T Levels Provider FAQs

Pearson is responsible for the specification development and assessment delivery of the Technical Qualifications (TQ) in:

• Accounting
• Craft and Design
• Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing (from Sept 2027)
• Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction
• Digital Data Analytics
• Digital Software Development
• Digital Support and Security
  
• Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control (from Sept 2027)
• Finance
• Legal Services
• Health
  
• Media, Broadcast and Production
• Marketing
• Management and Administration (from Sept 2027)
• Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing (from Sept 2027)
• Science

These form the substantial component within the T Level.

Other components that must be achieved include:

• Industry Placement 
• Other industry qualifications deemed appropriate by the T Level panel.

The government is responsible for the reformation of technical education it set out in the Post-16 skills plan.

Read the action plan.

Anyone wishing to become an eligible provider to deliver T Levels is required to submit an ‘intention to teach’ application to the DfE. The DfE will then select providers for each rollout and beyond.

A partial achievement is awarded if at least one of the three components (Core, Occupational Specialism, or Industry Placement) has been awarded. 

However, UCAS point will only be awarded where the Industry Placement is also completed along with Core or OS.

Awarding Organisations have a responsibility to ensure the integrity of T Level qualifications are being maintained by the Providers offering these qualifications. Each Awarding Organisation needs to demonstrate to the Department for Education that appropriate monitoring activities are in place and confirm that delivery of the Technical Qualification continues to satisfy the Provider Approval Criteria, protecting the integrity of the qualification. Where this is not the case, the Awarding Organisation is required to demonstrate how they have worked with the Provider to ensure their processes and procedures are in line with the required expectations.

The Core component is split into two assessments:

1. Core exams that assess the knowledge that underpins all the occupations covered by the T Level.
2. Employer Set Project (ESP) - that assesses the core skills and behaviours drawn from the Core content.

We do. The Core assessment is set and marked by the awarding organisation.

We do. The ESP is set and marked by the awarding organisation.

We work with employers to design each ESP for each assessment window. This makes sure the assessment is set within a realistic and appropriate  industry context.

The Core exams and ESP marks will be combined to give an overall Core component grade between A* - E.

We assess the Occupational Specialism via an extended synoptic project that is set by us.

The project assesses all the skills in a realistic context - this ensures students can demonstrate threshold competence and are able to evidence all the skills required by the Performance Outcomes. The project is a series of tasks that are done within a specific window or on a specific day.

Some Occupational Specialisms are marked by us; others are marked by you and moderated by us – the Technical Qualification specification will tell you which method is used.

The Occupational Specialism will be graded Pass, Merit or Distinction.

The Core Component will have two assessment windows per academic year: Summer andAutumn. 

The Occupational Specialist Component will have one assessment window per year: this will be classed as a Summer Window, as this is when the assessment will complete. However, the assessment window may start much earlier in the year (depending upon the TQ) due to the nature of the task.

Please see the specific T Level Key Dates Schedule for all assessment dates.  

There is no specific ‘resit’ window permitted. However, students will be able to resit in the following assessment window.

Students may resit:

• the Core exams
• the Employer Set Project
• the Occupational Specialism, or
• any combination of these.

But there are some resit rules…. 

Where a student wishes to resit one of the Core exams they must resit both exams in the same assessment window.  

For example, if… following the Summer window - a student passed one of the Core exams but failed the other or wishes to improve their grade – and they wanted to resit in the Autumn series – the student must take both exams.  

However, where a student wishes to resit any of the Core Exams and the Employer Set Project, they do not need to resit both the exams and the Employer Set Project in the same assessment window.  

The student could – taking the example I previously mentioned – resit both exams in the Autumn series and then resit the Employer Set Project in the following Summer window. 

For further information please refer to the Ofqual Handbook: Technical Qualifications.

Yes.

We will provide a free Provider Support package.

For teaching and delivery this will include: 

• Specification
• Delivery Pack, including resources to support the holistic delivery of topics
• Getting Ready to Teach events
• Getting Ready to Assess events
• Getting Ready to Know the Specification events
• Q&A webinars

For assessment this will include: 

• Getting Ready to Assess events
• Specimen Assessment Material
• Sample marked learner work
• Principal Examiner Report

Yes. We will be using both Results Plus and Exam Wizard for the TQ. However, please note that these are Pearson-owned systems - therefore they will only be used for the TQs we have the contract/s to deliver.

We have no plans to produce a textbook. However, a third party may choose to publish textbooks for the TQs.

No, the industry placement isn’t part of the Technical Qualification.

It is one of the components of the T Level and managed by the DfE.

Yes. In order to complete the T Level your students must complete the industry placement.

