The key dates for the Component 1 and 2 PSAs are in the Key Dates Schedule.  Please note that the deadline for mark submission and upload of work of sampled learners for internal assessments has been moved from 1 May to 15 May.

The Component 3 key dates are:

The 2022 Tech Awards FAQs page is now live.

Go to the FAQ page

Please visit our 'Understanding results' page which is specifically geared to the Tech Awards

Grade boundaries

For the internal components, raw mark refers to the final mark awarded for an assessment after any adjustment is made in the moderation process or in relation to a special-considerations application.

Raw mark for the external component is the mark awarded by the examiner or in relation to a special-considerations application. 

A grade boundary is the minimum mark at which a grade can be achieved. For example, if the grade boundary for a Level 2 Distinction (D2) is 47, then 47 is the minimum mark at which a Level 2 Distinction (D2) can be achieved. A mark of 46 would therefore be a Level 2 Merit (M2).

Raw marks are converted to UMS (the Uniform Mark Scale). This is because raw mark grade boundaries may change from series to series to take into account variations in the difficulty of the assessments. 

Upcoming BTEC Tech Award training events

BTEC Tech Award training page

Our new BTEC Tech Award training and resources page is where you can find all the live and on-demand training resources for Tech Awards.

The BTEC Bitesize BTEC Tech Award in Enterprise videos

These videos cover Components 1 and 2, breaking each component down into the five tasks required in the PSA with suggestions to help prepare learners for each task.

Use of learner work from previous PSA submissions for retakes

Learners can retake internally assessed components once, should they need or want to during their course. It is always in the best interests of the learner to be entered for assessment when teachers judge that they are ready to be assessed.

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 never 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.

Updated: assessment record template for the Tech Awards

We now have updated the assessment record template for the BTEC Tech Awards (2022).

Exemplar Standardisation Materials

Exemplar Standardisation Materials based on work produced for PSAs is now availale for both components..

Please use the zip files dated 2023.

The terminal assessment rule requires learners to take the external assessment at the end of their qualification (when the learner is due to certificate). 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 resit the external component to satisfy the terminal rule.

Learners are allowed one resit of the external assessment within the programme.

January series follow up

You may have submitted a certification claim (CEN01) when making the Component 3 entry for the January series back in October.

If you did not you can make certification claims for learners that completed their terminal external assessment in January and have completed all their internally assessed components. You should do this on Edexcel Online by 18 April, following our guide to submitting a cash-in.

However, if a learner is not happy with their result and intends to resit in the May/June series, you must enter both the Component 3 code (BEN03) and the certification claim code (CEN01).  (The entry deadline for this has passed so please do this as soon as possible if not already done).

We were also in touch earlier to let you know that we are moving the submission deadline for the upload of learner work for BTEC Tech Awards in the summer series to 15 May 2024. This change applies to internally assessed components for all Tech Awards and the externally assessed components in creative subjects. This 15 May submission deadline will remain in place for all May/June assessment series going forward.

This revised deadline will give you two more weeks to run, mark and upload internal assessments, and gives you extra time to upload work for external assessments in the creative subjects.

Pearson publishing have two revision resources.

Starting from the January series, you will upload learner work for BTEC set tasks using our Learner Work Transfer (LWT) portal. This will offer increased data protection and security for your learners’ work. We will be in touch with all customers who will need to use learner work transfer to ensure you have access to the system and receive support from us to upload your learner work successfully.

To prepare for the transition to LWT, all colleagues in your school or college who are involved in the upload of learner work should have an Edexcel Online account.

The BTEC Works site can help with recruitment of learners.

The post-16 Level 2 vocational qualifications landscape in England is undergoing a significant reform.

To keep you informed, we have created a dedicated webpage providing an overview of the reforms, detailing what we know so far, and explaining the implications for you and your post-16 Level 2 curriculum.

In light of the BTEC Business and other VQ Business, Enterprise, Marketing qualifications being withdrawn in 2026, we would like to understand what your portfolio of curriculum may look like and would appreciate your feedback in order to steer our thinking and development. Many thanks for taking the time to complete this.

This page provides an overview of the reforms and will be updated as and when new information becomes available.

