What are the arrangements for Vocational Qualifications (VTQs) in 2020/21?

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Assessments for our qualifications should continue as planned in centres, if it is safe to do so.

For our VTQs which assess occupational or professional competence, such as our Certificate of Professional Competence for Transport Managers in Road Haulage and in Passenger Transport, exams and assessments are going ahead. 

We have updated our guidance for vocational qualifications (excluding Cambridge Nationals and Cambridge Technicals) following two consultations on the arrangements for assessment and awarding of VTQs in 2020-21:

• On 25 February 2021, the Department for Education (England) and Ofqual published the outcome to their joint consultation on arrangements for assessment and awarding of VTQs in 2021.
• On 24 March 2021 Ofqual published the outcome of its consultation on a VTQ Contingency Regulatory Framework (VCRF).

Each VTQ is placed in a category and each category will have a different approach to awarding in 2021. We have provided information on the categories our qualifications fall under below:

Category A: Adaptations

Category A is for VTQs that assess occupational or professional competency, proficiency, or act as a licence to practise, where it would not be safe to award these qualifications using alternative evidence, such as teachers’ judgement. Results will be issued on the basis of evidence from exams and other assessments. We can continue to use adaptations and consider further adaptations where necessary, to assist with the ongoing impact of the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

*We are applying further adaptions for:

• Administration (Business Professional)
  • More opportunities for cross-referencing. This has been added to the guidance and is highlighted.
  • For Levels 1 to 3 only we are streamlining assessment. For students due to complete their qualification by 31 August 2021 and where disruption to teaching has been substantial, we will allow you to reduce the number of assessed units required to complete the qualification. However, we would still expect teaching and learning of all units to continue. More details on this adaptation can be found on our Administration (Business Professional) area of the support centre.

• IT User Skills (ITQ)
  • We are streamlining assessment. For students due to complete their qualification by 31 August 2021 and where disruption to teaching has been substantial, we will allow you to reduce the number of assessed units required to complete the qualification. However, we would still expect teaching and learning of all units to continue. More details on this adaptation can be found in our ITQ area of the support centre.
  • The summer 2020 adaptation to complete specific CLAiT assessments from home has been reinstated.

Category B: Assessments to be taken as normal where possible

Category B has different approaches to awarding but the common factor across these qualifications is that results may be determined using alternative approaches to awarding, including the use of teacher assessed grades (TAGs). This is because the issue of results to learners for these qualifications must be prioritised even where exams and internal assessments do not take place. Category B has two sub-groups, B1 and B2, that have different approaches.

B1: Exams and moderation will continue to be available. Centres should continue to deliver teaching and learning. We encourage you to continue to complete and submit units for assessment and to consider a TAG as a last resort, if assessment cannot be completed.

When assessment cannot be completed, a unit-level TAG is available for units due to be completed between 30 August 2020 and 31 August 2021. Unit TAGs are available to students certificating this summer and those certificating after this summer.

B2: (Functional Skills)

In February 2021, the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual confirmed that students taking our Functional Skills qualifications are to continue to take assessment where it is safe to do so. Where your students are not able to access live assessments safely or remotely, and you have exhausted all other options to take a test, you will be able to submit a request for a grade based on teacher judgement.

We have created a guidance document which explains how you can judge if your students are eligible for a teacher assessed grade and the process you should use to make your judgements.

More information about the teacher assessed grade (TAG) process can be found through the links below

Assessments to be taken as normal with no adaptations

As our CPC qualifications act as a licence to practise it would not be safe to award these qualifications using adaptations or alternative approaches to awarding such as a teacher judgement. Where the assessment cannot take place safely, it will need to be delayed.