Guide to BTEC Quality Assurance
BTEC Firsts 2012 and BTEC Nationals 2016
This page provides information on Standards Verification for all of our BTEC Level 2 Firsts (NQF) except Children's Play, Learning and Development (CPLD) for which there are separate arrangements. For information on CPLD Standards Verification, please select the 'Children and Young People' tab above.
From November, centres with learner registrations on BTEC (NQF) programmes will be identified for standards verification. We'll usually allocate Standards Verifiers between December and February.
Once programmes have been allocated, we'll let the Quality Nominee know and the Standards Verifier will make contact with their allocated centres between late December and early March.
If you have programmes with no active learners on them please notify us as soon possible through vqdeployment@pearson.com. For all other questions about the allocation of your Standards Verifier, please contact your Account Specialist.
The Lead Internal Verifier should provide the assessment plan(s) for all registered learners including:
- who is assessing each unit and learner and when assessment is expected to be completed
- who is internally verifying the assessment decisions and when internal verification is expected to be completed.
- planned resubmission opportunities
The Standards Verifier will use your assessment plan to agree:
- when they will need to receive your sample by post or the date they will visit your centre
- the units to be sampled
- the date when you will provide the learners’ final grades to allow the sample to be selected
- advise you on any potential disadvantage to your learners
Using myBTEC
The system will automatically generate your assessment plan and collate your learners' final grades. You will need to provide access for your Standards Verifier.
Not using myBTEC
You will need to record your assessment plan(s) as a spreadsheet and email it to your Standards Verifier. Once your learners' grades have been finalised, you will need to collate them and forward them to your Standards Verifier.
In order for your assessment plan to be considered fit for purpose, it must allow for sampling to take place in time for your learners to undertake any actions that may be required before the end of their final term. You should arrange for your sample to be available as early as possible.
Only completed units with finalised grades (including any resubmissions) can be sampled. If you are planning to complete the qualification within one year, you should ensure units are completed and available for sampling within the sampling window. All first samples must be completed by 30 May 2017. Any further sampling must be completed by 30 June 2017.
This is to ensure that learners completing in the current academic year will have a result on results day. You must work with your Standards Verifier to enable all first samples to be completed and with your Standards Verifier by the 30 May 2017 deadline.
The information in this section doesn't relate to:
- BTEC Level 2 Firsts in Applications of Science (NQF)
- BTEC Level 2 Firsts in Principals of Science (NQF).
For more information on sampling for Applied Science qualifications, please see 'Confirming your sample: BTEC Level 2 Firsts in Applied Science (NQF)' below.
Your Standards Verifier will request a list of final learner grades for each unit near to the agreed sample date. The number of units required for sampling depends on the programmes being delivered at your centre. Once the SV has the final grades they will confirm the final selection of the learner’s work to be sampled.
| Number of registrations | Number of learner-unit samples | Extra learners required for second sample | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Award, Cert & Ex Cert | Diploma | Award, Cert, Ex Cert & Diploma | |
| 1-249 learners | 2 units x 5 learners | 3 units x 5 learners | +5 learners per affected unit & |
| 250+ learners | 2 units x 10 learners | 3 units x 10 learners | +5 learners per affected unit & +1 further unit x 10 learners |
Sampling will include assessment decisions made by all assessors of the programme during the registration period, and cover the full range of grades awarded.
Most of the learners selected as part of your sample will have had the assessment decisions for at least one of their assignments internally verified. Your Standards Verifier may request to see additional units if it isn't possible to get a sample representing a range of grades, assessors or types of evidence from these minimum requirements.
If essential actions are needed then a second sampling is required, and the SV will:
- Review the re-assessed and finalised grades and select additional learner samples to ensure that feedback has been applied to the whole cohort, and
- Sample a further unit(s) to ensure that any feedback has been applied to across the programme and by assessment team as a whole, so that there are no further issues for learners.
The aim of this sampling structure is to minimise the administration burden for centres who are assessing accurately, yet provide fuller support when need is identified.
The nature of the qualification structures in this sector mean that sampling works slightly differently to other subjects.
Your Standards Verifier will request a list of final learner grades for each unit near to the agreed sample date. Once the SV has the final grades they will confirm the final selection of the learner’s work to be sampled.
| Number of registrations | Number of learner-unit samples | Extra learners required for second sample | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Award, Cert & Ex Cert | Diploma | Award, Cert, Ex Cert & Diploma | |
| 1-249 learners | 3 units x 5 learners | Minimum 3 units x 5 learners | +5 learners per affected unit & |
| 250+ learners | 3 units x 10 learners | Minimum 3 units x 10 learners | +5 learners per affected unit & +3 further unit x 10 learners |
Sampling will:
- include at least one unit from each of the sciences for example Biology from Principals of Science, Chemistry and Physics from Applications of Science
- include assessment decisions made by all assessors of the programme during the registration period
- cover the full range of grades awarded.
Most of the learners selected as part of your sample will have had the assessment decisions for at least one of their assignments internally verified. Your Standards Verifier may request to see additional units if it isn't possible to get a sample representing a range of grades, assessors or types of evidence from these minimum requirements, or if any additional risk is identified.
If essential actions are needed then a second sampling is required, and the SV will:
- Review the re-assessed and finalised grades and select additional learner samples to ensure that feedback has been applied to the whole cohort, and
- Sample 3 further unit (one from each of the sciences) to ensure that any feedback has been applied to across the programme and by assessment team as a whole, so that there are no further issues for learners.
