BTEC Higher Nationals FAQs

As per the approach taken in 2020, tutors are encouraged to continue to deliver and assess students wherever it is feasible and safe to do so. To enable this to take place HEQ issued revised guidance on Delivery & Assessment for 2020-2021 in October 2020. By continuing with delivery and assessment it is hoped that not only will students remain engaged and motivated, but will potentially increase the completed work available to tutors for summative assessment. 

Where no summative assessment has taken place, a UTAG can be awarded with detailed qualitative evidence of achievement through formative assessment. Centres must accurately describe the types of formative assessment, and using QAA guidance, ensure that there is a differentiation between formal formative assessment (that is, formative assessment that has been integrated into the teaching and assessment schedule for that unit, and which has been recorded), and informal formative assessment (which for example, is a direct tutor observation of student performance with recorded notes) in addition to support the grade decision.  

For Higher National units with specialist equipment, resources or work placement requirements, Tutors may find that they reach a point where it is not possible to continue teaching or they are unable to assess students, especially for units with specialist equipment, resource or workplace requirements. Centres are advised that these units may be unsuitable for the use of UTAGs due to the challenges in collecting assessment evidence and delivering teaching where learning outcomes require the collection of evidence that relies on the use of specialist equipment, resources or work placement. Centres may need to delay the delivery and assessment of these units until students are able to safely access the equipment, resources or workplace that they require. 

Where work placement is not mandated in the qualification, there is no minimum number of hours that need to be undertaken. For further guidance please see the section on ‘How to approach work experience’ in the COVID-19 Teaching and Assessment Guidance for BTEC Higher Nationals 2020-21. 

We ask that a valid proportion of work placement hours are completed in order to qualify for an award. Please see the guidance in Appendix 2 of the COVID-19 Teaching and Assessment Guidance for BTEC Higher Nationals 2020-21. 

Where a work experience/practice requirement is mandated within a qualification, we expect all students to achieve this requirement in full.  Where this is not possible due to the impact of Covid-19 restrictions, students will be able to progress to certification in the following circumstances:   

• The student has completed the minimum required work experience/practice hours listed in the tables in Appendix 2 of the COVID-19 Teaching and Assessment Guidance for BTEC Higher Nationals 2020-21, and all attempts to access further hours have been exhausted .
• Steps have been taken to support the student to achieve the required work experience/practice hours, including part-time employment, bank and relief options, volunteering, work during holiday periods and the provision of planned, supervised and structured virtual (online/telephony) support, where the student has been trained to do so .
• Actions taken to secure the full requirement of work experience/practice hours have been recorded and are available for internal and external quality assurance .
• Students are able to satisfactorily provide direct care to service users whilst on placement, as verified by their placement supervisor and their college assessor.  

Yes. However, where it is safe to do so, observation by an occupationally competent and qualified assessor is preferred as the main source of evidence for all learners. Where this is not possible due to protracted disruption caused by Covid-19 restrictions, testimonies provided by a suitably experienced employer/manager/leader recruited by the centre to undertake the role of an Expert Witness (EW) will be accepted. Please refer to Appendix 2 of the COVID-19 Teaching and Assessment Guidance for BTEC Higher Nationals 2020-21 for further details. 

There are some pathways in the Healthcare Practice, Healthcare Practice for England, and Social and Community Work qualifications where observation of practice in the workplace setting is intended, but it is not mandatory. For these pathways, triangulation of alternative assessment methods can be used to capture evidence that would otherwise have been obtained through observation of the student’s practice e.g. through expert witness testimony, professional discussion and reflective logs. 

Even in these circumstances, the qualified assessor assigned to the student will be expected to confirm the accuracy of the judgement of the student(s) competency with a signed supporting statement. All judgements will be subject to the usual internal quality assurance protocols. 

For additional guidance and recommendations regarding alternative assessments for practice-related assessment criteria by unit, please refer to the HSCEY Adaptation Guidance on HN Global.  

