Vocational Qualifications Bulletin February 2026
Welcome to your Vocational Qualifications Bulletin for February 2026. This update covers VQ Learner Tracker, entries, January results and your usual qualification and quality assurance news.
Welcome to your February edition
Welcome to your February VQ Bulletin. For those of you with half term last week, I hope you’ve enjoyed the break.
Thank you for all your hard work in meeting our first term-time checkpoint, the BTEC cohort declaration. Now we’ve got a shared view of your students expecting results this summer, we’re here to help you with everything you need to do to support their success.
We’ve just gone past the summer entry deadline for BTEC Tech Awards and T Levels, and next month will see the entry deadline for all other BTECs, as well as results from the January series. Read on for tips, guidance and support to help you manage what will likely be a busy month.
Best wishes,
Hayley White
Vice President Assessment, Standards and Services
Dates for your diary
Date
|
Description
|
|---|---|
| 21 Feburary | BTEC Tech Award entry deadline for internal and external components for the May/June series T Level entry deadline for core component and occupational specialism summer-series assessments |
| 18 March | Release of January series results to centres |
| 19 March | Release of January series results to students |
| 20 March | Entry deadline: make May/June external assessment entries for BTEC L3 Nationals, L2 Technicals and Firsts.* |
| 1 April | Release of February series results to centres |
| 2 April | Release of February series results to students |
*Students who sat BTEC assessments in the January 2026 series can be re-entered for June exams after January results have been issued, and no late fees will be charged. The entry deadline for these learners is 27 March.
*Students who sat BTEC assessments in the February 2026 series can be re-entered for June exams after February results have been issued, and no late fees will be charged. The entry deadline for these learners is 10 April.
In this month's update
Thank you for completing your cohort declaration. This means we have a shared view of all your students expecting results in the summer, and we can now make sure you know exactly what you need to do so they get their results on time.
The next time you log in to the VQ Learner Tracker, you’ll see a new ‘centre action’ column on the registrations screen. This shows you what you need to do for each student to achieve their overall qualification result.
Find out more about using VQ Learner Tracker to identify what you need to do
Tell us how you got on
Now you’ve completed your first term-time checkpoint of 2025/26, we’d love to hear how you’ve found it – what's worked, what you might like us to improve, and anything else you want to tell us about it. Complete this short form to let us know.
The deadline to make summer series entries for BTEC Nationals, Firsts and L2 Technicals is Friday 20 March. If you have students receiving results from the January series on 19 March, you’ll have until 27 March to make any resit entries for them.
Results from the January series for BTEC Tech Awards, Firsts, Nationals and L2 Technicals will be released under embargo on Wednesday 18 March for you to then release to your students on 19 March.
If you want to check how to view results, explore post-results options and much more, we’ve got everything you need in one place.
Submitting cash-ins for the January series
If students sat their external assessment in January, you have until 16 April to submit a cash-in on Edexcel Online to claim their certification for that series.
You can't claim for the January series after this date.
You can submit cash-ins for the summer series either alongside your external assessment entries, or you can submit them via EDI until 15 May and on Edexcel Online until 5 July.
Need help understanding cash-ins? Read our FAQs
Don't forget about the terminal rule
The terminal assessment rule means students have to take their external assessment at the end of their qualification; i.e., the same series in which they'll certificate. This means students must sit their internal assessments either before or in the same series as the external assessment.
Read more about understanding the terminal rule
Important change to mark submission for internally assessed and externally moderated work
From this summer, you’ll need to submit your centre marks before we release the list of students selected for the moderation sample.
The provisional timetables for the winter and summer 2027 BTEC timetables are now available on our website. If you’ve got any feedback, please let us know by emailing timetables@pearson.com before 20 March.
We’re expecting the outcome of the government’s consultation on the design and implementation of a third vocational pathway at level 3 and two new pathways at level 2 in post-16 education in the spring.
The Department for Education has also confirmed that any decisions regarding defunding of existing qualifications from 2026/27 in England will be reviewed considering the views expressed in response to the consultation. The decisions will be announced alongside the outcomes of the consultation.
We'll update our funding guidance as soon as the information becomes available, so you can plan with confidence for the 2026/27 academic year.
We'll also be in touch with what the consultation outcomes mean for you, your students, and the future of vocational and technical qualifications in England beyond 2026/27.
Guiding you through reform with confidence
To help you navigate Level 3 reform in Health and Social Care, Science and Digital with confidence, we’ve created new options guides to support your post‑16 provision, reflecting the current funding guidance.
Inside each guide you’ll find:
- an overview of what is changing in each of the three sectors
- Pearson qualification options including T Levels, AAQs and funded BTECs
- example study programmes that reflect employer needs and higher education expectations
- useful links and resources to support planning conversations.
Visit the sector pages to download your free options guide:
Are you in a school? Have your say
The Department for Education is seeking views on proposals to improve key stage 4 academic performance measures and to extend school improvement support from the DfE's Targeted RISE service. Take the opportunity to share your views on:
- changes to Progress 8 and Attainment 8 measures which affect how many vocational qualifications are recognised
- changes to the way progress of pupils with low prior attainment is recognised
- extending DfE's Targeted RISE support to primary and secondary schools with low achievement.
The consultation is open until Monday 4 May 2026.
Webinar dates for spring 2026
Keep up to date on the latest developments around the reforms, sector-specific briefings and sessions to support you when teaching new and current qualifications. Find your event and book your place today.
See the full programme and book on to an event
Early Childhood Development AAQ
Clarification on delivery and assessment of content for Unit 1:
Specification content on Skinner's Theory should be taught as it applies from birth to eight years in relation to primary and secondary reinforcers. This application of Skinner's Theory is exemplified in the sample assessment materials.
