In order to minimise your administration workload later this year, you may find it useful to check BTEC learners' completion dates in EOL to ensure that they accurately reflect when your learners will certificate. We would expect for learners certificating in summer 2022 to have a completion date between 1 June and 31 August 2022. Our 'Update Learner Detail' support article shows how you can amend these dates in EOL through each learner's record.

It is helpful to keep all learner data accurate; please withdraw BTEC learners via EOL that are no longer planning to complete the course they are registered on. It may be possible that these learners are eligible for a smaller sized qualification based on the units they have achieved so far. If so, please transfer to these smaller qualifications and claim a full award instead. You can find further information about these processes in our 'Edexcel Online: Withdrawing Learner Registrations' and 'Registrations: Transfers' support articles.

You can find all our support on adaptations and managing absences in 2021/22 on our main webpage, which is regularly updated.

In addition, Ofqual have recently updated their own webpages, which now include sections on reasonable adjustments and special consideration, in relation to the adaptations that VTQ awarding organisations can put in place for this academic year.

We have launched a range of new Quality Assurance guidance and bitesize videos for our BTEC Tech Awards from 2022. These qualifications include new moderation processes for internal assessments, and benefit from a streamlined approach to BTEC Quality Assurance principles which will greatly reduce administration. Check out the Quality Assurance quick guide, and our full Centre Guide to Quality Assurance for all the details.

To support you in understanding the key processes, we also have a range of bitesize videos available in the BTEC Tech Awards 2022 section on our Quality Assurance webpage covering:

• Introduction to Quality Assurance
• Completing the Assessment Record
• Guide to applying Mark Schemes
• Moderation Process

We have also created a new Tech Award Assessment Record template that can be found in the teaching and learning materials section of each qualification page and on the BTEC Assessment and IV templates page.

If you have any questions related to the new BTEC Tech Awards, please contact your Subject Advisor or Vocational Quality Assurance Manager via the Pearson Support Portal.

Since 2020, we have been withdrawing our legacy QCF BTEC Nationals (2010) qualifications. Pearson will be retiring the remaining 35 QCF qualifications in the Level 3 suite over the next few years across the following sectors:

• ICT and Computing
• Dental Technology
• Blacksmithing
• Environmental sustainability
• Hospitality
• Creative Media
• Aviation Operations
• Production Arts
• Music and Music Technology

Final registration dates and certification dates for each of these suites are provided in this document. Further FAQs can be found on the QCF landing page, and you can read more about the BTEC RQF Nationals on our website.

Subject Advisors are available for each of the suites listed above to discuss your transition options, and you can find the name and email address of the Subject Advisor for your qualification on the relevant subject page.

As part of the Level 3 Vocational Qualification reform, we would like to invite you to help influence the next generation of BTEC Nationals.

We want to ensure that we capture the teacher and learner voice in our qualifications and support materials. If you are interested in participating, please complete the following Microsoft Form and we will be in contact shortly.

We are aware that some of the BTEC alumni, who completed their BTEC Level 3 National in 2021 and received a Qualification Teacher Assessed Grade (Q-TAG), may be applying for HE in the UK or internationally for the coming academic year or may plan to apply in subsequent academic years.

Whilst UK universities were able to waive unit requirements for 2021, due to the disruption caused by the pandemic, we know that this is not the case for applying to HE in 2022 onwards. Therefore, we recommend that you retain assessment records relating to BTEC Level 3 Nationals for 2021, principally the assessment plan with details of:

• Units studied
• Unit grades not on EOL (which may already exist).

This means we will be able to work with you to support any BTEC 2021 alumni with their HE applications in the UK or internationally. We will be able to provide alumni (that require it) a letter detailing their notional unit grades, which we can work out once we have confirmation of units studied and any existing unit grades you may have.

Please be reassured that this will not involve or require you to retrospectively determine U-TAGs or retain learner work beyond the Ofqual requirement above. We would be grateful if you could retain the assessment plan as a minimum, so we can correctly identify which units students studied as part of their course, when we provide a letter. It is advised that you retain the assessment plan for as long as possible, we expect most queries from alumni over the next 2-3 years, with diminishing queries in subsequent years.

At Pearson, we are committed to ensuring that diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded into everything we do. Our qualifications and assessments should reflect the diversity of our learners.

The following survey focuses on the diversity, equity and inclusion implications for how you teach and assess particular BTEC qualifications, understand how you implement adjustments, and identify any areas where Pearson need to make changes to help ensure all learners have equitable opportunities to access our qualifications, assessments, related products and services.

Please consider these questions from all aspects of the Equality Act (2010)'s protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We would appreciate your feedback by Friday 1 July 2022.

BTEC Sector Specific Networking and Briefing Events for Teachers and Programme Leaders

Throughout May and June, we will be hosting online network events for schools and FE and sixth form colleges for most BTEC sectors.

These sessions provide you with an opportunity to:

• Ask questions about the latest developments in qualifications and support within your sector.
• Hear from Pearson on what we know so far about how the reforms will affect BTEC qualifications in the future.
• Discuss any issues that you currently face.
• Exchange best practice with the sector team facilitating the session.
• Learn more about our existing resources which support external assessment and mock exams.

You can book a place via the Training from Pearson page (filter by your BTEC sector).

Quality Nominee summer networking events return

Please join us at one of our online events in June where we will talk through the quality assurance cycle for 2022/23 and the new Centre Guides to support you through the process. We will also give you an opportunity to discuss with colleagues what's worked well this year and what you will be looking to develop in 2022/23.

Events are split by suite i.e. we are offering separate events for the redeveloped Tech Awards being rolled out in schools with effect from Sep 2022. Places are limited to one per centre and the events can be booked via the Training from Pearson page (filter by BTEC) or the QN Hub (under live events).

Free on-demand e-learning for Exams Officers | New BTEC modules

In September, we launched our new on-demand e-learning service for exams officers on our website. This is a fully interactive service, with pre-recorded guidance from our training team with mock webpages and systems so you can go through processes from start to finish.

You can find our newly released BTEC bitesize modules on results reporting on our website.

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

• Q&A Networks and Training events
• Fees for 2022-23
• Provider Approval and Provider Monitoring
• Draft Key dates Schedule 2022-24

Assessment in Summer 2021/22

We know that many of you will be coming to the end of your delivery for 2021/22 and we wanted to remind you that External Examination will be completed remotely this year, via a 'remote visit', as outlined in the autumn 2021 BTEC Centre Guide to External Examination. In line with Ofqual regulations, no Unit Level Teacher Assessed Grades (UTAGs) can be awarded for students completing assessments after 31 August 2021. Please follow your internal Assessment Board process as usual. Your External Examiner is no longer required to complete a separate Assessment Board check report. Further information can be found in our online guide.

Student Survey

As we continue to collect feedback from students from around the world about our Higher National qualifications, we’d like to ask for your help sharing the message. This is also an opportunity for you to get to know your students better, as we will create a bespoke report for every centre where eight or more students complete the survey. The Pearson Annual Student Survey is open now until 15 June 2022, and you can find out more about this on HN Global.

Standards Verification Sampling

As some high-risk sectors approach the second sampling period, please remember to include in your sample all learners who will require certification, before the end of the academic year. This will ensure learners can be released and certificates received in a timely manner.

Early Years Educator Gateway

A reminder that apprentices must successfully complete a first aid qualification in line with the requirements of the EYFS Framework (Annex A).

Recruitment of Independent end-point assessors

We have a number of roles for Associates to be involved with End Point Assessment assessments. If you are interested, please take a look at our live vacancies page.

For further information on our general qualifications for 2022, please visit our summer 2022 support page. We will 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.