BTEC Tech Award October Update
Many of you are deep into planning and supporting students, s, we know how much you’re managing right now. This newsletter is here to keep you informed, share useful updates, and highlight opportunities that might make your workload a little lighter.
If there’s anything you’d like more information on—or if you need support with something specific—please don’t hesitate to reach out.
PSAs now published (for assessment May 2026)
We have published the PSAs for the May 2026 series. Please be clear that these PSAs cannot be used for submission in December for the Dec/Jan assessment series. These PSAs can only be used for submission in May 2026 for the summer 2026 series.
Issue with Component 2 PSA (for assessment Dec25-Jan26)
We have identified an error in the BTEC Tech Award Digital and Information Technology, Component 2, Collecting, Presenting and Interpreting Data Pearson Set Assignment (PSA), which was released on 2 June for the December 25/January 26 assessment series
Accessing and analysing your results
Preparing for Summer Results
Multi-Factor Authentication for Edexcel Online
To avoid any unnecessary delay in accessing your results and supporting learners, we are asking you to log on to one of the following platforms, ensuring you have a valid password and can authenticate using the MFA app.
- Edexcel Online (EOL)
- ResultsPlus
- Exam Viewer
The sooner you do this and ensure that your access is working the better.
Secure callbacks: Some issues, such as the need for an MFA device reset, requires us to complete a secure callback on the number we have on file. This usually means speaking to your centre reception first.
We have adapted our secure callback process to allow the use of a personal mobile number. If any secure callbacks are required during the summer holidays while you are not in centre, we are still able to do this quickly and securely.
Further Support: We appreciate that you may have questions about multi factor authentication..
Accessing Pearson Services Using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Results days: Key dates
| Qualification |
Exam session | Results to centres | Results to students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tech Award 2022 | Summer 25 | 15/08/2025 | 21/08/2025 |
The 'Results to centres' date is embargoed, giving you more time to make sure everything’s in order before learners see their results.
We know how valuable that extra time was last year. Many of you told us it helped resolve final queries and gave you confidence heading into results day. That’s exactly what we want to support again this summer.
View the key date schedule documents for all relevant dates
Grade Boundaries
You can access Summer 2025 grade boundaries by component by using the Raw Mark to UMS convertor tool called 'BTEC marks convertor support' found on the website.
Using this tool you can access all raw to UMS conversions for all components in the Tech Award 2022 qualification.
Once you know each component UMS mark you can add these together to calculate the overall qualification score using the grade table from the specification. See below.
| Qualification Grade | L2D* | L2D | L2M | L2P | L1D | L1M | L1P |
| Max UMS = 300 | 270 | 240 | 210 | 180 | 150 | 120 | 90 |
Learners who do not achieve the standard required for a Level 1 Pass grade will receive a uniform mark in the range 0–89.
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.
Availability of Summer 2025 Question Papers, Mark Schemes and Examiner Reports
Exam materials from the Summer 2025 exam series will be made available on our website (secure download) on the following dates:
| Assessment materials | Date of availability on website |
|---|---|
| Question Papers | Available |
| Mark Schemes | Results Day |
| PSA Examiner Reports | Results Day |
| Examiner Reports | Results Day |
ResultsPlus - our online results analysis tool
ResultsPlus is our free online results analysis tool, that gives you a detailed breakdown of your students’ performance in Pearson Edexcel exams.
It provides you with detailed analysis available of your students’ performance compared to national and other schools.
You can access ResultsPlus using your Edexcel Online username and password if your account profile has ResultsPlus access granted by your Exams Officer.
Details for use of Results Plus for the Tech Award 2022 can be found in the support guide
Access to Scripts - Component 3
You can use our free Access to Scripts service to view your candidates’ marked exam scripts online or download as a PDF. It is available from results day until the 13 December 2024.
Providing a rich source of information, you can use this service to help make decisions about requesting a review of marking, but it can also help inform future teaching and learning and gives insights and visibility that performance data alone cannot provide.
Note, you will need 'Exam viewer' in your Edexcel Online profile if you want to download candidate scripts from results day. Please ask your Exams Officer if you need this adding to your profile.
Useful background content
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.
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
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