The funding checklists below for 16-19 year olds give you a comprehensive view of funding  which takes us up to the cohort starting in 2025.

This will give you clarity on how the recent updates on funding for BTEC Level 3 affect your centre and learners.

As part of the Level 3 Vocational Qualification reforms we would like to invite you to help influence the next generation of BTEC Nationals. We want to ensure we capture the teacher and learner voice in our qualifications and support materials.

This is your opportunity to have your say and get involved.

Although too early for Business-related qualifications we do have two new pages where new AAQ and technical qualifications will be featured.

Our new on-demand CPD offer is available on our Quality Assurance Events & Support webpage, applicable to BTEC Entry Level/Level 1 Introductory through to Level 3 qualifications.

Each package includes a short video, an activity to consolidate understanding, the answers, and a PDF copy of the video presentation.

A summary of what’s changed:

• real-life candidate malpractice examples involving AI that has not been referenced appropriately (see new appendix A)
•  new information on how to authenticate private candidate work
•  a new section, AI use and marking, to give clearer guidance on the impact on marking of student use of AI tools and on the use of AI tools by assessors when marking, with real-life examples (see new appendix B)
• an expanded list of AI tools and AI detection tools.

As users of our Learner Work Transfer platform, we would like to hear from you about your experiences with the system. The outcomes of this survey will help us to continue to introduce improvements, making it easier for you to upload and monitor learner work in future series.

The survey is anonymous but there is the opportunity to leave contact details to provide more in depth feedback if you so wish.

In January we started to allocate standards verifiers (SVs) to the BTEC Level 2 and Level 3 programmes delivered in centres. Standards verification is an integral part of our quality assurance model and must be completed fully and in a timely manner to ensure the successful issue of learner results.

SVs will contact the quality nominee in the first instance to introduce themselves, their role and the sampling process. Quality Nominees then share this information with the relevant lead internal verifier(s), who are then responsible for working with the SV to get the process underway.

The deadline for samples to be shared with your SV is 15 May, although we recommend that this takes place at the earliest opportunity. This will be agreed with your SV upon review of your assessment plan(s).

The 2023-2024 Centre Guide to Standards Verification (please see below) details the sampling approach and strategy for this academic year and also includes the key dates.

The Special Consideration Service is a new online tool to submit and track special consideration requests for BTEC First and National qualifications. This service opened in early January, which means your Exams Officer will no longer complete any paper JCQ Form 10 applications.

Your Exams Officer will be able to track the receipt and processing of special consideration applications for BTEC Firsts and Nationals. All special consideration requests for general and vocational qualifications in summer 2024 will be processed through the Special Consideration Service.

There is an updated version of the Assessment Record template for BTEC Entry – Level 3, these can be accessed on the BTEC forms and guides webpage.

This template now includes an updated authenticity declaration to include acknowledgement of any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools. This form is provided for immediate use.

If you design and use your own Assessment Record, please ensure this is updated to replicate the authenticity statement in our template/s.

This could be a useful page to bookmark to stay up to date.

The grade statistics for BTEC qualifications are published in late October/early November on the grade statistics page of the website.

These statistics can be used for benchmarking purposes. Please note that in line with all qualifications, learner achievement is reported at qualification level and not at unit level.

What to teach?

Here the answer is simple.  Please teach all of the specification content.

What to assess?

The BTEC Centre Guide to Internal Assessment states:

Do Assignment Briefs need to cover all unit/component content?

No. Your assignment brief needs to cover just what is being assessed so no need to include the entire unit content.

All unit/component content needs to be taught, where relevant, to provide learners with the breadth and depth to their studies. There is no formula for how much content needs to be assessed.

The amount of content the learner will need to refer to will depend on the specific requirements of the actual assignment and the requirements of the assessment criteria and associated assessment guidance which can sometimes prescribe which areas of the unit/component content needs to be assessed.

Section 6 of the BTEC National specifications includes the following:

As assignments provide a final assessment, they will draw on the specified range of teaching content for the learning aims. The specified content is compulsory. The evidence for assessment need not cover every aspect of the teaching content as learners will normally be given particular examples, case studies or contexts in their assignments. For example, if a learner is carrying out one practical performance, or an investigation of one organisation, then they will address all the relevant range of content that applies in that instance.