12 1
2
BTEC International
Key dates
2
1.1
Registration deadlines
2
1.2
Certification deadlines
2
Administration of learners
2
2.1
2
BTEC qualifications: registration through Edexcel
3
Gaining approval
3
4
Important procedures checklist: registration and certification
3
4.1
Registration: estimating completion dates
3
4.2
Registration: programme numbers
3
4.3
Reporting success to Edexcel
3
4.4
Certification
3
5
6
Registration policies and procedures
4
5.1
Responsibility for registration
4
5.2
Timing of registration
4
Validity of registrations 6.1
All programmes
4 4
7
Deletion of registrations
4
8
Registration fees
4
9
8.1
Registration fees
4
8.2
Other charges
5
8.3
Invoices
5
8.4
Payment of fees
5
Methods of registration
5
9.1
5
Making registrations on Edexcel Online
10 How to make registrations using Edexcel Online
5
10.1
Choosing header details
5
10.2
Register online
7
10.3
Register by spreadsheet
8
10.4
Registrations that cannot be made online
11 Confirmation and outcomes of registration 11.1
Registration lists
12 Transfers and changes to registration details
10 10 11 11
12.1
Transfer of registration to a new centre or programme
11
12.2
Programmes which are not compatible
11
13 Electronic amendments and transfers
12
13.1
Changing learner's name, date of birth and other details on Edexcel Online
12
13.2
Transferring within the same centre
13
13.3
Transferring from a different centre
14
14
BTEC International qualifications: quality assurance
15
15
Special considerations and access arrangements
15
16
Equal opportunities
15
16.1
15
17
18
Equality of opportunity
Recognition of previous achievement
16
17.1
Accreditation of prior learning and/or experience (APL)
16
17.2
Claiming a qualification by APL
16
Reporting learner achievement
16
18.1
Responsibility
16
18.2
Grades of achievement
17
18.3
Submission of results to Edexcel
17
18.4
Methods of reporting
17
19 Claiming interim and full certification via Edexcel Online (EOL)
20
17
19.1
Claiming via Edexcel Online
17
19.2
Timing of success reporting
21
19.3
External verification: certificate block
21
19.4
Learners re-sitting units
21
Amendments to reported success
22
20.1
Certificate recalls
22
20.2
To re-open a registration where a fallback Certificate of Unit Achievement has been issued
22
20.3
Queries raised by Edexcel: form queries
22
21 Award documentation
23
21.1
Certificates
23
21.2
Course Assessment Report: all programmes
23
21.3
Evidence of achievement
23
21.4
Notification of Performance
23
21.5
Certificate of Unit Achievement
23
21.6
Award date
24
21.7
Award lists
24
21.8
Acknowledgement of receipt of awards: form SA6
24
21.9
Retention of certificates
24
21.10 Outstanding financial obligations to the centre
25
21.11 Incorrect and invalid certificate claims
25
22 Replacement certification
25
23 Duplicate documents
26
23.1
Certificates or diplomas
26
23.2
Notification of Performance, Certificates of Achievement or Unit Credit
26
24 Letter of confirmation: for awards originally obtained prior to 1984
26
25 Centre and programme closures
26
12
BTEC International
This section outlines all the procedures relating to registration and certification for BTEC programmes.
1
Key dates
1.1
Registration deadlines
Centres are required to register all learners within 60 days of enrolment at the centre. • • •
1.2
All BTEC registrations received between 61-90 days of enrolment will be charged 1.25 times the published registration fee. All registrations received between 91-120 days of enrolment will be charged 1.5 times the published registration fee. All registrations received more than 121 days after enrolment will be charged double the published registration fee.
Certification deadlines
All certificates for programmes assessed in a language other than English will carry a statement to this effect. Certificate claims made via Edexcel Online will usually be despatched to centres in the week following the claim. Certificates should arrive within a month of the claim depending upon local postal services. During the months of July and August certificates can be subject to delay as this is the busiest period for certificate issue and despatch.
2
Administration of learners
2.1
BTEC qualifications: registration through Edexcel
This part of the manual gives instructions and information on the administrative procedures for learners on programmes leading to Edexcel’s BTEC qualifications. These include:
BTEC Introductory Certificates and Diplomas BTEC First Certificates and Diplomas BTEC National Awards, Certificates and Diplomas BTEC Higher National Certificates and Diplomas BTEC Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and Design) BTEC Professional Development Awards, Certificates and Diplomas BTEC Short Courses (Foundation, Intermediate, Advanced) Awards, Certificates and Diplomas.
The following areas are covered:
approval registration quality assurance assessment reporting achievement claiming certification.
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It is important that copies of this information are made available to the examinations officer/ administrator and all coordinators and members of staff responsible for the preparation of documents for enrolment, registration and the internal assessment of BTEC qualifications.
3
Gaining approval
Centres are advised to contact their Regional Development Manager about all approval issues.
4
Important procedures checklist: registration and certification
Centres should note these important issues in relation to registration and certification. All international centres should make registrations and certificate claims using Edexcel Online.
