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BTEC Level 2 Tech Awards, Firsts,ÌýTechnicals* and Level 3 Nationals*

If you were due to be awarded one of these qualifications this year, our priority is to ensure that you are not disadvantaged, and that you can progress alongside those students taking General Qualifications (GCSEs and A levels) in 2021.

Teacher-led internalÌýassessmentÌýhas always beenÌýa large part of howÌýBTECsÌýareÌýgraded,Ìýso we willÌýbe using thisÌýestablishedÌýassessmentÌýprocess to underpin the way we award qualification results thisÌýyear. For certificating learners (those who were due to finish their qualification this year),ÌýthisÌýteacher-led internal assessmentÌýwill be combined withÌýa newÌýassessmentÌýprocessÌýfor this yearÌýcalledÌýaÌýQualification-levelÌý‘Teacher Assessed Grade’ (TAG)Ìý(where your school or collegeÌýwill use evidence across the breadth of your courseÌýtoÌýrecommendÌýyourÌýfinalÌýqualificationÌýgrade).ÌýWe will be issuing follow-up guidance next week, to your school or college, to let them know how to do this.

If you sat your exams in January,Ìýbut feel you did not perform as you’d hoped, please do not worry, your centre will be permitted to take this into consideration when putting forward theirÌýQualification-level TAG. If you were not able to sit your exams, for any reason, yourÌýschool or college will review the evidence from across your time on your course to inform yourÌýQualification-levelÌýTAG.

Your schoolÌýorÌýcollegeÌýwillÌýcontinue to deliver teaching,Ìýlearning, andÌýconduct internalÌýassessmentsÌýthis year,Ìýso that you can continue toÌý‘bank’ÌýyourÌýperformanceÌýfor the units you have completed. These ‘banked’ units will be usedÌýbyÌýyour college orÌýschoolÌýtoÌýdetermineÌýyourÌýQualification-levelÌýTAG,ÌýalongsideÌýcourseworkÌýand examsÌýthat you have completed while studying for your BTEC.ÌýIf you are not due to complete your BTEC this year, it’s still importantÌýto ‘bank’ unit performanceÌýas these grades will be used to inform your qualification gradeÌýwhen youÌýdoÌýcomplete your course.

BTEC Higher Nationals

For BTEC Higher Nationals,Ìýwe areÌýencouraging your tutorsÌýto continue to deliver and assessÌýyou, wherever it is feasible and safe to do so.ÌýWe have also let them know that the guidance we have already issued to them will continue toÌýapply for these qualifications.Ìý

*QualificationsÌýwhichÌýassessÌýoccupational competence orÌýlead to aÌýLicense to Practise

If your qualification awards you a License to Practise,Ìýthere will be no change in how those of you studying for these qualificationsÌýwill be assessed. YourÌýassessmentsÌýwillÌýcontinue in line with any adaptations your schools or college has already made.

Functional Skills and other Skills Qualifications

For thoseÌýof youÌýstudying aÌýFunctional SkillsÌýqualification, theseÌýassessmentsÌýwillÌýcontinueÌýwhere it is safe to do so.ÌýIf your centre has specific challengesÌýin offering assessments this year, we will work with them to find alternative arrangements to award you a gradeÌýthis year. We will be providing your centre with more details about these arrangementsÌýas soon as possible.

Why has the way you will be assessed changed?

The assessment process has changedÌýin response to the cancellation of external assessments due to take place in February, March and June of this year.ÌýThe decision on how you willÌýnowÌýbe assessed wasÌýguidedÌýbyÌýOfqual andÌýtheÌýDepartmentÌýforÌýEducation,Ìýfollowing aÌýconsultationÌýtoÌýwhichÌýAwarding Organisations, schools, colleges,Ìýlearners, parentsÌýandÌýemployersÌýwere asked to contribute.

Today, we have also written to all schools, colleges and centres toÌýoutlineÌýwhat theÌýoutcomeÌýof the consultation means for them. In the next week or so we will be following up with themÌýwith more detailsÌýon processes and procedures. AlthoughÌýyour school, college or centreÌýwill be best placed to advise you on how the new assessment arrangements will work in your specific case,Ìýyou are welcome to contact usÌýwith any questions you may have:

• Via telephone on 0845 618 0440 or
• EmailÌýstudents@pearson.comÌýbetween 8am-4pm, Monday-Friday.

We appreciate this must be a very difficult time for you and hope that this update provides you with some clarity and reassurance.

We will update you with further information soon.

Thank you for your continued patience during these unprecedented times.

Best wishes,

CindyÌýRampersaud
Senior Vice President, BTEC & Apprenticeships