Vocational Qualifications Bulletin June 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 we move into June, we’re now well into the summer exam series. I want to thank you for your hard work and dedication you’ve shown to prepare learners and throughout this busy time. Your commitment is what makes the series run smoothly for all learners sitting assessments.
We’ve recently been in touch about preparing to make your claims by 5 July. This process relies on collaboration between many key roles across your centre. It’s essential that quality nominees, teachers and tutors, and exams officers are aligned and working together.
If you think you might face any challenges with making claims by 5 July, please let us know. We’re here to help and want to make sure you have everything you need to get through the next few weeks confidently.
Read on to find out about the support we’ve put together to help you meet the 5 July deadline.
And finally, we’re here to help. You can reach out to us through the Pearson support portal.
Best wishes,
Nick Cutland
Director, Vocational Qualifications Assessment
Dates for your diary
Date
|
Description
|
Qualification
|
|---|---|---|
5 July |
Deadline to make full award claims or cash-ins for all students expecting a result in August 2025. | BTEC Firsts, BTEC Nationals, BTEC Tech Awards, BTEC Level 2 Technicals |
In this month's update
We’re here to help you stay on track
The 5 July BTEC claiming deadline might seem a way off, but now’s the time to make sure everything’s in place for you to start making your claims.
By 5 July you need to:
- submit all internally assessed grades
- complete BTEC full-award claims and Tech Award cash-ins
- clear any outstanding actions in the VQ Learner Tracker.
We recently contacted centres about the 5 July deadline. Missed the email?
Read more about our support
Pledge to complete by 5 July
Let us know you're on track by completing a short pledge in the VQ Learner Tracker. This will tell us you don’t need extra support for now.
Join our claim-ready webinars
Learn how to use the VQ Learner Tracker, ask questions and get claim-ready.
With the summer exam series in full swing, here’s a reminder on how you can continue to manage assessments smoothly:
Review your security and access
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.
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.
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 month, we're diving into everything you need to feel ready to submit your BTEC claims.
Submit cash-ins by 5 July
If students are expecting an overall qualification result in August, you need to claim their certification by submitting a cash-in on Edexcel Online by 5 July.
To help you know your students are on track, and to identify any actions that need to be taken ahead 5 July, you can use the VQ Learner Tracker. If you’re new to the VQ Learner Tracker this year, you can join one of the weekly webinars we’re hosting throughout June and we’ll talk you through it.
Get ready to receive your draft moderator feedback reports
Your draft moderator feedback reports should be available to download from Edexcel Online by 16 June, provided you submitted your samples by 15 May.
Your exams staff and quality nominee will receive a notification email as soon as your reports are available. Any of these roles can then download the reports and share them with delivery staff.
Follow our guide to downloading your draft moderator reports
Watch our video on understanding moderator reports (12:53 mins)
Once you've downloaded your reports, you will have until 27 June to amend any marks in line with the moderation feedback if you want to.
How to amend learner marks on Edexcel Online
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.
Early release of PSAs | They're here!
In April, we shared that we’d be releasing PSAs earlier to give you more time to plan, prepare, and support your learners, and they're now all live!
Make sure you only use these PSAs for learners entered for the December/January series.
We'll release the PSAs for the May/June 2026 series on 1 Septemeber 2025.
*This change doesn’t apply to Art and Design Practice, which doesn’t have a December/January assessment window.
Understanding the terminal rule
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
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
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
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.
Read more about how funding is affecting top-ups
BTEC Nationals in Northern Ireland
The new Level 3 BTEC National AAQs are not yet available for teaching in Northern Ireland. Instead, you can continue to offer most of our RQF BTEC Nationals throughout the 25/26 and 26/27 academic years.
NI schools should always check the status of qualifications on the NIEFQAN before commencing delivery. Where a qualification is not approved, or listed, on NIEFQAN, schools should follow DE policy.
NI FE and work-based training providers can refer to our handy funding guide.
We will be in touch later in the year with more specific updates for each sector.
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 second sampling, if required, is 15 June. Please work closely with your lead IVs and standards verifiers to ensure you meet this deadline.
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.
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.
Digital Functional Skills (DFS) and Essential Digital Skills qualification (EDSQ)
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); separate approval is required for each qualification.
See how you can check which qualifications you're approved to deliver
Digital Functional Skills (2023) details:
- Entry Level 3 Digital Functional Skills (610/3359/5)
- Level 1 Digital Functional Skills (610/3358/3)
View the Digital Functional Skills (2023) specification
Essential Digital Skills Qualification (2020) details:
- Entry Level 3 Essential Digital Skills Qualification (603/6840/8)
- Level 1 Essential Digital Skills Qualification (6036839/1)
View the Essential Digital Skills Qualification (2020) specification
Essential Digital Skills Qualification (2020) details:
- Entry Level 3 Essential Digital Skills Qualification (603/6840/8)
- Level 1 Essential Digital Skills Qualification (6036839/1)
Standards verification sampling deadlines
Functional Skills Level 1 and 2 Speaking, Listening and Communication
If you are delivering Functional Skills Level 1 and 2 SLC, you should have been contacted by your standards verifier to begin the sampling process for this year. If you have not been contacted by your standards verifier, please let us know.
The deadline to complete sampling activities is 30 June 2025.
Make sure your internal verifiers are registered on OSCA before Level 1 and 2 English Speaking, Listening and Communication assessments take place. Without OSCA accreditation, your Level 1 and 2 English learners will not receive certificates.
Entry Level Functional Skills
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 will need to be requested manually.
If you have already received a visit from your allocated standards verifier this academic year, please check your standards verifier report for ‘limited release’. This could mean that you need to provide further samples are required before 31 July.
Remember, you should destroy any unused live test papers.
Essential Digital Skills Qualification (EDSQ)
The deadline to complete sampling activities is 31 July 2025. The deadline to claim certificates for 2024/25 is 31 August 2025. If you haven't heard from your standards verifier, please let us know as soon as possible.
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
Register your apprentices on ACE360
Make sure that when you're registering apprentices, you register them on the correct standard and version. We use this information to help with the allocation of independent end-point assessors and your apprentices' assessment.
Quality assurance
Please continue to liaise with your lead standards verifier and standards verifier as to complete the quality assurance model and certificate learners as appropriate.
Not all centres are in scope for lead standards verifier allocation. You can find out more about thelead standards verifier model and the qualifications in scope in the 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 make sure that, when making bookings and preparing for paper-based Security tests, you access the current materials.
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. We are updating all our WBL handbooks to reflect this change.