, connect with peers, and get hands-on with the materials.
BTEC Nationals funding guidance
From September 2025, funding for some BTEC Nationals is changing as part of the Level 3 reforms. Our funding guides will support you make registration decisions for your learners.
Five new BTEC Technical qualifications have been approved and funded from 1 August 2025. Funding will be removed 31 July 2025 for our existing Early Years and Sport Industry Skills offer, but all other post-16 Level 2 qualifications will remain funded for academic year 2025.
| New BTEC Technical | Funding removed 31 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| BTEC Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry for Early Years Practitioners (Diploma) (610/4251/1) | BTEC Level 2 Technical Diploma in Children’s Play, Learning and Development (Early Years Practitioner) (603/0509/5) |
| BTEC Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry for Gym Instructors (Diploma) (610/4255/9) | BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Sports Industry Skills (Instructing Exercise in a Gym Environment) (603/6135/9) |
| BTEC Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry for Gym Instructors (Diploma) (610/4255/9) | BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Sports Industry Skills (Leading Children's Sports Activities) (603/6134/7) |
| BTEC Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry for Recreation Assistants (Diploma) (610/4253/5) | BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Sports Industry Skills (Sport and Active Leisure Recreation Assistant) (603/6137/2) |
| Pearson BTEC Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry for Lean Manufacturing Operatives (Diploma) (610/4252/3) | N/A |
Keep standards verification on track
The deadline to submit initial samples to your standards verifier is fast approaching. Please work closely with your lead IVs and standards verifiers to ensure you meet the 15 May deadline.
If required, the deadline for second sampling is 15 June.
Get faster uploads in Learner Work Transfer
We’ve heard from standards verifiers that large file sizes and amounts of evidence are slowing things down in Learner Work Transfer (LWT). To help things run smoothly and improve upload times, consider these tips:
- While the maximum file size for upload onto LWT is 8GB the ideal file size for quicker processing is 1GB.
- Use zipped or compressed folders where possible and group smaller files into fewer uploads.
- If multiple learners are submitting the same group evidence, you only need to upload it once and clearly reference each learner.
- Video evidence doesn’t need to be in the highest definition.
Need help? Whether it’s technical support or communication breakdowns, we’re here to help. Reach out via the Pearson support portal, or book a meeting with your VQAM.
Secure your spot today at one of our QN face-to-face networking events
We’re excited to welcome you to our face-to-face networking events again this summer. Places are limited on these popular events, so please book your place early.
Already booked on? Make sure you’ve received a confirmation email with the date/time and location of the event. If you’ve not received one of these emails, please contact us via the portal or chat and we’ll check the booking for you.
As schools and colleges are hosting us this year, it will be essential that you have pre-booked to ensure safeguarding processes can be supported at the host centre.
You can find all our locations and the booking information on the events page of Vocational Quality Assurance and on Training from Pearson. Spaces will be prioritised for quality nominees; anyone who does not hold this role will be placed on a waiting list.
Submit your BTEC Tech Award marks and samples
You can now submit your internally assessed sample work and marks for your BTEC Tech Award learners. The deadline to submit these is 15 May 2025.
Head over to Edexcel Online to submit marks and view selected learners for moderation. You’ll then upload learner work using the Learner Work Transfer portal.
Find guidance, how-to videos, and FAQs on our support portal.
Learner Work Transfer support index
Be ready to provide additional samples
As part of our usual moderation process, your moderator or Pearson may request further learner work or documents. If contacted, please upload these through Learner Work Transfer as soon as possible.
Need more help? We’ll be in touch directly with all centres that have summer internal assessment entries to offer more guidance. You can also reach out to us via the Pearson support portal.
Early release of PSAs
You heard from us last month about the earlier release of PSAs*, allowing you more time to plan, prepare, mark and upload assessments.
Missed our announcement? Read the email
New PSA release dates:
- 2 June 2025: PSA for the December/January 2025/26 assessment series
- 1 September 2025: PSA for the May/June 2026 assessment series
*these changes do not affect Art and Design Practice, which does not have a December/January assessment series.
