BTEC Tech Award January Update
As we start the new year I hope you have all had a restful break and you are ready for the busy term ahead. Please find some information here that will hopefully ease you back into the year. I am looking forward to continuing to support you all through 2026. Contact me directly as always with any questions.
Initial Moderator Reports
The initial moderator reports you’ll receive following the moderation of PSAs completed in December will be available to download directly from Edexcel Online.
As soon as your initial moderator report is ready to download, a notification email will be sent to the Quality Nominee and Exams Officer.
You'll then be able to download the report from Edexcel Online in order to review it.
Guide to accessing the draft moderator feedback reports.
A glossary of terms is available to make reports easier to understand. There is also a guidance video.
To access the moderator reports you will need ‘Results’ ticked in your user account profile on Edexcel Online – your Exams Officer can do this for you.
Useful background content
We’ll be asking for a larger sample size when moderating internally assessed work for BTEC Tech Award qualifications.
By asking for a larger sample upfront, we aim to make the process smoother and reduce the likelihood of additional requests later on. This will not affect the way in which moderators review the sample, and they will only look at additional samples of work where needed.
| Cohort Size | Sample size * |
|---|---|
| 1 - 15 | All |
| 16 - 100 | 15 |
| 101 - 200 | 20 |
| >200 | 25 |
* You must also include the highest and lowest (non-zero) marked students, if they have not already been selected in your sample.
The Tech Award 2022 Key dates are a vital reference please find the link below.
This knowledge base resource is an excellent repository of knowledge that is curated by customer service experts. The information is far reaching and detailed, while being easy to navigate.
Whether you want Registration and Entry details or details about the use of Edexcel Online (EOL) for submission of raw marks it can all be found here
Tech Award 2022 - Support Index
After you have submitted marks and the requested samples of learner work for Pearson-Set Assignments, you can expect to receive the initial Moderator Feedback Report. This report will provide valuable information about the accuracy of your marking and offer guidance on areas where you may choose to amend marks (if necessary). Amending marks is optional.
Learners are required 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 re-sit the external component to satisfy the terminal rule.
Learners are allowed one retake of each internal component, and one re-sit of the external assessment within the programme.
To help you understand the terminal rule, we’ve created a new scenario based quick quide that you can use to help you plan your learners path to certification.
Distinction * qualification grade needs all component results to be Distinction.
The UMS total will tell you what qualification outcome the student has achieved, except that for a D* certification all three components also need to be at Distinction. So it is possible for a student to have 270 UMS and not achieve an overall D*.
From the specification section 8:
The Level 2 Distinction* grade at qualification level will be awarded only if a learner has achieved a Level 2 Distinction in each component and the minimum number of uniform marks for the Level 2 Distinction* at qualification level.
Learners can retake internally assessed components once during their course.
If learners are retaking internally assessed components, they must respond to the new PSA released for that series. Learners are permitted to adapt work from their initial sitting where it is appropriate. They can use the full allocated time, including monitored preparation where applicable, and if they choose to adapt work from their initial sitting, they will need to repurpose, build upon and/or amend their work to meet the new PSA. Learners should not be overly guided on how to improve their work, and if assistance is provided, this should be documented and considered during assessment.
For further information, centres should follow the JCQ Guidance with particular attention paid to sections 2 and 17.
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 resit of the external assessment within the programme.
You will submit certification claims for the new BTEC Tech Awards during the series in which learners are sitting their terminal external assessment. You will do this using the cash-in code for the qualification, which you can find in our Information Manual.
You can make certification claims during the normal entry window for the assessment series. If you have a learner who sits their terminal assessment in January and is happy with their result, you will be able to submit a late claim following the release of January results. However, if a learner is not happy with their results and intends to resit in the May/June series, you may choose to delay claiming until making their resit entry.
We have revised the FAQs to include more detail about Claiming certification please review this material carefully
The new VQ Learner Tracker, is a new tool you can use to identify where cash-ins are missing and help you to manage your BTEC Tech Award cohort.
Subject advisor
Tim Brady
Computer Science and ICT Subject Advisor
