Contingency Planning - Reminder

Our most recent update on contingency planning was shared in VQ Bulletin Issue 32. We will continue to keep you updated in relation to any additional guidance or support that becomes available. 

Quality Assurance of U-TAGs Update   

We have finalised our selection of centres for Quality Assurance of on-time submissions of U-TAGs. Selected centres will receive a communication directly from Pearson, followed by an email from the Pearson-appointed U-TAG Reviewer for the programme(s) selected. 

Thank you in advance for your support in helping us to meet the deadlines for this activity, which will ensure that we can confirm all U-TAGs (that were submitted on time) by 13 January 2022.

Late U-TAG and U-TAG amendment requests 

As you’ll be aware, the U-TAG submission deadline was 10 November 2021. We have continued to communicate with you all over this period and we wanted to let you know that the Z flag function is now closed, meaning no further U-TAG judgements can be added into the systems. If we have identified any missing units from your centre, we will contact you directly. 

It is not expected that any further U-TAGs will be submitted for 2020/21. However, should you identify an eligible learner, to make a late U-TAG request, you will need to complete the following amendment form. Please ensure that you submit all the documents set out in the form to enable us to consider your request.  We will not be able to guarantee results on the 13 January for late U-TAG submissions. 

Streamlined EOL Functionality - Reminder 

You are now able to report ‘Streamlined’ Assessments (these are the assessment adaptations available this academic year, 2021/22) on Edexcel Online and we have updated our guidance to confirm how to do this. This relates to qualifications where one learning aim is permitted to be assessed for one or two internally assessed unit(s). Full teaching and learning must take place.

Please ensure you follow the guidance available on our Teaching and Learning page, under the ‘Internal Assessment in 2021/22' menu option. 

Managing absences in BTEC External Assessment 

As we have communicated in previous bulletins, all BTEC external assessments in 2022 are expected to go ahead. We have created this infographic to guide you in managing absences, in relation to learners taking external assessments.  

We will keep you updated with any decisions relating to this, and any additional guidance that is released to support centres, should a policy change occur.

Digital submission of external assessments 

We may have written to you recently to confirm which units have been selected for digital submissions for the January series. We will be releasing further guidance on how learner assessments should be uploaded soon.

If you haven’t already, please complete our January Series Processing form, providing us with details of the appropriate person responsible within your centre for the upload of material. Please submit the form to us by Friday 10 December 2021.  

Accessing Part A tasks for Jan series - Reminder 

The release of Part A BTEC external assessments has now begun in line with the confirmed exam timetables. All Part A materials that are web-releases are available to download from our website.  

For 2022 exam series, we have continued to deliver adaptations to extend Part A or research windows for our task-based assessments, these can be seen in the exam timetables. We have not changed or adapted the amount of supervised, controlled or unsupervised hours needed, please refer to the External Assessment Overview document, task booklet, Administrative Support Guide (ASG) or Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs) for guidance on this.

You can find the ASGs and SAMs by selecting the External assessments button on the left of the Course Materials tab, found at the top of each qualification’s webpage. 

We are very pleased to share with you three new complimentary resources for your Applied Human Biology learners. You can access these resources, written by experts in the sector, on our website: 

Applied Human Biology | Course Materials

These resources are packed full of information that aligns with our specifications, case studies, exam preparation, and activities to stretch and challenge your learners. You can access these complementary materials, written by experts in the sector, on our website. 

We are aware that with disruption to learning last year and the alternative assessment arrangements that were in place for the summer, your students may have questions about how their UCAS applications this year will be affected.

We have created a guide for Level 3 learners currently in the UCAS application process which we hope will reassure them and offer some guidance for completing their UCAS application. We would encourage you to share this with your learners; the guide reiterates previously issued guidance that was shared in earlier issues of the VQ Bulletin. 

Update on Performance Tables and Assessment 

We expect to hear from the Department for Education (DfE) in December about the inclusion of the BTEC Tech Awards in the 2024 Performance Tables.

In the meantime, following your feedback, we will be including a January moderation window for our internally assessed components (with the exception of Art and Design). This means you will have two assessment opportunities each year.  

We are currently in the process of updating our specifications and support materials. These changes will be reflected in the final published versions once they are approved by DfE for performance tables.

Getting Started’ Training Events starting in January  

In the New Year, we are running a series of free training events to give you an overview of the revised BTEC Tech Awards specifications for first teach September 2022. The sessions will count as 2 hours of CPD. 

These events will give you an overview of the course, alongside assessment and grading. In addition, you will have an opportunity to interact with the presenter and ask questions. 

Events are available for each sector – just select BTEC Tech Awards and your sector, or type Getting Started in the keyword search on our training portal. 

Book onto an event for your sector

Delivery of BTEC Higher National qualifications: Contingency planning  

As the situation regarding COVID-19 infection rates develops, we will await updates from the UK Government regarding whether exams and assessments during 2021/22 could be cancelled. If Teacher Assessed Grades are reintroduced because exams and assessments cannot go ahead as planned, we will issue guidance on how this will affect BTEC Higher Nationals.  

Until any announcements are made, we encourage centres to continue delivery of BTEC Higher Nationals with current adaptations, as necessary, to maintain the quality of provision for the 2021/22 academic year. If you need any further guidance, please refer to our Teaching and Assessment Guide.  

Submitting your APMR    

All centres delivering BTEC Higher Nationals are required to submit an Annual Programme Monitoring Review (APMR). The deadline for submitting your APMR for 2020/21 academic year is 28 January 2022. 

This year, each centre is issued a unique link to complete their report. If you have not received yours, or you would like to find out the status of your submission, please contact us at hnqa@pearson.com.  

FS Paper based on-demand bookings over Christmas - reminder

You can make test bookings for paper based on-demand Functional Skills tests at any time up to 14 days ahead of the planned test date. However, during the Christmas period we must make some changes to ensure test papers can be dispatched and received securely. 

This means that in the period from 14 November 2021 to 28 December 2021, when making a test booking for a paper based on-demand test, you will not be able to select dates in the period from 29 December 2021 to 12 January 2022. All other dates can be booked as normal. 

After 28 December, normal availability will be resumed. 

Centre Self-Assessment (CSA) and Annual Centre Declaration (ACD) 

With Lead Standards Verification activities commencing, just a reminder that if you have already completed an ACD for your BTEC programmes, you do not need to complete the Centre Self Assessment.

Please ensure that the ACD is made available for your WBL LSV or PQA advisor once complete, to help support you in the upcoming year. 

Pearson’s November E-Bulletin was published and included the following:

• Q&A Networks for the Autumn and Spring terms
• Key Dates Schedule 2021 – 2023
• Registrations and Entries
• 2022 Provider Approval window

Read the 11 November Bulletin

For further information on our general qualifications for 2022, please visit our Summer 2022 support page. We’ll be updating this page regularly.

Please sign up to receive our regular Pearson Qualifications Bulletin on our website where you’ll also be able to read past issues.