To appear on DfE’s performance tables for 2018, the new style qualifications include 40% mandatory external assessment. This makes them quite different from previous versions of the qualifications, which do not have a mandatory external assessment requirement
A small number of awards were made in summer 2017, the majority of first awards in these reformed qualifications will be made in summer 2018, based on two-year qualification programmes. Ofqual has confirmed the pass rate is likely to be lower than for previous versions of the qualifications, reflecting the additional challenge presented by external assessment.
There is a period of overlap between new (with external assessment) and legacy (without external assessment) versions of the qualifications. Some schools and colleges have opted to continue teaching the legacy versions even though they do not count towards performance measures, as they are still publicly funded. Ofqual is allowing continued use of the term ‘QCF’ in titles for legacy qualifications, to help end users, including providers, distinguish between legacy and reformed.
We have worked with awarding organisations to produce Qualification Information Profiles (QIPs). These aim to explain the differences between legacy and reformed Applied General qualifications, and provide easy access to specifications. We have categorised Applied General QIPs as:
- qualifications that meet the 2018 DfE performance table criteria include ‘Applied General (reformed)’ in the QIP title
- qualifications that meet the 2016 and 2017 DfE performance criteria but do not meet the 2018 criteria include ‘Applied General (interim reformed)’ in the title
We hope this will support you if you make reference to Applied General qualifications in your entry requirements.
During the 2018 admissions cycle, we’ll also be encouraging advisers to support their students in entering the right version of their qualifications in Apply, and we’re working with Ofqual to try to improve this data.
Some reformed Applied Generals have different titles in Apply, to help applicants and advisers select the right qualifications. The new BTEC National qualifications include the Guided Learning Hours (GLH) and ‘first teaching 2016’:
- Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (180) (first teaching Sept 2016)
- Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Cert (360) (first teaching Sept 2016)
- Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Dip (510-540) (first teaching Sept 2016)
- Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (720) (first teaching Sept 2016)
- Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (1080) (first teaching Sept 2016)
Previous versions of BTEC National qualifications include ‘QCF’ in the title. We hope these, and subsequent changes, alongside our information and advice, will help improve the quality of qualifications data you receive.
We’ll will publish more detailed information about Applied Generals on our qualification reform web pages in October. If you have any queries, please email us at qualsinfo@ucas.ac.uk.