The aim of this sampling structure is to minimise the administration burden for centres who are assessing accurately, yet provide fuller support when need is identified.
We may scrutinise certificate claims made after your sample has been submitted to identify discrepancies.
For each learner selected as part of the sample, you'll need to provide your Standards Verifier with definitive evidence of the assessment process for an entire unit, which they'll use to confirm whether the national standard is being applied.
The materials you send to your Standards Verifier will include:
Assignment briefs
- all assignment briefs used to generate learner evidence for the unit
Learner evidence and assessment records
- completed unit of learner work
- assessment decisions for the learner work and related feedback
- signed and dated declaration of authenticity by the learner
- confirmation from the assessor that the evidence is authentic and is the learner's own work
Internal verification documentation
- internal verification documents for the assignment briefs
- any internal verification documentation relating to the assessment decisions. For each learner, the assessment decisions for at least one assignment towards the unit will have been internally verified
- the Lead Internal Verifier declaration
A full audit trail of any resubmissions
- signed and dated authorisation from the Lead Internal Verifier, showing the resubmission deadline and any conditions that were put in place e.g. to prevent collusion
- initial assessment record
- resubmitted learner evidence with a signed and dated declaration of authenticity from the learner
- assessment records for the resubmission detailing the additional evidence submitted and any changes to the assessment decisions
- confirmation from the assessor that the resubmitted evidence is authentic and the learner's own work
Please ensure that the Standards Verifier has all the information needed to verify grades. If materials are incomplete, inappropriate or don't appear to be authentic, your Standards Verifier won't be able to complete sampling and will contact you for clarification.
When collating your samples of learner work you should send copies, not originals, of learner work to reduce the risk of loss or damage.
Using myBTEC
The relevant assessment and internal verification documentation will be automatically collated by the system and your Standards Verifier will be able to view this in myBTEC.
Not using myBTEC
You will need to send all documents to your Standards Verifier, either electronically or by post.
You will need to send the evidence for your sample to the Standards Verifier. You can do this electronically or you can use our courier service to send copies of the evidence.
Please do not send us the originals of the work. It is good practice to have a second copy of the work in the unlikely event the work is lost in transit to your Standards Verifier.
Your Standards Verifier will produce a report within 10 working days of reviewing your sample. Once the report has been completed, your Quality Nominee will receive an email to let them know the report is available to view on Edexcel Online.
There are three possible outcomes of your first sample:
| Report Status | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Certification Release | You've provided a full sample and your Standards Verifier has confirmed you've got adequate quality assurance procedures in place. Your Standards Verifier has agreed that you're assessing learners to the national standard but may offer recommendations on how to improve on current practice.
This means certification is released for the academic year and a second sample is not required. |
| Certification Block | You've provided a full sample but your Standards Verifier doesn't agree that you're assessing learners to the national standard. This is because one or more of your assessment decisions have been judged to be incorrect, or your approach to assessment and verification doesn't meet the requirements.
This means that certification is blocked and a second sample will be requested.
If the Standards Verifier judges that learners have been disadvantaged, they'll be able to authorise a further resubmission, on the basis that the original assessment decisions were invalid. This will be clearly stated on the standards verification report. |
| Not yet fully sampled (NYFS) | If your Standards Verifier is not able to see the full sample and none of your learners are completing the qualification in the current academic year, they can begin the process by reviewing the bits of the sample that are ready. This could mean looking at fewer learners' work or just looking at the assignment briefs, depending on what is available. This allows your Standards Verifier to support you as early as possible in your delivery delivery to reduce risks for your learners..
A Standards Verifier report based on an incomplete sample does not release certification but will change the report status to NYFS meaning that the programme is not yet fully sampled. Once you've received a NYFS report, the standards verification process is complete for the year, but you should read the comments and complete any essential actions as soon as you can. No second-sampling is possible until first sampling is completed the following year.
We'll try our best to allocate you the same Standards Verifier the following year, who will check your progress on any actions and complete your first sample. |
You will need to submit a second sample if your first sample resulted in a certification block. Your Standards Verifier will get in touch to agree a timescale for you to submit the second sample once you've accessed the original report. A second sample will be conducted remotely, even if your first sample was conducted by a visit.
Your second sample will include:
- the elements of the first sample that caused the original block
- evidence that amendments have been made to address the issues highlighted in the Standards Verifier report. There are usually two ways to address this:
- reassess the learner work in line with the Standards Verifier's decision
- replace or improve the learner work
- evidence samples from additional learners so that your Standards Verifier can check that standards are being reapplied consistently across your learners.
- samples from an additional unit to ensure that any feedback has been applied to across the programme and by assessment team as a whole.
Once your second sample has been reviewed, your Standards Verifier will submit a second report within 10 working days. Your Quality Nominee will receive an email to let them know the report is available to view on Edexcel Online.
There are two possible outcomes of your second sample:
| Report Status | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Certification Release (2) | Your Standards Verifier has agreed that you're now assessing learners to the national standard but may offer recommendations on how to improve on current practice. Your quality assurance procedures will also have been confirmed as adequate.
This means certification is released for the academic year. |
| Remedial action required | Your Standards Verifier still doesn't agree that you're assessing to national standards At this point your Regional Quality Manager will meet with you to agree a remedial action plan. You'll need to complete the action plan before your Regional Quality Manager will release certification for the academic year. |
We have a formal appeals process to address any concerns you may have about the outcome of the standards verification process.