Understanding the terminal rule
As you head into the May/June exam series, you should make sure you and your teams understand the terminal rule so that all learners expecting to receive an overall result in August 2025 can receive one.
The terminal assessment rule requires learners to take the external assessment at the end of their qualification (the series in which the learner certificates). This means that learners must sit internal component assessments either prior to, or in the same series as, the external assessment to fulfil this terminal rule.
If a learner chooses to retake an internal assessment in a series after they sat the terminal external assessment, they will also need to resit the external component to satisfy the terminal rule. Learners are allowed one retake of each internal component and one resit of the external assessment within the programme.
Read our terminal rule guide for more information, including detailed scenarios.
BTEC Tech Awards (2022): Understanding the terminal rule
All BTEC Tech Awards have been included in the 2027 secondary performance tables.
Did you know we send a monthly newsletter to all BTEC Tech Award centres with more detailed guidance and support?
Sign up to receive this directly in your inbox
Read our latest BTEC Tech Award newsletter
We send a monthly newsletter to keep you up to date with the latest news about T Levels. We send this to all T Level providers, but you can sign up to receive it directly in your inbox.
Entry Level Functional Skills
External verification activities 2024/25
If you are delivering Entry Level Functional Skills this academic year, you will have been allocated a standards verifier. If you have not heard from your standards verifier, please let us know.
If you have already received a visit from your allocated standards verifier this academic year, please check your standards verifier report for ‘limited release’. Limited release could mean that you need to provide more samples before 31 July 2025. If you don’t arrange further sampling, you will only be able to make certification claims for those learners released as part of the standards verification sampling completed so far; all other Entry Level Functional Skills learners for whom certification is required will still be blocked.
The deadline to complete sampling activities is 31 July 2025. The deadline to claim certificates for 2024/25 is 31 August 2025. Certificates claimed after 31 August will not be released automatically and you will need to request them manually.
Keeping your data up to date
Remember to maintain your cohorts and withdraw old, unclaimed registration numbers. If a learner has been registered and is not going to complete any assessments, you need to withdraw their registration.
Business version 4 programme specification
If you’re running the Higher Nationals in Business, you’ll need to make any new registrations from 1 September on version 4 of the programme specification. The version 3 specification is still available to use with continuing students and is accessible in the useful documents section of the specification page, and from the HN Global Business subject page.
BTEC Higher Nationals in Business specifications
Final registration date reminders
With your support, we extended the following BTEC Higher Nationals programmes last year.
The following titles now have last registration dates of 31 August 2025 and final certification dates of 31 August 2030:
- Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Agriculture (603/2796/0)
- Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Agriculture (603/2794/7)
- Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Horticulture (603/2853/8)
- Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Horticulture (603/2852/6)
The following titles now have last registration dates of 31 August 2026 and final certification dates of 31 August 2031:
- Pearson BTEC Level 4 Higher National Certificate in International Travel and Tourism Management: 603/2280/9
- Pearson BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in International Travel and Tourism Management: 603/2281/0
Gateway documents
To ensure compliance with the latest announcements for apprentices who don't require Functional Skills as part of their apprenticeship programme, we have amended our gateway declaration forms. You can find the updated forms in the Knowledge Base area of ACE360.
Quality assurance
Please continue to liaise with your lead standards verifier (LSV) and standards verifier as appropriate to complete the quality assurance model and certificate learners as appropriate.
Not all centres are in scope for LSV allocation. You can find out more about the LSV model and the qualifications in scope in the Pearson WBL Centre Guide to Quality Assurance.
For a brief overview of our WBL quality assurance model and the process following allocations, see our dedicated guide:
We have updated our quality assurance handbooks for 2024-25 and these are now available to download.
Download updated quality assurance handbooks
Security tests
The available Security tests are rotated monthly. Please ensure that, when making bookings and preparing for paper-based Security tests, you access the current materials via the usual area of the website that you access your test materials from.
SQA-accredited qualifications
As of 31 December 2024, Pearson is no longer an SQA-regulated awarding body, as the certification end date for all SQA-accredited qualifications has now passed. All WBL handbooks are in the process of being updated with this information.