October 2025 Engineering update
This is the October 2025 Update for Engineering.
In this update:
- Key dates
- BTEC Nationals in Engineering (AAQ)
- Centre Standardisation Materials (CSMs)
- Live training events
- Teaching, learning and assessment support page
- BTEC Specialist Advanced Manufacturing Engineering updates
- New Authorised Assignment Briefs
- Mapping to Apprenticeships and T level Engineering.
- Exam Timetables
- Survey - Technology and assessment practices for vocational qualifications
| Date | Activity |
|---|---|
| 17 October 2025 | Entry deadline for BTEC Nationals January 2026 exam series |
| 1 November 2025 | BTEC learner registration deadline |
| 12 December 2025 | Access to Scripts deadline |
| 20 March 2026 | Entry deadline for BTEC Nationals Summer 2026 exam series |
| 15 May 2026 | Standards verification first sampling deadline |
| 15 June 2026 | Second sampling deadline (if required) |
| 5 July 2026 | Deadline to report internally assessed unit grades on edexcel online for time release of results in summer. |
Centre Standardisation Materials for Unit 3 are now available. These resources are ready to support teachers delivering BTEC Nationals in Engineering (AAQ), helping ensure assessments align with national standards and expectations.
Catch up on past events at your own pace—ideal for supporting delivery and assessment planning across all units
Getting started:
Internal Assessment (unit 3 / unit 4):
Alongside the recorded sessions, we’re running a series of live events to help you get started with teaching BTEC Nationals in Engineering (AAQ). These interactive sessions offer practical guidance, updates, and the chance to ask questions directly to our subject experts.
To book on to one of these session please go to the training page and use the filters on the left hand side. Select Qualification: BTEC Nationals and Subject: Engineering.
| Event | Date and Time |
|---|---|
| Getting Started: Ways to Plan and Teach BTEC National (AAQ) in Engineering (2025) | 06 October 2025 at 16:00 - 17:00 GMT |
| Getting Ready for Internal Assessment: BTEC National (AAQ) in Engineering (2025) | 07 October 2025 at 16:00 - 17:30 GMT |
| Getting Started: Ways to Plan and Teach BTEC National (AAQ) in Engineering (2025) | 04 November 2025 at 16:00 - 17:00 GMT |
| Getting Ready for Internal Assessment: BTEC National (AAQ) in Engineering (2025) | 02 February 2026 at 16:00 - 17:30 GMT |
| Preparing for External Assessment: BTEC National (AAQ) in Engineering (2025) | 04 February 2026 at 16:00 - 17:30 GMT |
| Preparing for External Assessment: BTEC National (AAQ) in Engineering (2025) | 09 February 2026 at 16:00 - 17:30 GMT |
| Getting Ready for Internal Assessment: BTEC National (AAQ) in Engineering (2025) | 10 February 2026 at 16:00 - 17:30 GMT |
A dedicated support page for the new BTEC Nationals in Engineering (AAQ), with essential guidance, links to downloadable templates, training links, and materials to support qualification delivery.
We are pleased to share that we have now created new Authorised Assignment Briefs for our level 3 BTEC Specialists, including for Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (the common mandatory units) and a range of shared optional units, common to these qualifications as follows:
Qualifications with new AAB's include:
- Advanced Manufacturing Engineering
- Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Machining)
- Aerospace and Aviation Engineering
- Engineering and Manufacturing Support Technologies
- Rail Engineering
Following requests from centres we have updated mapping between the knowledge, skills and behaviours of apprenticeship standards to our BTEC Specialist qualifications as follows:
We are also aware of centres who have taken on T Level learners onto level 3 apprenticeships where, for example, they must then achieve level 3 BTEC's as part of the apprenticeship. Due to the similarities of the core content to the knowledge units in the BTEC's, and to help you avoid having to re-teach this content, we have provided the following mapping document as a guide to help with this process
Survey - Technology and assessment practices for vocational qualifications
We’d love to hear how your centre uses digital tools, including Learning Management Systems (LMS), and how you manage assessment for BTECs and Functional Skills Qualifications.It helps us understand what works best for you today, and make sure future developments are designed around your needs. The survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and every response helps shape what comes next.
Deadline 30th November 2025.
Subject advisor
Evren Alibaba
Engineering
