The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led the Department for Education (the Department) to reach the policy view that it is not viable for external exams to go ahead for some Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs) and other general qualifications.
The Secretary of State issued a direction to Ofqual on 25 February 2021 setting out his policy intention for how results should be awarded for 3 broad groups of VTQs and other general...More
We wish to understand whether you will submit qualifications for HTQ approvals in digital, construction, or health and sciences, and would appreciate you responding to this short survey. The survey asks just 2 short questions regarding your broad intentions.
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We would love to hear your feedback on the Conflicts of Interest webinar held recently and would be grateful if you could answer a couple of questions (on the next page).
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Proposed revisions to the way the Exam Procedures Review Service will operate for qualifications awarded in summer 2021
Proposals at a glance
The Exam Procedures Review Service (EPRS) is an Ofqual process to consider whether an awarding organisation has followed its own processes, and secured the outcomes required by its conditions of recognition, in relation to the award of specified qualifications.
Qualifications will be awarded differently in summer 2021, because...More
Please find below the link to access the consultation questions
In this joint consultation we set out the arrangements for assessing and awarding VTQs and other general qualifications in the academic year 2021 to 2022. These proposals are made in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has resulted in disruption to education during the current (2020 to 2021) and previous (2019 to 2020) academic years. We are consulting seperately on the arrangements for GCSEs, AS and...More
We would love to hear your feedback on the EPAO Recognition Evidence and Resources Toolkit webinar held recently and would be grateful if you could answer a couple of questions (on the next page).
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The VTQ senior leadership team has been working with teams across the directorate to address the issues that were raised in the Civil Service People Survey last year. This survey is a ‘temperature check’ to see how our people are feeling now about working in the VTQ directorate, and where we might need to focus attention going forward.
Please share your honest views about what has changed (or not) and how things could be better.
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The government is firmly committed to GCSE, AS and A level exams going ahead in England in academic year 2021 to 2022, with adaptations to take account of the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the education of the students due to sit those exams.
This consulation, which has been prepared jointly by the Department for Education and Ofqual, invites your views on proposed contingency arrangements for the unlikely event that exams are not able to go ahead as planned. ...More
You may be aware that we recently proposed a new data collection for Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration. We asked a sample of Awarding Organisations for their comments on the proposal. The feedback showed a variety of different approaches being used and inconsistencies in how Awarding Organisations collect this data. The data collection has been postponed.
We wish to understand more about how VTQ Awarding Organisations (AOs) and End Point Assessment Organisations...More
During the Standards Team Away day we discussed implementing a new approach to portfolio managment.
To help shape this new approach, we want to understand more about what colleagues consider to be the good bits of portfolio management as well as the challenges.
We have provided example approaches for comment and welcome your thoughts.
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We regulate to ensure assessments give a reliable indication of what students know, understand and can do. We are guided by the best interests of students as we meet our statutory objectives, including to secure qualification and assessment standards. Students must be able to access assessments without unnecessary obstacles.
It would not be fair if an assessment had been designed and developed in a way that prevents a student from fully demonstrating their knowledge, skills and...More
Please find below the link to access the consultation questions
The Department for Education (referred to as the Department in this document) is introducing new qualifications called Digital Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs) that seek to provide students with the core digital skills needed to participate fully in society. The Department is introducing them as part of their plans to improve adult basic digital skills and the new qualifications will sit alongside...More
On 3 February 2022, we held a 'Knowledge Base' webinar. This was an opportunity for the awarding organisation community to get to know more about the work of the Research, Data and Analytics team.
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Please find the link below to access the consulation questions.
This consultation sets out how Ofqual proposes to regulate academic and technical qualifications which serve as alternatives to A levels and T Levels. These will be part of the future level 3 landscape, as part of the Department’s ‘Review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 in England’, alongside A levels, T Levels and Apprenticeships. For the purpose of this consultation, these qualifications are referred to...More
Ofqual's teacher survey on adaptations to exam arrangements for GCSE, AS and A levels in 2022 (pre-exam)
Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications in England, is surveying teachers, tutors, and home-educators who are teaching and entering students for GCSE, AS or A level qualifications this year.