To complete their placement students must:

• demonstrate sufficient progress towards their learning goals
• work directly to an external employer and
• have been on placement for the minimum number of hours 

Pearson have no involvement with the Industry Placement. 

Providers are responsible for deciding whether students have completed their placement or not, and they must consider the feedback from employers when making this decision. 

From September 2025 you will see the second generation of T Levels launch.   

In some cases, the supplier contracted to deliver the Generation 2 T Level will change following the DfE’s tendering process. In other cases, the initial supplier could be re-contracted.

This gives the supplier, i.e. the Awarding Organisation, the opportunity to update the Technical Qualification content and/or assessment.

The AOs (former and current) will work together to transfer the contract; we will analyse the Technical Qualification’s performance, identify key risks and issues, and propose solutions to solve these.   

The current AO will engage with you throughout the update process, gaining your insight to hopefully improve delivery and assessment.

Yes, there will be a period of parallel running.

For example, all students registered in 2024/25 academic year onto the T Level in Digital Support Services with NCFE must complete their Technical Qualification with NCFE.

Your students starting their T Level in 2025/26, will do so with Pearson.  

Students can re-sit their assessments; they have one more year to complete this.

Therefore, it is possible for you to parallel run for a maximum of two years.

You must apply for Provider Approval in the academic year before you wish to start delivery.   

For example, Providers who wish to commence in September 2026 must submit their application in the Spring 2026 approval window. 

The approval window opens each year in February and closes at the end of June. For exact dates, please see the Key Dates Schedule. 

No. Pearson do not charge for Provider Approval.  

No. Once approved, your approval remains valid, even if no students are registered.  

If you are an Approved Provider delivering the current T Level with Pearson, you do not need to do anything. Your approval status will automatically move to the Generation 2 version of the Technical Qualification.  

You may be eligible for fast-track approval. Please see our Guide to Provider Approval on the Training and Admin Support webpage.  

No. T Level Provider Approval is not transferable between Awarding Organisations. 

You may be eligible for fast-track approval. Please see our Guide to Provider Approval on the Training and Admin Support webpage.  

Yes. All Generation 2 T Levels will have a new QAN.

There will be no change for these students.  
 
They must complete their T Level with the Awarding Organisation they were initially registered with at the start of their programme. 

No. Students must complete their T Level with the Awarding Organisation they were initially registered with at the start of their programme.  

Students are not able to transfer from one T Level to another after completing their first academic year.   

Students must confirm their Occupational Specialism by the end of the first academic year, and completed assessments cannot be transferred between T Levels. If a student wishes to change to a different T Level, this must occur within the first year and before any assessments are taken.  

For more information on transfer requirements please read the DfE’s T Level Funding and Support Guidance.  

You may if you wish, however, they will not exactly align to the Generation 2 content and/or assessments.  
 
Pearson will produce support materials tailored to the Digital T Levels to be taught from September 2025. 

Pearson provides advice and guidance through their Product Manager and Subject Advisor.  
 
Full details on how to make contact, engage, and schedule a support call can be found on the Pearson website via the TQ Specification Page.

No. All students who started their T Level with NCFE must complete their T Level with NCFE.  

No. Students don't need English or maths prior to starting the TQ. 

Students do not require L2 English and maths in order to achieve their T Level.  

There are no formal entry criteria set by us for the TQ. Entry requirements can be set by providers - but this is outside our remit as an awarding organisation.

We would suggest that students have achieved a good grounding at Level 2, either in GCSE or in vocational qualifications such as BTEC, and particularly in subjects that will aid progression to T Levels.

Yes, it has been confirmed that T Levels will attract UCAS points.

This is managed by the DfE and they hold the relationship with UCAS as to the allocation of UCAS points.

Please note: UCAS points will be allocated to the T Level not the Technical Qualification.

We have engaged with HEIs during the development of the TQ in order to ensure that its content is appropriate for progression to degree programmes.

The final grading of the T Level will be Pass, Merit, Distinction and Distinction*.

For the Technical Qualification, the Core is graded A*- E and the Occupational Specialism is graded Pass, Merit, Distinction. Both of these component grades will be given to the ESFA who will formulate the overall T Level grade, inform providers of T Level results and issue T Level certificates.

Please note: we will not be providing a grade or certificate for the Technical Qualification.

At this moment in time, we would suggest that the Qualification Descriptions should be used for this purpose. These can be found on the student page under the ‘What will I learn on my Technical Qualification? section. 

We ask providers not to use any draft technical information on content and assessment for marketing purposes, but general information provided by the DfE promoting the T Level could be used.

The following resources provided by the Department for Education can also be used:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/t-levels-resources-for-teachers-and-careers-advisers