New T Level contracts
The following T Levels are joining our growing T Level family:
- Management and Administration
- Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
- Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control
- Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing
We've also kept the contract to deliver the Generation 2 T Level in Accounting.
These new Generation 2 T Levels will be ready for first teach September 2027. This will not affect your 2025 or 2026 intake; those students will complete their T level with City and Guilds.
Tell us who’ll upload student work this summer
If you’ve made entries for employer-set projects or occupational specialisms this summer, we’ll need to know who’s uploading your students’ work to SharePoint so we can make sure everything’s set up correctly. We sent an email to all centres with entries with a link to the form you’ll need to complete for each person who’ll upload work.
Read our email if you missed it
Catch up on all the news
Read February's T Level update for all the latest news, key dates and sector updates
Missing out? Sign up to T Level updates to get the latest news to your inbox each month.
Join us at an event near you this summer
Our quality nominee networks return this summer, with events taking place across the country. These are great opportunities to hear the latest updates on BTEC curricula and, more importantly, to meet and share best practice with other quality nominees.
Find an event near you and book your place
Standards verification
Standards verification is under way and standards verifiers should now be working with your lead internal verifiers for each BTEC programme to make sampling arrangements. We’re here to support you; if you have any questions about the standards verification process, or you’ve not had a standards verifier allocation for any of your BTEC programmes, contact us.
Meet your VQAM
If you have any quick questions or want some one-to-one support, remember you can arrange a Teams call with your VQAM. Book a 15-minute slot at a time that suits you and we’ll be happy to chat.
We’ve had a temporary reshuffle in the VQAM team, so check the coverage map to see which of us supports your area.
Qualification withdrawals and extensions
We've extended the following BTEC Higher Nationals, which now have a final registration date of 31 August 2027 and final certification date of 31 August 2032:
Meanwhile, the BTEC Higher Nationals in International Travel and Tourism Management are being withdrawn, with a final registration date of 31 August 2026 and final certification date of 31 August 2031. There is no planned replacement for this qualification.
New guide for Lifelong Learning Entitlement
We’ve put a guide together to help you understand how Higher Nationals, delivered via HN Flex, can be used to build a compliant and employer-responsive modular offer under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).
This guide outlines the key policy changes, operational requirements, curriculum design considerations, and the end-to-end approval and quality assurance process.
Digital Functional Skills (DFS) and Essential Digital Skills qualification (EDSQ): key differences
Are you planning to deliver Digital Functional Skills (DFS), or is this your first year delivering it? Make sure you have the correct programme approved before registering or teaching learners.
Digital Functional Skills (2023) is not the same as the Essential Digital Skills Qualification (2020) and separate approval is required for each qualification. Need to check your approval?
Follow our guide to checking your current approval on Edexcel Online
Digital Functional Skills:
- Entry Level 3 - 610/3359/5
- Level 1 - 610/3358/3
View the Digital Functional Skills (2023) specification
Essential Digital Skills Qualification (2020):
- Entry Level 3 - 603/6840/8
- Level 1 - 603/6839/1
View the Essential Digital Skills Qualification (2020) specification
Live training to support your Functional Skills delivery
English: Teaching the Fundamentals
This series of CPD sessions is designed to support teachers' knowledge and delivery of the fundamentals of Functional Skills English at Level 1 and Level 2.
| Language Features and Vocabulary | 3 March, 4–5 p.m. | Book your place |
| Organisational Features | 10 March, 4–5 p.m. | Book your place |
| Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar | 17 March, 4–5 p.m. | Book your place |
| Skills for Speaking, Listening and Communicating | 24 March, 4–5 p.m. | Book your place |
Maths: Concepts That Challenge Learners
For Functional Skills Maths, we have a series of three sessions aimed at supporting learners in what were the most challenging areas of assessment in the last academic year.
| Getting the Basics Right: Level 1 and 2 Functional Skills Maths |
23 April, 4–5 p.m. | Book your place |
| Concepts That Challenge Learners: Level 1 Functional Skills Maths |
30 April, 4–5 p.m. | Book your place |
| Concepts That Challenge Learners: Level 2 Functional Skills Maths |
7 May, 4–5 p.m. | Book your place |
New: Skills for Life and Work for 14–16 learners in Wales
We’ve launched a new Skills for Life and Work website to support schools who will transition to this skills‑focused provision for 14–16 year olds in Wales, available for first teaching from September 2027.
The site brings together clear information on our qualifications, helping you support learners to build confidence, develop essential skills and prepare for their next steps.
Explore Skills for Life and Work
Recruitment
We’re currently recruiting for the following roles:
Senior Standards Verifier - Work Based Learning - Goods, Warehousing and Logistics
Sector Advisor in the Health Screeners sector
Pharmacy
Our Pharmacy qualifications have been re-recognised by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) for a period of 6 years.
Following our recognition conditions with the GPhC, we'll arrange materials, support, and collaboration with centres on mandatory stakeholder engagement activities that include the public and patients.
We’ll share more details with quality nominees as we finalise the actions and policies required.
Quality assurance dates for your diary
- Standards verification activity: November 2025 – July 2026 (although timings may vary by programme)
- Lead standards verifier reviews (if applicable): dates set with each centre
Not sure if you’re in scope for a lead standards verifier review? See pages 51–55 of the Work Based Learning Centre Guide to Quality Assurance 2025–2026 handbook.
The Annual Lead IQA Reports for 2025 are now complete and ready to access. Each report gives you a valuable overview of EPA delivery across the previous calendar year, covering key statistics, areas for development, and examples of good practice.
To view them, open an apprentice record in ACE360 and select the magnifying glass icon to find the relevant standard's knowledge base.
We encourage all providers to review the report for any standards you deliver, as the insights may support your quality improvement planning and preparation for future assessments.
