BTEC Tech Awards BTEC Tech Award Understanding Results

Raw marks to UMS marks  

The DfE require all assessment for Technical Awards to be applied using numerical mark schemes rather than grades. Marks will be applied to each task or Learning Outcome in the assessment, then added together to give the final mark for the component. These are the ‘raw’ marks. This makes the assessments fully compensatory as the total marks for a component combine both higher and lower achievement in different tasks/Learning Outcomes. 

When you receive results for each internally assessed component, you will see a 'Grade' and a 'Uniform Mark Scale (UMS) mark total'. The UMS to Grade mapping is fixed and you can find it in the specification in the section 'Calculation of the qualification grade'. 

The UMS is used to convert learners’ component raw marks into uniform marks in order to standardise marks from one series to another. This is because raw mark grade boundaries may change from series to series to take into account several possible variables (see section on awarding below).

For example, a learner who achieves a Level 2 Pass in a component one series will receive the same uniform mark as a learner achieving that same component grade the following series, regardless of their raw marks, as the UMS grade boundaries stay the same from series to series. 

For further detail about the relationship between Raw marks, UMS and Grade mapping for use on results day, visit the support article BTEC Tech Awards 2022: Raw Mark to UMS and Grade Conversion.

How do I see the Raw to UMS mapping for internal assessments?  

The raw-marks-to-UMS-marks converter can be used to see how a PSA Raw mark is mapped to the UMS marks that are used for certification. Each Session (PSA) has a table that shows how a Raw mark would be translated to the UMS mark found in the results. Only within the webtool will you see every Raw mark and its UMS mapping for a PSA. 

This is very useful when using past PSAs as mocks because you will be able to mark the mock in Raw marks and translate this to a UMS mark to give feedback to your students on their performance. 

Explore the raw-marks-to-UMS-marks converter

Awarding and setting Grade Boundaries 

We review grade boundaries each time a new exam or assessment is completed through a process called awarding. The grade boundaries indicate the minimum number of raw marks learners need to achieve to get a particular grade.  

The awarding process is conducted to ensure parity across different assessment series and years, so learners get fair results regardless of when they take the assessments. Through the awarding process, several factors are reviewed and taken into account, and, where necessary, grade boundaries may be adjusted to ensure that standards are maintained over time. These factors include prior attainment data on the cohort, assessment statistics indicating how question performed and how the assessment performed as a whole, inter-board screening to ensure a fair standard in comparable subjects across different awarding bodies, and inspection of learner responses to ensure the standard of work that is awarded a certain mark is consistent year on year. This process is important in ensuring that learners have the same opportunity to achieve, regardless of the variables that can affect performance in a given series. 

Get more insight into how we award grades that fairly reflect a learner's performance. 

Understanding marks and grades

Calculators and converters 

We have created the BTEC Tech Award marks converter, this tool will provide you with the mapping for live series for externally assessed units in the BTEC Nationals and Tech Awards qualifications, and all awarded components in the BTEC 2022 Tech Award suite. 

Explore the BTEC Tech Award marks converter

Also available is the grade calculator using the UMS points in relation to grades which remain fixed each series. This calculator can be used to benchmark progress and model potential qualification outcomes, but will not guarantee actual grade outcomes for future series as this is subject to awarding.  

Try the BTEC grade calculator

The specification lists the UMS points relating to each possible grade for each Component, as well as the maximum raw marks available for each Component. The relationship between raw marks and grades is subject to change based on awarding in each series.  

The raw marks achieved for each component are converted to UMS points based on the scale published in the specification. The points for each component are added together for the overall qualification. This makes the qualification fully compensatory, meaning learners can achieve a final qualification grade through any combination of points from each component. Furthermore, as there is no longer a Level 1 Pass requirement in any component, a grade of U (Unclassified) in any component is considered an outcome and will still allow learners to certificate given they have gained sufficient points from other components. 

Retakes of internal assessments 

Learners may retake each internal assessment once during the qualification.  

Following results day, if you have questions about retaking internal assessments this video will help answer your questions. We also have FAQs about retakes.

Watch BTEC Tech Award (2022) Resits and retakes for the internal Components (4.10mins)

FAQs - Understanding Results for BTEC Tech Awards from 2022

Resitting the terminal external assessment 

Learners are allowed one resit of the external assessment within the programme. Bear in mind that because the external assessments for creative subjects are task-based and conducted over a longer period, they are available in the May/June series only.  

If learners are entered for the external assessment in a series prior to completing one or more internal assessments, this will be considered a practice sitting, as the result from the external assessment cannot be used towards the qualification outcome. They will need to resit the external assessment in the series in which they will be completing the qualification to fulfil the terminal assessment requirement. 

Reports and Past Papers 

Principal Examiner reports for externally assessed components, and Principal Moderator reports for internally assessed components compile information on how candidates performed in the examinations and PSAs. They provide general feedback and highlight good approaches that can be taken forward to future series. 

These reports will be released on results day under padlock, onto the subject pages on this website.

Find a BTEC Awards subject

You can also find the reports for external assessments on ResultsPlus.

Please speak to your examinations officer if you don't have access to ResultsPlus.  

Certification  

Centres should submit certification claims for the new BTEC Tech Awards during the series in which learners are sitting their terminal external assessment. This is done using the cash-in code for the qualification, which you can find on this page.

BTEC Tech Awards 2022: Cash-in Codes

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. 

For more detailed information around the claiming process read our updated BTEC Tech Award certification FAQs.

Are the L1/L2 Technical Award qualifications the same as the legacy qualifications? 

As with any reform there will be some similarities and differences between the legacy and the reformed qualifications. The extent of the changes will vary across the different awarding organisations and subjects and more detailed information can be found on the awarding organisations website (see links below).

However, as part of the reform there are some key features that all Awarding Organisations must include in their L1/L2 Technical Awards in order for them to count in performance measures. It means there is more alignment with the Technical Award qualifications, which are:

• The non-exam assessment must be set by the Awarding organisation
• The non-exam assessment must have marks and be moderated
• Learners must take one or more assessments by examination, worth at least 40% of the qualification, in the series in which they certificate to meet the terminal rule

Can I expect the grade boundaries to be similar or different to the legacy qualifications?
It is always difficult to compare grade boundaries between old and new qualifications in a meaningful way. Changes in the assessments such as maximum marks for the assessments, the total number of assessments in a subject and the type of assessment can all be different. Some of the old qualifications had non-exam assessments that were grades based, these will now have changed to marks-based assessment.

For more information please refer to the JCQ guidance on the Technical Award reforms.