This year, a number of adaptations have been made to the assessment arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels, following a joint consultation by the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofqual....More
Ofqual's student survey on adaptations to exam arrangements for GCSE, AS and A levels 2022.
Ofqual, the regulator of qualifications in England, is surveying students who are preparing for their GCSE, AS or A level exams in summer 2022.
This year, a number of adaptations have been made to the assessment arrangements for GCSEs, AS and A levels. The aim of these adaptations is to make sure that we are being as fair as possible to students, given the disruption they have...More
We would very much like to hear your views on how you have found Ofqual’s pre-recognition engagement throughout your experience of applying for Ofqual recognition.
We would be grateful if you could take 5 to 10 minutes to answer the following questions.
You have the option to remain anonymous, or if you wish to you can share your details with us. All responses will be used to help shape and improve our pre-recognition engagement activity in future for those approaching...More
The link to the consultation questions is at the bottom of this page.
This consultation sets out Ofqual’s proposed Conditions, requirements and statutory guidance for regulating alternative academic qualifications and alternative technical qualifications, operating in conjunction with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and the Department for Education (‘The Department’). These qualifications will be part of the future level 3 landscape,...More
Please find the link at the bottom of the page to access the consultation questions.
Ofqual is seeking views on proposed updates to the End-Point Assessment Qualification Level Guidance . The proposed guidance, if adopted, is intended to help end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs) in their understanding of our regulatory framework and how it applies to end-point assessments (EPAs).
The following updates are proposed to the current EPA Qualification Level Guidance:
...More
We welcomed the return of exams and other formal assessments in summer 2022, for the first time since 2019. Exams and other formal assessments are the best and fairest way of assessing what students know and can do. That’s why it was so important that we got back to students taking them in 2022, and that this continues next year.
The national closure of schools or cancellation of exams – necessitating the use of alternative assessment arrangements – is now very unlikely. The...More
Proposals at a glance
Ofqual invites your views on proposed adaptations to the assessment of GCSEs in mathematics, physics and combined science for students in England taking exams in 2023.
The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed that in view of the disruption caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it is not necessary for students to memorise formulae for GCSE mathematics and equations for GCSE physics and combined science, as they must in a normal...More
Proposals at a glance
Ofqual invites your views on a proposed adaptation to the assessment of GCSE modern foreign languages (MFL) qualifications for students in England taking exams from summer 2023.
We propose carrying forward to future assessments the changes we made to last year’s qualifications in respect of the use of vocabulary. In summer 2022, these changes allowed the exam boards greater flexibility by:
removing the specific requirement ...More
As discussed at recent Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQ) Data Forums, we would be grateful if you would arrange for this survey to be completed by a member of your staff who is closely and regularly involved in submitting data to us, via the Data Portal.
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The summer was a significant step in terms of returning the qualifications system to pre-pandemic business as usual. As you know, this year we saw a return to exams and formal assessments, and across the country we saw more than 600,000 results awarded to students between March and August, across almost 400 vocational qualifications (VTQs).
While the vast majority of students received accurate results on time, some did not. For a student not to receive their results when they either...More
Exam boards and awarding organisations allow disabled students to have reasonable adjustments in their exams (you may call them ‘access arrangements’) to reduce or remove disadvantage caused by their disability. One type of adjustment is extra time to complete exams.
We are very keen to hear all students’ views on time in exams or tests, whether or not you personally get extra time or any other reasonable adjustment in your exams. This research is intended to help us...More
Please find below the link to access the consultation questions
In October 2022, the Department for Education (DfE) published the government’s response to its consultation on the ‘Review of post-16 qualifications at level 2 and below in England’ . This response sets out DfE’s proposals to transform the qualification landscape at level 2 and below in England. It confirms the groups of qualifications that will be considered for public funding in the future, grouped by level and...More