11 January 2023 - First timetabled January BTEC exam

18 January 2023 - March entry deadline

30 January 2023 - First timetabled February Tech Award (2017) exam

31 January 2023 - Deadline to submit special considerations (Jan 23 Firsts and Nationals)

31 January 2023 - BTEC deletion deadline

6 February 2023 - Release of Pearson-Set Assignments for internally assessed components for May/June series Tech Awards (2022)

21 February 2023 - May/June internally assessed component entry deadline for Tech Awards (2022)

Pearson announced in October that we were undertaking a detailed, independent review into the 2021/22 awarding series. In December we published our final report.

Read our final report

New key dates timeline

The new key dates timeline has been developed considering the review findings. The new timeline includes changes to ensure we work collaboratively with schools and colleges to identify learners that are due to receive results in 2023 and deliver on-time BTEC qualification results.

Download our new key dates timeline

More support and data from us throughout the year

You can expect check-ins throughout the year, where we will provide you with learner-level data so that you can see where your learners will be eligible to receive a qualification result. For learners certificating in Summer 2023, we will provide this data in February, March and May.

Update on results days

We will release results for BTEC Level 3 and Level 2 a week earlier, under embargo, so that we can work in partnership with schools and colleges to resolve outstanding actions before results are released to learners.  

BTEC Level 3

Results released to centres under embargo – 9 August 2023

Results released to learners – 17 August 2023

BTEC Level 2

Results released to centres under embargo – 16 August 2023

Results released to learners – 24 August 2023  

New digital access to question papers

From the January 2023 exam series, alongside receiving hard copies, you can also access your BTEC question papers digitally through a new secure area of our website.

Here, you can download files before the assessment to print onto coloured paper, or if you don’t have access to a hard copy question paper. This new service is available for all BTEC question papers and assessments where you receive a physical dispatch to your centre. 

Take a look at our recent announcement to find out more. You can read our BTEC assessment download FAQs for further support. 

Are you BTEC external assessment ready?

Here’s our checklist for preparing to deliver external assessments in January and beyond:

1. Check you’ve made your entries:  all external assessments require a booking. If you’re not sure, take a look at our guide to making external assessment entries.
2. Refresh yourself with our ondemand e-Learning: we have two modules which we’d recommend completing, question paper security and BTEC external entries and assessments. You can access these on our ondemand e-Learning webpage.
3. Access our exams administration support index: take a look at our exams administration support index, which answers most of your frequently asked questions through an exam series.
4. Review your contingency plan: please continue to monitor for any potential travel disruption. Centres are required to have contingency plans in place that focus on ensuring that learners can sit their assessments. You can find additional information on contingency planning on the JCQ website.
5. Bookmark useful BTEC support documents and pages: you’ll find materials you’ll need to download for external assessments on our Secure Tests webpage. You can access our administrative support guides on the BTEC subject pages. These include information such as secure material dispatch methods, and levels of supervision. The external assessment overview document on our timetables webpage includes information such as secure material dispatch methods and levels of supervision.
6. View our video preparing learners for external assessments: this is a short recording to provide an overview of the resources and support available to you to help prepare learners for external assessment. 

Entries for December/January series internal assessments

Entries for the December/January series have now closed. If you have learners who have undertaken the assessment but have not been entered, please contact our Customer Services team. Entries received after the mark submission date of 15 December may not receive results on results day for the series. 

Moderator feedback and amending marks on Edexcel Online

One of the best new features of the Tech Awards from 2022 is the direct feedback from your moderator and opportunity to make mark adjustments following feedback.

If you have entered learners for the December/January series, your moderator will contact the Programme Lead for Tech Awards to arrange a mutually convenient time to give feedback once moderation is complete. This will be either by phone or online meeting. Following moderator feedback, if necessary, you will have approximately two weeks to amend any of your initial marks on Edexcel Online.

You can find guidance on amending marks on the Tech Awards 2022 support index.

You can find more information on the internal assessment and moderation process in the Administrative Support Guide (ASG) for your subject. You’ll find it in the course materials section of the subject qualification page. 

Entries for May/June series internal assessments

You can now make entries for the May/June 2023 moderation series using the basedata for EDI entries, or directly through Edexcel Online. Entry deadlines can be found in the key dates schedule.

The PSAs for Art and Design Practice and Performing Arts are now available for download from the subject Qualification Pages. All other subjects will be released on 6 February.

Learners who have sat internal assessments in the December/January 2023 series and wish to retake them can be re-entered for May/June assessments after results have been issued on 23 March and no late fees will be charged. The entry deadline for these learners is 1 April.

You can find further guidance on making entries for new Tech Awards in our Tech Awards support index. 

