T Levels Provider FAQs

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

• Design, surveying and planning for Construction
• Digital production, design and development
• Accounting
• Finance
• Legal Services
• Craft and Design
• Media, Broadcast and Production
• Marketing

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.

T Levels will become one of the main choices for students after GCSE, alongside Apprenticeships, Technical Occupational Entry Qualifications, Alternative Academic Qualifications and A levels.

T Levels will be based on the same standards as apprenticeships, designed by employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). Total time for a T Level will be around 1,800 hours over the two years, including an industry placement.

This differs from an apprenticeship, which is typically 80% on-the-job and 20% in the classroom and is more suited to those who know what occupation they want to pursue, want to earn a wage and learn at the same time, and are ready to enter the workforce at age 16.

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.

The Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE)can be contacted at the below email addresses:

• enquiries.ifa@education.gov.uk
• institute.media@education.gov.uk (press enquiries)

A Partial Achievement is where a student completes their industrial placement and passes either the Core or Occupational Specialism components but not both.

No, the student doesn’t get a certificate but gets a Partial Pass on their statement of results and UCAS points based upon the grade they achieve in the component they passed.

See tables below showing the points and the A level equivalent:

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 Institute 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 will be assessing the Occupational Specialism via an extended synoptic project that will be set and marked by us.

The project will be designed to assess 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 will be a series of tasks that will be done within a specific window or on a specific day.

Construction
Tasks will be set, and briefs given for each of the occupational specialisms:

1. Civil Engineering, Building Services Engineering Design
2. Surveying and Design in Construction
3. Hazardous Materials Analysis
4. Surveying.

Students will be given a work-related problem to solve, where knowledge, understanding, skills and behaviours are drawn together. The brief will require the student to analyse a set of variables provided in context to the occupational specialism; research of a local environment, design a workable solution to the problem and verification of the solution with the client. Students will need to be observed operating safely when carrying out some tasks.

Digital
Tasks will be set, and briefs given for the single occupational specialism:

1. Digital Production, Design and Development.

Students will be given an integration project that will take a business problem, two sets of existing code, and the user requirements.  

Accounting
Tasks will be set, and briefs given for the single occupational specialism: 

1. Accounting assistant 

Finance
Task will be set, and briefs given for each of the occupational specialisms:

1. Retail and Commercial Banking Analyst
2. Investment Banking and Asset and Wealth Management Analyst
3. Insurance Practitioner
4. Financial Compliance/Risk Analyst

Legal Services
Task will be set, and briefs given for each of the occupational specialisms:

1. Legal Services Assistant: Business, Finance and Employment 
2. Legal Services Assistant: Crime, Criminal Justice and Social Welfare 

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.  

All students must complete their Technical Qualification with the AO they were initially registered with.   

Therefore, you will parallel run for a minimum of one year.  

Students can re-sit their assessments; they have two more years to complete this.   

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

The good news is there has been little change to this Technical Qualification. We have updated the content, removed duplication, and made improvements to assessment where permitted. 
 
This means all our past papers, assessment items within ExamWizard, and support materials remain suitable for use.   
 
For Generation 2, this Technical Qualification will have a new QAN.  

The big change is to the Technical Qualification titles:  

• Digital Software Development, is the new title for Digital Production, Design and Development
• Digital Support and Security, is the new title for Digital Support Services.
• Digital Data Analytics, is the new title for Digital Business Services.   

Each Technical Qualification will have a new Qualification Aim Number (QAN). The content is largely the same but the assessments have changed in duration for the core exams, ESP and OS Assessments to help with manageability.  

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 2025 must submit their application in the Spring 2025 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 that Pearson deliver from September 2025 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.  

No. Each Digital T Level will have different Core components, although the content will be broadly similar for the Core exams with content areas of specialism for each Technical Qualification. 

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.

All our assessment dates can be found in the Key Dates Schedule, which are published in July in advance of the following academic year.  
 
Please check the relevant Key Dates Schedules for details. 

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

The 2024 cohort are due to complete their T Level in Summer 2026, receiving their T Level result in August.

However, students can re-sit their assessments; they have two more years to complete this. Therefore, it is possible for students to access assessments in the following:  

• Autumn 2026 
• Summer 2027 
• Autumn 2027 
• Summer 2028  

NCFE’s Key Dates Schedule will provide all the detail you need.  

Please engage with our development support events to learn about the specification content and structure of the assessments.  
 
DfE will use the 50/50 look-up table for the final T Level grade calculation, this is the same as NCFE’s Gen 1 Digital T Levels. 

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 ESFA can also be used:

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