Overview

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, as part of the Department’s ‘Review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 in England’, alongside A levels, T Levels and Apprenticeships.

The Conditions, requirements and statutory guidance set out are those that are proposed to implement the policy decisions Ofqual has announced alongside this consultation. In addition to the proposed Conditions, requirements and statutory guidance, the consultation also seeks views on proposed approaches in a small number of areas.

The consultation seeks views on:

• Grading scales – to ensure the results of alternative academic qualifications are clear and understood by users, Ofqual proposes to put in place statutory guidance about what an awarding organisation should consider when determining its approach to the grading scale it uses for a qualification (for example how many grades there should be and what these grades should be called) 
• Titling – to ensure the future landscape is navigable for users, the consultation seeks views on the approach to titling for alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications. It proposes a bespoke Condition which would require the titles of these qualifications to include specific information, including that required by the Department and IfATE, in respect of alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications.

The consultation seeks views in these areas on both the proposed approach, and the wording of the proposed Conditions, requirements and statutory guidance needed to implement the approach.

The consultation also seeks views on the proposed Conditions, requirements and statutory guidance proposed to implement the decisions announced alongside this consultation. The consultation seeks views on:

• Proposed Conditions relating to:
  • content
  • assessment strategies and the associated requirements for alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications
  • purposes, and the proposed requirements which specify the general purposes for these qualifications
  • assessment, and the associated requirements relating to Assessment by Examination and non-exam assessment
  • standard setting, and the associated statutory guidance on the types of evidence to be considered
  • qualification reviews
  • withdrawal of approval for public funding
  • interpretation and definitions

In these areas, we are seeking views on the specific wording of the Conditions, requirements and statutory guidance rather than the overall approach. We have already announced our proposed approach following our previous consultation.

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

Why your views matter

This consultation is open to anyone who may wish to make representation but may be of most interest to:

• awarding organisations and their representative bodies, particularly those that deliver (or want to deliver) alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications that would fit into the groups to be regulated by the proposed arrangements
• schools, colleges and training providers, and their representative bodies – particularly those that deliver (or want to deliver) alternative academic and alternative technical qualifications that would fit into the groups to be regulated by the proposed arrangements
• higher educaton institutions
• students
• employers

What happens next

Your response has been submitted - thank you for completing the consultation

This information will now be analysed and the findings will be published on our website.

To get alerted to updates to this and other Ofqual consultations, you can sign up for alerts on our consultation page on GOV.UK.