Regulating post-16 VTQs at L2 and L3
Ofqual's regulatory approach (Assessment strategies)
Assessment strategies
Assessment strategies help Ofqual understand an awarding organisation’s qualification and assessment design decisions. Awarding organisations use them to demonstrate the steps and approaches they will take to secure, on an ongoing basis, that the qualification and assessments are fit for purpose. Ofqual uses them as a basis against which to regulate qualifications in delivery, and as part of its accreditation process. We require assessment strategies in qualifications including GCSEs, A Levels and Technical Qualifications within T Levels.
Proposal
Ofqual proposes to require an awarding organisation to develop, follow, and keep under review, an assessment strategy for V Levels, Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates. We propose to require awarding organisations to:
- establish and maintain an assessment strategy
- ensure their assessment strategy sets out how they will comply, on an ongoing basis with our rules
- design, set, deliver and mark all assessments in line with their assessment strategy
- keep their assessment strategies under review, and notify us of any changes
- review their assessment strategy when we ask them to, and make any changes we request
- if we ask them to, show how they have complied with their assessment strategy (or explain why not) and follow any instructions we give them about complying with their assessment strategy
Ofqual proposes that the assessment strategy should cover key aspects of the design, development, delivery and award of these qualifications. This should include those which apply in general to a suite or qualification type, and those which relate to a specific qualification. We have included our proposed requirements for each qualification in the relevant annexes.
The proposed requirements follow, broadly, the key activities in a qualification’s lifecycle:
- developing qualifications
- developing assessments
- delivering assessments
- monitoring qualifications and assessments
The intention of structuring the proposed requirements in this way is to support awarding organisations to produce the assessment strategies as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Our proposed Conditions and associated requirements are set out in Annexes A, B and C, in Conditions VL3, FC3 and OC3.