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Vocational and technical qualifications

Quality assurance for GCSE, AS and A level: information for schools and colleges

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This summer, with exams cancelled, the quality assurance (QA) process for qualifications in England is different from the usual moderation process. This is a guide to what schools and colleges can expect.

How 2021 could look for students and learners – we want your views

Student looking up at the blue sky

Ofqual and the Department for Education are jointly consulting on arrangements for awarding grades for GCSE, AS and A levels this summer and on awarding arrangements for a range of vocational and technical qualifications.

Further evaluation of summer 2020 awarding

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A levels and GCSEs, Exams, Vocational and technical qualifications
Decorative picture of a hand sifting through a pile of reports

We have today published three evaluation reports looking at how grades were awarded in summer 2020. Taken together, they shine further light on the process of standardisation and on the differences between calculated grades, centre assessment grades and final grades. …

Awarding Vocational and Technical Qualifications in summer 2020

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Vocational and technical qualifications
Four microscopes on a work bench.

Assessment and awarding of Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs) in 2020 has been quite different to any previous year. Yet despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis leading to the cancellation of exams and most assessments, learners still need to be able to move on as planned – whether to university, college or sixth form, an apprenticeship …

Invigilating reformed Functional Skills Qualifications

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Functional skills, Vocational and technical qualifications
Ball-point pen lying at an angle across a set of equations printed on a sheet of paper.

Reformed Functional Skills Qualifications (FSQs) in English and maths have been in the market for a few weeks now and schools, colleges and training providers are getting to grips with them.  At present, qualifications from nine awarding organisations, across the …

Setting standards in new Functional Skills qualifications

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Vocational and technical qualifications
An offset stack of five exercise books, one yellow, one red, one grey, one green and one blue.

Starting this September, hundreds of thousands of learners will begin studying reformed Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs) in English and maths, offered by a number of different awarding organisations. At levels 1 and 2 these qualifications are used in apprenticeships and …

Applied Generals and Tech Levels this summer

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Other, Vocational and technical qualifications
person writing in exercise book, mug and other papers on desk

Around 200,000 16 to 18-year-old students took Applied Generals or Tech Level qualifications in 2018 in subjects areas ranging from applied science, business, and health and social care, to accountancy and horticulture. This blog discusses how the qualifications are assessed and regulated to ensure fairness for all those who take them.