Vocational and Technical Qualification results in 2023

Overview

Ofqual, the qualifications regulator, is seeking your views on new ways to ensure students receive their vocational and technical qualification (VTQ) results on time in the summer of 2023. In December 2022 Ofqual announced actions it would be asking awarding organisations to take to support the safe and timely delivery results in 2023 and beyond.

Ofqual recognises that a number of these actions will have implications for schools, colleges, other exam centres and their staff, and is now seeking views on the implementation of:

• a results deadline - this is the date by which a complete set of final qualification results must be issued by awarding organisations to schools, colleges and other exam centres
• term-time checkpoints - these are the windows during the academic year during which awarding organisations must (a) ensure they hold up-to-date data about which students are expected to complete their qualification and receive a result that academic year, and (b) check that they have all the information or evidence they need from centres so they can process a result for each student.

The results deadline and term-time checkpoints will apply to level 3 VTQs used for progression to further and higher education (FE and HE) in 2023.

Ofqual is also seeking views on whether:

• there should be a common VTQ results day, that is a single day on which all centres issue VTQ results to students
• results issued to centres in advance of a common results day should be subject to an embargo. During this period results would be confidential to the head of centre, examinations office staff and senior members of teaching staff
• a wider range of VTQs than level 3 VTQs used for progression to FE and HE should be covered by similar arrangements

This survey is an opportunity for school and college leaders, teachers and exams officers working in schools, colleges and other exam centres, to let us know how these arrangements should be implemented in a way that is manageable, and ensures students get their results when they need them.

The survey will be open for 3 weeks and will close on 20 February 2023.

Thank you for your interest in this survey and for any response you submit.

What happens next

Your response has been submitted - thank you for completing the survey.

Ofqual will consider all responses and take into account your views as we work with awarding organisations to ensure VTQ results are issued to students on time in 2023.

Ofqual will confirm arrangements for summer 2023 by the end of the spring term.