BTEC Tech Award November Update
I hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating half term break, please find important information here to help as we approach the mid December deadline for internally assessed component sample and raw mark entry.
Key dates 2024 - 2025
The Tech Award 2022 Key dates are also a vital reference and these sit alongside the key dates and term-time check points below.
We are sharing an important update regarding the key dates and term-time checkpoints. To every centre that has recently delivered any of our BTEC Tech Award qualifications. These key dates have been designed to ensure BTEC results are delivered successfully to all learners expecting a result in 2025
BTEC key dates and term-time checkpoints 2024/25
New Standardisation Materials
Exemplar work from the Summer 2024 series
New exemplar work is available now on our qualification page.
From the Summer 2024 series
New Question paper, Mark scheme and Examiner reports from this summers series can be found for Component 3
Training Events
Live training event
| Qualification |
Date | Time | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marking and moderation for Component 2 | 06 November 2024 | 16:00 - 18:00 | Register |
All training events live and recorded for Digital Information Technology can be found on our qualification pages
Useful background content
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.
January 2024 saw the first availability of external assessments, results will be seen on 20 March 2024 (21 March 2024 for Learners)
Remember that the terminal assessment rule requires learners to take the external assessment at the end of their qualification (when the learner is due or eligible to certificate). 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 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
