Regulating post-16 VTQs at L2 and L3

Assessment method

The assessment of V Levels should reflect their distinctive purpose and the needs of the intended cohort and a range of assessment approaches will be needed to adequately assess the applied and practical nature of the subject content developed by DfE. The introduction of the new qualifications also provides an opportunity to look at how innovative approaches to assessment might be incorporated.

Assessment is therefore likely to include a variety of forms such as practical or skills tests, simulated tasks or demonstrations and projects.

V Levels are intended to support progression to higher education, higher technical training or an apprenticeship. They are also likely to be used in school and college accountability measures. This means that V Levels will be considered alongside other qualifications, such as A Levels and T Levels, when admissions decisions are made by higher education. The results of V Levels will also need to be secure for use in assessing the quality of teaching and learning in schools and colleges. The methods of assessments used must be fit for each of these intended purposes.  

Our proposals are intended to give awarding organisations the flexibility to use a variety of forms of assessment, tailored to the subject content and providing students with a distinctive, vocational assessment experience, whilst securing standards and public confidence in the new qualifications in line with their intended use. This will include:

• Assessments which are timetabled by the awarding organisation, taken by students at the same time and marked by the awarding organisation
• Assessments which are taken under specified conditions but not timetabled, which can be marked by teachers in schools and colleges or by the awarding organisation

Timetabled assessments

Timetabled assessments which are marked by the awarding organisation often take the form of a written examination. This can provide the opportunity to directly test students’ knowledge and understanding of the vocational area they are studying to secure that the foundations of essential knowledge for vocational ability are in place. They are also valuable in promoting and assessing student learning across the full range of the subject content.

Written tasks can also assess students’ ability to apply their knowledge and understanding, either by mirroring work-place activities or by situating the tasks in authentic vocational scenarios, using case studies or pre-release materials.

Practical, skills-based tasks can also be taken simultaneously by students and marked by the awarding organisation. We recognise that the requirement for timetabled assessment may pose challenges for these types of assessment because it requires all students to take the assessment simultaneously. For example, if students need to use specialist equipment to undertake a practical task at the same time, a school or college would need to have enough equipment for every student. The extent to which practical assessments are used in this way is also likely to vary by subject, depending on the subject content. Awarding organisations will also need to consider how to make sure that assessments are manageable for centres and can be delivered securely.

All forms of assessment must have robust oversight by awarding organisations so that results are fair and reliable but timetabled assessments which are marked by awarding organisations have the highest level of awarding organisation control. Simultaneous assessment is important where a student might have an advantage if they were able to access the assessment task in advance. It also reduces the risk of assessment materials being shared in advance and so reduces the risk of malpractice.

This approach to assessment is therefore important in securing valid and reliable assessment of the proposed V Level subject content.  

Other forms of assessment

A wide range of forms of assessment, taken under specified conditions but not timetabled may also be used. This may include skills tests, performances, or demonstrations where the assessment of those practical skills cannot or does not need to take place simultaneously to secure the reliability of the assessment. Extended tasks taking place over a period of time may be used to assess the application of knowledge and understanding. We propose that these assessments may be marked by the awarding organisation or by centres, with scrutiny of centre-marking by the awarding organisation.

In designing such assessments, awarding organisations will need to consider potential risks, for example pressures on centre marking and student malpractice, including the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). To mitigate such risks, awarding organisations should choose forms of assessment that are less open to AI misuse, such as performances or practical demonstrations, or the creation of physical products. Alternatively, when setting controls for how assessments must be taken, they could specify high levels of supervision, restrictions on internet access, or secure storage of work between sessions.

One way Ofqual seeks to ensure consistency and comparability is by specifying the balance of assessment methods and the level of control that awarding organisations have over the assessments. This can help ensure content is assessed in similar ways and support the setting and maintenance of standards, which is key to securing public confidence in the new qualifications.

In determining our regulatory approach, we have considered the following:   

• the need to strike a balance between valid assessment of subject content while reducing the vulnerability of the assessments to pressures on centre marking and threats to authenticity, including those resulting from generative AI, and manageability for centres and awarding organisations
• the requirements of the particular subject, to enable awarding organisations to design assessments which reflect the most effective way to assess that content given the purpose of V Levels
• the need to support the assessment of applied learning and practical skills, for example using extended tasks or skills tests
• the role of assessments which are timetabled and taken simultaneously by all students in supporting the maintenance of standards. 

We are keen to ensure that the balance of assessment methods is appropriate for the purposes of these qualifications and their vocational subject content, and that the benefits and risks of each of these approaches have been fully identified and considered. We would therefore welcome views on our intention to permit both assessment methods, in addition to the specific proposals made later in this consultation.

Proposal

We have considered the draft subject content for V Levels being first taught from 2027 in digital systems and data, accounting and finance, and education against the considerations above, and based on this, propose to specify proportions of assessment methods as follows.

We will consider the balance of assessment methods for subjects in future tranches as the content for these is developed. Any alternative expectations for future qualifications would be specified on a subject-by-subject basis.

To support awarding organisations in meeting these requirements, we are proposing to put in place guidance on how to meet these expectations, to determine which aspects of the subject content are most appropriately assessed through each assessment method. This will help minimise the level of variation between awarding organisations while providing a degree of scope for awarding organisations to take different approaches where legitimate.

Our proposed Subject Level Conditions VL(Digital Systems and Data)2.1, VL Accounting and Finance)2.1 and VL(Education)2.1 and associated guidance are set out in Annex A. So that there is consistency across all Ofqual regulations, in our proposed Conditions, requirements and guidance, timetabled assessment, set by the awarding organisation and taken simultaneously by students is defined as Assessment by Examination. Other assessments are defined as Non-exam Assessment.