In our previous bulletin, we confirmed arrangements for learners who are returning to their second year or who are topping up to a larger qualification this year.
As mid-flight learners were not eligible for a qualification-level teacher assessed grade (Q-TAG) in the last academic year, you will have utilised the ‘Z flag’ to indicate all missed assessment that was due to take place between the eligible period for Q-TAG judgements; 1 August 2020 – 31 August 2021.
Now, you will need to add a Unit-level Teacher Assessed Grade (U-TAG) to this flag (I.e. Pass, Merit or Distinction). You will also have made external assessment entries in line with our guidance indicating if the learner was due to be assessed during this time. We will shortly be asking you to provide a unitised grade for this missed assessment, and we will apply a mid-way point score to enable aggregation.
Internally assessed units
You have already reported these internally assessed units using a Z grade on Edexcel Online. We will shortly be amending this functionality to be a Z flag on Edexcel Online (to enable the U-TAG to be added). The flag allows us to identify the units which have not been assessed in full in 2020/21, and are eligible for a U-TAG. By entering a U-TAG, the eligibility process can take place, and the Notification of Performance can be generated.
Please note, the Z-flag and grade input functionality will be available via Edexcel Online in the next few weeks and we will provide guidance on how to report those to us.
Externally assessed units
If a learner was entered in any session during 2021 and an assessment did not take place, due to exams being cancelled or the learner being absent, the entry is now marked as absent.
For these learners, we will ask you to provide a U-TAG judgement. We are currently finalising the process for this and will provide guidance on how to report these grades to us in the next few weeks.
How to arrive at a U-TAG judgement
For these learners, you should determine a teacher assessed grade for the units which were due to be assessed between 1 August 2020 – 31 August 2021. These will have been flagged with a Z grade for the internal assessment units, and as an absent entry for the external assessment.
Overall, the process for determining a U-TAG for your mid-flight (non-certificating) learners is very similar to determining a Q-TAG. The guidance and principles issued for Q-TAGs found on our website should be used for this process.
The key underpinning principles for a U-TAG are:
- The grade should be based on evidence*.
- The learners receiving a U-TAG are neither advantaged nor disadvantaged to learners who received a Q-TAG.
- The judgments are objective (please refer to Ofqual’s guidance for centres on making Objective Judgments).
*Evidence that reflects a learner’s performance which can be used to inform the U-TAG includes:
- completed or partially completed assessments for the unit.
- completed assessments for a similar unit i.e. knowledge and understanding or skills/practical-based activities.
- mock or practice external assessments.
- non-assessed work such as classwork, homework, group learning activities.
- relevant extra-curricular activities.
The starting point should be evidence which relates directly to that unit. However, if there is limited or no evidence available, then evidence from other units can be used.
For further detailed guidance, please take a look at our Teacher Guidance for U-TAGs. In addition, we have created a form to help you record the evidence used and grades for these U-TAGs.
Conversion of grades to points scores
The U-TAG will be converted into a point score. For many of the BTEC units, the conversion of a grade to a point score is on a fixed scale i.e. there is no interval, and it is a linear relationship.
For external assessments in the BTEC Nationals (RQF) and L1/L2 Tech Awards, a single notional point score will need to be awarded for all learners that achieve the same grade.
BTEC Nationals (RQF) and L1/L2 Tech Awards external assessment U-TAGs
As outlined above, BTEC Nationals (RQF) and L1/L2 Tech Award external assessment for a U-TAG, a single notional point score will be awarded to learners on the same grade.
The notional points score that we will use for the BTEC Nationals (RQF) and L1/L2 Tech Awards external assessment units for the summer 2021 series are shown in the tables below.
How are the points different when awarded through a UTAG and when awarded if assessments have happened?
In a normal exam series for these qualifications, where a learner can sit the assessment, a range of points would be awarded for the unit depending on the mark achieved by the learner in the exam.
Grade D on the BTEC Nationals is an exception as all learners receive the maximum number of points available for the unit. This same maximum number of points will be used as the number of notional points for grade D for June 2021.
As learners are awarded the same U-TAG on a unit, they will all receive the same point score in the absence of the mark detail. It is considered fairest for the mid-point of the point score range for each grade to be awarded as the point score for learners in the summer 2021 series. Where the mid-point is not a whole number, then the notional number of points will be rounded up to the nearest whole number above, e.g. where the midpoint is 9.5 the notional number of points will be 10.
On the external assessment units, a grade of Near Pass (N) or above for the Nationals, or Level 1 Pass (L1P) or above for the Tech Awards, must be achieved in order to pass the qualification and therefore, no notional points will be awarded for the U grade.
Learners are able to enter for a resit in the next available session, and the highest unit grade achieved will be carried forward to the qualification result.
Topping up
For learners whose certification was claimed via Q-TAG in summer 2021 and who are topping up to a larger qualification, the same principles will apply as for mid-flight learners.
Centres will need to provide individual U-TAGs for each of the units that were scheduled to be taught and assessed in 2020/21, once the top-up has happened. This will allow these learners to receive a Notification of Performance detailing their awarded grades when they certificate on the top-up qualification.
If you are intending to top-up learners who certificated under the Q-TAG process onto a larger sized qualification, we can confirm it will be possible to do this after certification has happened (from mid-September). Once certificates are issued, you can top-up learners through Edexcel Online, as in previous years, and there are no late fees associated with this.
If you have learners who certificated prior to summer 2021, you can complete the top ups now through Edexcel Online. We have created some video guides that will help you with this process here:
Centre Administration | Video Guides
Dropping down
If you identify a learner who needs to drop down from a larger qualification, please follow the steps below. This will allow you to claim a Q-TAG for these learners where there is sufficient evidence to do so.
- Log onto Edexcel Online and transfer them to the smaller sized qualification.
- Amend their estimated completion date to August 2021.
- On the Q-TAG Portal, please raise an 'Error Correction Service' request for the learner up to 30 September. After 30 September, please raise a case on the Support Portal in the standard way.
- As part of your request, please complete a Grade Amendment form (PDF) and an evidence record sheet (PDF) and submit this with your case. Guidance on arriving at your Q-TAG can be found on our website - Guidance Awarding Results in 2021.
- The case will be processed through our quality assurance processes and checks. Please note, you may be asked to provide evidence for the learner to support the Q-TAG.
- We will confirm within 42 days the outcome of the request.
- A certificate will be printed within 42 days. Please note, a Notification of Performance will not be printed for this learner as they are being awarded a Q-TAG grade.