Standards Verifier Allocations

Throughout January, we will begin allocating Standards Verifiers (SVs) to the BTEC programmes delivered in your centres. The SVs will contact the Quality Nominee in the first instance to introduce themselves, their role and the sampling process. Please ensure that this is forwarded to the Lead IVs at programme level who should then be responsible for liaising with the SV to get the process underway. The deadline for first sampling is 15 May, although we recommend that the sample is sent as soon as it is available, as per the assessment plan. SVs have been asked to focus on assessed learner work from the current academic year, so do ensure that this message is clear with your Lead IVs.

Events

We continue to support our Quality Nominee and Lead IV communities with a selection of live events via Zoom. This is alongside our weekly catch-ups, where you can ask any questions about quality assurance.

Visit our QN events page to find out more.

We’ll be in touch about the return to face-to-face/in-person networking events in May and June 2023. We’ll be on the road again this summer to meet with you at various locations around the country, to debrief the year and to talk through awarding in summer 2023 and the Quality Assurance cycle for 2023/24.  

Annual Quality Declaration

A reminder that the AQD is now overdue, and we will be contacting centres where this is still outstanding this week. 

We have recently launched the new season of our Insights into Post 16 English and Maths podcast. Our Post 16 English and Maths specialist, Chris Briggs, will be talking to guests about the impact of inclusion. You can find out more in our impact of inclusion blog post. 

Listen to our latest impact of inclusion podcast, which is an introduction into neurodiversity.

Deletions for Higher Nationals  

From 1 January 2023, deletions for all Higher Nationals, regardless of whether your programme follows an academic year, must be made within 49 days of the student starting the programme of study (not from the date of registration). From 1 January 2023, any deletions made 50 days or more after the student’s start date will not be eligible for a full refund. 
Read more about making deletions for Higher Nationals on our website.

Annual Programme Monitoring Review

In response to feedback, the Annual Programme Monitoring Review (APMR) for 2022/23 is shorter and simpler, with less duplication and less written narrative required. The emphasis of the report has a centre-level focus to reduce duplication and the time needed to complete.

The deadline to complete the APMR is 25 February 2023. If you have any queries regarding the APMR, please contact hnqa@pearson.com. 

Interim grades

It’s important to update Pearson on student achievement, either at the end of each academic year, or at the end of each stage of the programme. It’s possible to enter unit achievement without needing to make an interim claim.

Read more about how to enter interim grades on our website.

Pearson's January T Levels E-Bulletin includes information on:

• Q&A networks and training events
• Registrations and entries
• Legal Services update

Read the January E-Bulletin on our T Levels updates page.

Updated Assessment Plan for ST0146 Assessor Coach Level 4 

IFATE have now published an updated assessment plan for ST0146 Assessor Coach Level 4.

The key changes are:

• Clarification that the duration is "typically" 15 months. This is to align to the wording on the standard.
• Update to the latest English and Maths wording and off-the-job wording.
• Clarification that the observation by the independent assessor is to be conducted face-to-face, unless the apprentice works in a remote-only setting. 

Flexibilities for ST0215 Healthcare Assistant Practitioner, ST0216 Healthcare support worker, ST0217 Senior healthcare support worker 

Thank you for the recent engagement where we asked for your views in relation to the impact that removal of flexibilities will have on apprentices and employment settings. This was forwarded back to Ofqual to illustrate the need to retain these flexibilities. 

We have since received communication that, after a detailed review internally at IFATE with input from trailblazers and employers, a decision has been made to continue with the planned removal of the dispensations on 31 December 2022.

For apprentices entering gateway post 1 January 2023, they will be assessed using the existing assessment plan of face-to-face observations. 

Security test notifications

You are required to submit test notifications for all tests, including resits. You must notify us of all test dates a minimum of 5 working days before the test date.

If you need to cancel a test that you have already notified us of, please let us know by emailing vqtestinspections@pearson.com.

If you wish to offer learners a resit opportunity within 5 working days of the original test date, you should submit a test notification at the same time as you are submitting the original test notification form. If learners do not need to resit, you should notify us that you are cancelling the test booking as soon as possible, as outlined above.

Reminder about centre approval for additional sites 

You must gain approval from us in order to offer our Pearson Security qualifications. Approval is given at centre level and then subsequently for each qualification that you wish to offer and each site you will be delivering/assessing at.

If you wish to deliver and assess security programmes at additional sites, you must gain approval for those sites prior to any delivery.

• To apply for approval for an additional site you must:
• complete the Security Annex A Approval form for the new site
• complete the Change of Centre Details form, section 4
• Request to add an additional site

To request the Change of Centre Details form, please contact us via the Customer Portal:

• Issue type: Approvals and Centre Details
• Category type: Update Details
• Subcategory type: Change of Address

Approval of additional sites will follow the standard approval process and all approval criteria must be met. Please bear in mind the timescales involved in the approval process (a minimum of 23 working days) when planning for delivery at a new site – delivery of training or assessment must not take place at any venue that has not been approved by Pearson.