Consultation on alternative arrangements for the award of VTQs and other general qualifications in 2021
The approach to awarding vocational and technical grades in 2021 following the cancellation of exams.
Government decided that schools and colleges must close to most, to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Through this joint consultation, Ofqual and the Department for Education want to hear the views of students who were due to take their exams, their parents and carers, their teachers, school and college leaders and others who have an interest, including further and higher education providers, and employers. The consultation covers general and vocational qualifications, with this document focusing on the latter.
Students need grades to continue to the next stage of their education or training, or into employment. Grades must reflect what a student knows, understands and can do, and they must be widely understood and respected. In place of exams in summer 2021 we propose that a student’s grade in a subject will be based on their teacher’s assessment of the standard at which they are performing.