BTEC Firsts in Music: May 2017 update

We have issued some guidance for centres for Unit 8 - Music and Production Analysis. This details how centres can transfer the audio from the CD to a digital file and managing the security and copyright issues when doing this.

Read the update for transferring audio for Unit 8 - Music and Production Analysis

We have developed a brand new BTEC Technical Diploma in Music. This is available to view online now. It is a technical level 2 qualification for post-16 learners. It can either be used for learners to progress on to work within the industry or for progression to further study. This has been submitted for consideration on the 2019 performance measures in England and I will include further updates on this when it is available.

We are now in May and the deadline for completing first dampling is approaching rapidly. This must be completed by 30 May and I ask you to work with your SV to make sure they have all necessary documents in time so they can complete the sampling and reporting by deadline. Any further sampling must be cmopleted by 30 June and again I ask you to work with your SV to meet this deadline.

The exams are also upon us and I wish every learner the best of luck in their exams in this series. Results will be released on 23 August 2017. You will be able to access the exam paper and mark scheme online by the end of July with the Examiner's report being available from results day.

After the summer 2017 results are published in August, centres will be able to view and download scripts which have been marked online free of charge from our Self-Service Portal via Edexcel Online.

The Self-Service Portal will be available until the final post-results deadline for each exam series:

• Summer 2017 - Thursday 28 September

Customers should save and/or print any scripts they need for teaching and learning purposes before the post-results deadline.

Scripts do not have examiner annotation on them. The marked script allows teachers to evaluate how the student performed on particular questions in relation to what they have been taught; the Principal Examiner's Report and the exemplars that we make available demonstrate how the mark scheme is applied.

If scripts have been marked "traditionally" (i.e. not online), centres will have to request them via the Post Results section of Edexcel Online as in previous exam series.

These scripts will also be free of charge, but the final dates to request them are the same as the published JCQ Access to Scripts deadlines.

Key Dates