In normal circumstances, this is not something we would accept, and continues to be the case. It is also very likely that the student’s work placement setting(s) will not permit devices that can take video recordings.    

For apprentices, the overarching and primary guidance for what is permissible on programme has been issued by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Please refer to these carefully in making decisions with regards to delivery and the assessment of the Standard. For the HND qualification element of the Standard, the considerations in the other FAQs listed here apply.     

We have a dedicated forum on HN Global that provides regular updates and an opportunity for you to ask questions specific to BTEC Higher Nationals. In addition, we update the Pearson website regularly with the latest information and guidance on Covid-19, and our response to support centres and students across all our qualifications. There is separate guidance for UK and International centres, and links on each of these pages to additional information, support, resources and guidance. Please check these regularly to stay informed.  

Here are some links to UK-based guidance and resources related to Covid-19 that are useful for centres delivering Health and Social Care, Early Education and Counselling qualifications, and related Apprenticeship Standards. These links will be updated regularly as more information is received. 

• Nursing and Midwifery Council Response to the Covid-19 Emergency (for students and educators)   
• Apprenticeship Guidance (England only) - Coronavirus (COVID-19): apprenticeship programme response
• British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance and resources for members
• Skills for Care Covid-19 Essential Training
• Coronavirus: Free e-learning resources from Skills for Health   
• Early Education (the British Association for Early Childhood Education) Free Resources and Membership - via HN Global
• Coronavirus Guidance and Resources from Social Care Online (SCIE) 

Yes. Higher Nationals qualifications in Health and Social Care, Healthcare Practice, Healthcare Practice for England, Advanced Practice in Early Years Education and Early Childhood Education and Care contain units where Unit Level TAGs will not be possible. Due to the highly practical nature of these qualifications, and the requirement for the completion of work placement, centres cannot assess students unless work placement requirements have been met and should therefore delay assessment if the related work placement requirements have not been completed. Please see Appendix A of the Delivery and Assessment document linked below.

Yes, Centres can continue with distance learning where there is restricted access to face-to-face teaching, learning and assessment. Pearson will support centres by providing ongoing temporary distance learning approval. Please note that Pearson define distance learning as teaching, learning and assessment that takes place 100% online. 

If centres are no longer facing restrictions but wish to continue with some online learning, then we recommend a blended learning approach. Blended learning is combination of face-to-face and online learning, and does not require centres to seek approval from Pearson.

Centres that are not facing restrictions but wish to continue with 100% online delivery will need to complete an application for Distance Learning approval. 

The application can be found in the policy document below.

In light of the current uncertainty, guidelines and global pandemic, there will be no in-person EE centre visits taking place for 2021. External Examination activities will be completed remotely in 2021, via a “remote visit”. A date for this remote visit will be scheduled for a mutually convenient time when centre staff and students are available to speak online with your EE.

Your allocated EE will be in touch with you from the 25th November onwards.

No, Centre Assessment Grades are not available under Ofqual's VQ Contingency Regulatory Framework. However, under certain circumstances centres can determine Unit Level Teacher Assessed Grades, providing the relevant evidential threshold can be met. 

Yes, more details can be found in the detailed Delivery & Assessment - Summer 2021 guidance. 

Yes, for BTEC Higher Nationals. Where possible Pearson encourages the re-ordering of units and/or adaptation in delivery/assessment to suit student needs, in order to complete assessments. More guidance can be found in the COVID-19 Teaching and Assessment Guidance.

Yes. There is helpful and detailed support which can be accessed in the COVID-19 Teaching and Assessment guidance.

We have set out evidential thresholds that will need to be met where the HN unit is not exempt from Unit Level Teacher Assessed Grades. Please see "How to Determine Unit Level TAGs" in the Delivery & Assessment - Summer 2021 guidance.

No, the standard sample sizes will apply in 2021, as shown on page 10 of the BTEC Higher Nationals Centre Guide to External Examination (UK).

