Coronavirus update

Qualification: Access to HE Diploma

How grades will be calculated: If you’re due to complete your Access to HE studies by 31 July this year, you will now receive calculated grades for all remaining assessments with submission dates after 20 March 2020. However, if you are scheduled to sit exams later in the year, exams may be rescheduled or an alternate method of assessment may be applied. If you’re due to complete your Access to HE studies by 31 July this year, grades for assessed work due for submission on or before 20 March 2020 will be marked by tutors by applying QAA's current Grading Scheme. Grades for assessment due for submission after 20 March 2020 will receive calculated grades. The calculated grades will take into account tutors’ assessment of the likely grade, as well as other factors such as prior attainment on course.

When grades will be released: TBC

Further guidance: Guidance for students and providers 

Award and assessment of the Access to HE Diploma 2020-21

The QAA has published details of the arrangements for the award and assessment of the Access to HE Diploma 2020/21. These will ensure that quality, standards, and student outcomes will be maintained for Diplomas awarded this year.

• Students will receive grades for all graded units they complete, and no estimated grades will be awarded.
• The distribution of grades this year follow a similar pattern to the grades received in previous years.

More information for students and providers.

Qualification: IGCSE and international A level

How grades will be calculated: The decision on grades to be awarded to candidates will be made by Cambridge, using our own evidence combined with evidence from schools. Our approach will be to ask schools to collaborate with us as we make evidence-based decisions about grades for each candidate in each subject they have entered for in the May/June 2020 exam series for Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge O Level, Cambridge International AS & A Level, and Cambridge Pre-U. We are now asking schools to consider what evidence they will be able to gather to support these decisions. The evidence should consist of examples of work candidates have done to prepare for their May/June 2020 exams. The types of evidence that might be available could include but will not be limited to: mock exams, coursework (complete or incomplete), assignments, AS level results for ‘staged-route’ A level candidates, grades in previous sittings for candidates re-taking exams.

When grades will be released: TBC

Further guidance: Guidance for schools

Qualification: International vocational qualifications

How grades will be calculated: Due to the extensive closures of colleges, training providers, and schools worldwide, Ofqual, the English regulator, has granted a limited extension on all IVQ qualifications. Qualifications due to close on 31 March 2020 have been extended, and are now scheduled to close on 31 August 2020. We are continuously assessing the situation regarding our June and July dated exams. We are consulting with regulators and our supply chain on the feasibility of delivering exams across all countries where we operate in. We will be sending updates over the next few weeks, including what we will be doing regarding the June and July exam series.

When grades will be released: TBC

Further guidance: Customer guidance

Qualification: Technical qualifications

How grades will be calculated: To ensure students that were planning to take exams, synoptic assignments, and centre assessed components are able to progress, we are working with Ofqual and other key stakeholders on a proposal for an approach using estimation of assessment grades combined with quality assurance validation. These will then be used by City & Guilds to calculate an overall qualification grade for each student which reflects their performance as fairly as possible. We aim to ensure that the distribution of grades follows a similar pattern to that in previous years. The approach will apply to all our Technical Awards, Technical Certificates, and Tech Levels across both one-year and two-year programmes of study.

When grades will be released: TBC

Further guidance: Customer update

Qualification: End-point assessments (EPAs)

How grades will be calculated: We are currently able to continue to offer remote EPAs for a number of standards. We plan to pause some EPAs which require face-to-face contact from 23 March 2020. There are a number of standards where we have suggested alternatives to regulators for the face-to-face elements – we are waiting for guidance on these and will keep you updated on any changes that can be made. Students registering from now on are likely to sit their first City & Guilds dated exams in November or December 2020. All other assessments, i.e. practical assessments, e-volve tests can be taken as soon as students are ready.

When grades will be released: TBC

Further guidance: Customer guidance

Qualification: International Baccalaureate 

How grades will be calculated: We will award each student a grade for each of their registered subjects using a calculation that takes into account their coursework marks and their predicted grade, as submitted to the IB by their school. For most components we will externally mark work that is usually marked by teachers, instead of taking samples and applying moderation. Coursework, for subjects where students would have been required to sit an exam, will now be externally marked by examiners. We will use our robust quality assurance methods to ensure coursework marks are reliable.

When grades will be released: The IB intends to release results to universities/providers and schools as planned on 5 July 2020.

Further guidance: General notice

How grades will be calculated: Following government guidelines, all NCFE and CACHE external assessments are now cancelled or rescheduled until further notice. The Government has been very specific around the plans for GCSE and A levels. Our qualifications fall into the category of Performance Table Qualifications (PTQ) and Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQ). We are therefore working with Ofqual to come up with a contingency plan per qualification and will communicate this with your school, college, or training provider when this is finalised.

The options we’re considering are whether to reschedule the assessment, adapt the assessment, or use teacher estimations for marks and grades. Please be assured that we have you, the student, at the heart of all our decisions when considering our options and we aim to ensure the least amount of impact during these unprecedented times. We understand your concern and we appreciate your patience.

CACHE independent self-study assessments can still be submitted in line with the advertised submission dates.

When grades will be released: We are not expecting any results [for external assessments] to be delayed at this point, however we will continue to monitor the situation and inform centres at the earliest opportunity if we are required to amend any published results release dates for external assessments completed before 23 March.

Further guidance: Information and advice for customers and students

Qualification: Cambridge Technicals

How grades will be calculated: Cambridge Technicals students will get results based on centre assessment grades submitted by their teachers or calculated grades – whichever is higher. This is so students aren’t disadvantaged compared to A Level or GCSE students.

When grades will be released: OCR issued any revised Cambridge Technical results on Tuesday 25 August. You will need to speak to your school or college to check if your grade has changed.

Further guidance: Latest update

How grades will be calculated: Oxford AQA will be using the principles below to guide us as we work through the detail of the processes for awarding grades in May/June 2020.

1. As in previous years, we will maintain the same standards as the equivalent UK qualifications.
2. We will be guided by the principles set out by Ofqual, the regulator for awarding bodies offering qualifications in England.
3. We will provide calculated grades which reflect students' performance as fairly as possible.
4. We will ask teachers, who know their students well, to submit their judgement about the grade that they believe the student would have received if exams had gone ahead.
5. To produce this, teachers will be asked to consider a range of evidence and data, including performance on mock exams and non-exam assessment. We will provide clear guidance on how to do this fairly and robustly.
6. We will also use other relevant data and statistical information to produce a calculated grade for each student.
7. We will aim to ensure that the distribution of grades follows a similar pattern to that in other years, so that this year's students aren't advantaged or disadvantaged.
8. We will put a process in place to enable private candidates to achieve a qualification where there is sufficient evidence and data to support producing a calculated grade. We will confirm what evidence and data we require as soon as we can.
9. The graded certificates we produce will look the same as usual.
10. We will provide an appeals process.
11. We will work with UCAS and universities around the world to ensure that the grades awarded this year are valued equally to those awarded in any other year.

When grades will be released: TBC

Further guidance: General notice

Qualification: BTECs

How grades will be calculated: A strength of the BTEC qualification is that it is modular and recognises the progress of students through their programme with a balance of teacher-led, verification-led, and external assessments to support the awarding of outcomes. For our BTEC vocational qualifications, we are confident we can award grades to students finishing this academic year - supporting students to progress, recognising their learning and hard work - that is our priority and commitment to students and teachers.

When grades will be released: TBC

Further guidance: General notice