You can expect your outcome within 15 working days.

Yes, there is no difference in terms of the process for the assessment board documentation check or the timeframe for the outcome, regardless of when your assessment board documentation is sent to your External Examiner.

All Unit Level TAG decisions must be confirmed by an Assessment Board before the end of September 2021.

Your EE will review your main assessment board documentation in the Summer. Any additional assessment boards held for the 20/21 academic year should be submitted directly to hnqa@pearson.com.

No, Unit Level TAGs may be awarded at unit level where the student has partially achieved the unit and the centre is awarding a unit grade based on actual and expected performance in line with the guidance. 

Yes. You need to demonstrate through your assessment board that either the two summatively assessed LOs are at P, M or D, or that the evidence you have used to reach a grade decision maps to the assessment criteria to support the grade awarded.

No. HN certificates will not indicate where a UTAG is used. This information is collected by Pearson but not reflected on the certificate.

UTAGs are available, but these are units where caution is needed because the unit requirements may make it difficult to gather sufficient evidence. It may be more appropriate to consider a 'delay' until the unit assessment(s) can be completed. 

Yes. The process is the same for fully achieved grades and for Unit Level TAGs.

31 August 2021. After that date units would need to be fully completed during the 2021-2022 academic year. Unit Level TAGs are currently only available until 31 August 2021.

In the first instance, you should you contact your External Examiner(s), and they will be able to provide you with support. If you require additional support from Pearson directly, you can contact us via Pearson Support.

Please see page 72, of the Centre Guide to Quality Assurance and Assessment.

Centres should have a policy for dealing with mitigating/extenuating circumstances if students are affected by adverse circumstances, such as illness, which may include adverse impact due to Covid-19.

The student should be informed that they may wish to submit a ‘mitigating/extenuating circumstances’ application to the centre. A decision can then be made (following the centre’s own policy) as to whether any exceptional/mitigating circumstances are accepted. Decisions will be ratified by the centre’s Assessment Board or an Exceptional/Mitigating Circumstances Panel. These decisions should be noted on the Assessment Board minutes.

Wherever possible you should try to continue to deliver units using online methods if available. If you are unable to deliver certain units then they will need to be delayed. Unit Level TAGs apply to units that have been delivered, but assessment is either incomplete or has not taken place. 

Yes, where units are undeliverable due to circumstances that prevent teaching, learning and assessment, those units can be derogated until the following year in order to allow students to progress from Level 4 to Level 5. Please be aware that students will still need to complete those units in order to receive their Higher Nationals award.

Given the current circumstances due to COVID-19, in 2020-2021 Pearson will continue to temporarily lift the expectation that an HND student would have achieved at least 90 credits at Level 4 before progressing to Level 5 units. This derogation from the standard progression expectation allows centres to respond to the current situation by being flexible in the order of the delivery and assessment of units in light of the need to accommodate social distancing measures.

BTEC Higher Nationals do not have a set ‘results day’ and there is no requirement to change your Assessment Board dates.

However, if you have students expecting to certificate in August 2021, then we recommend that the Assessment Board documentation is sent to your External Examiner by 9 July 2021, to allow the External Examiner to conduct the review and confirm that your grades are in line with Pearson requirements, including time for any queries that require liaison with the centre’s programme team to resolve.

Ofqual has stipulated that as part of a centre's internal quality assessment arrangements, centres should have in place a high-level check, to ensure that Unit Level TAGs are neither unduly lenient or overly harsh, in comparison to previous cohort results. 

The Chair of each Assessment Board should sign the Grade Declaration which can be found within the Assessment Board. The Chair could be the relevant Head of Department or equivalent or, where there is no person insuch a role, the Head of Centre or equivalent.

Yes. We are using Unit level Teacher Assessed Grades, so in addition to your normally summatively assessed units, each unit will have a grade which will contribute in the normal way the qualification outcome.