4.1
Registration: estimating completion dates
At the time of registration, centres are asked to give an estimated completion date. These dates are used in relation to the allocation of external verifiers and the delivery of assessment and verification. It is important that centres give an accurate date (within 2 months) and that any changes are notified through Edexcel Online.
4.2
Registration: programme numbers
Centres should check that the programme numbers being used for all programmes are those which match the programmes being delivered, particularly if registrations are submitted electronically. Note: While learners who are incorrectly registered may transfer, this could delay assessment, quality assurance and certification. Centres are advised that it could also affect funding for the programme.
4.3
Reporting success to Edexcel
Certificates are usually in centres within 1 month of the claim, however this is dependent on the postal service in the country. In order to issue certificates in August, results should be reported by 3rd July for every learner completing at the end of an academic year. Results must be reported for every learner who has achieved unit success and also where the learner has withdrawn from the programme. No action is required where a learner has not completed any units in year 1 of a 2-year programme.
4.4
Certification
Certificates are issued weekly. Results must be reported immediately following programme completion so that certificates can be issued as soon as possible. Edexcel reserves the right to withhold certificates if there is outstanding debt at the time of despatch. Certification can be deferred, pending an external verifier reporting that standards are being met and that certification can take place.
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5
Registration policies and procedures
5.1
Responsibility for registration
When a centre has enrolled learners onto an approved Edexcel programme or individual units, the learners must then be formally registered with Edexcel so that achievement can be reported and awards issued. Responsibility for the registration of learners and for the payment of fees lies with the approved centre. Centres operating under a collaborative arrangement are not able to register learners directly, and the responsibility lies with the approved centre to register learners and identify the collaborative centre attended by each learner.
5.2
Timing of registration
Centres are required to register all learners within 60 days of enrolment at the centre. A delay in registration may affect our capacity to provide centres with the verification opportunities that they require and, therefore, certification may be delayed. Centres should note that this could cause problems for learners applying through UCAS in order to enter higher education.
6
Validity of registrations
6.1
All programmes
Registrations are normally valid for a period of 5 years or until the issue of certificates, whichever is the earlier. Where registration lapses by the expiry of the period of registration, the learner must be reregistered on a currently approved programme. Previous achievement, already verified and certificated, may be credited towards the new registration through the process of accreditation of prior learning (APL).
7
Deletion of registrations
Learner registrations will normally only be deleted if requests are made within 90 days of initial enrolment at the centre. Requests for learner deletions outside of this time limit will not be accepted. Requests should be made by email to
[email protected]. You must give the learner name and registration number in the email. A new learner cannot replace an individual who has been registered and subsequently left the programme. Please note online learner withdrawal will not credit any part of the registration fees.
8
Registration fees
8.1
Registration fees
The programme on which the learner registers and the type of registration determine the fee due. The registration fee covers learner registration and certification. (Please see Fees information issued separately.) International Information Manual
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8.2
Other charges
There may also be a charge for transferring between programmes, where the fee charged for the original registration is less than the price for the programme to which the learner is transferring. Late fees are described in section 1.1.
8.3
Invoices
Invoices are normally issued weekly by the Edexcel Finance Department. Centres using Edexcel Online to register learners may enter an order number in the ‘Order Number’ box on the ‘Register Students’ screen. This will then be printed on the corresponding registration invoice. Edexcel reserves the right to: refuse to accept new registrations from a centre if the centre has a debt outstanding to Edexcel at the due date for submission of new registrations withhold certificates if the centre has a debt outstanding to Edexcel at the due date for issue of certificates.
8.4
Payment of fees
Fees are due within 30 days from the date of the Edexcel invoice, and should be made payable to Edexcel Ltd and sent to the Edexcel Finance Department.
9
Methods of registration
9.1
Making registrations on Edexcel Online
Edexcel Online is a web-based service designed to make the administration and access of learner information easier and faster. It allows you to make registrations within a few minutes and receive confirmation of registration numbers immediately. Detailed instructions on how to make registrations online are given in part 10. If you have difficulties making registrations using Edexcel Online, please contact your local regional office.
10
How to make registrations using Edexcel Online
Please see the Edexcel Online section of this manual for details of how to register for the service if you have not already done so.
10.1 Choosing header details The ‘Register Candidates’ option can be found in the ‘Candidates’ menu under the BTEC tab. If your centre has more than one sub-site, please ensure that the correct one has been chosen at the top of the page. This screen allows you to enter information that will apply to a whole group of learners on a particular programme or unit. The individual learner information will be entered at the next stage.
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Registration type: full award, individual units or apprenticeship The ‘Full Award’ option should be selected when the learner will be completing a BTEC programme. The ‘Individual Units’ option should be selected when the learners are completing particular units from a BTEC programme. This should not be chosen if you intend the learners to meet the requirements of the full programme. See below for how to customise a list of units for individual unit registration. For special registrations, please see part 10.4 of this section of the manual. Select ‘Apprenticeship’ when registering learners for a Modern Apprenticeship Scheme. Modern Apprenticeship Schemes link 2 or more programmes together as a package and you will need to have approval for a Modern Apprenticeship Scheme before you can register learners. Enrolment date It is important that the enrolment date accurately reflects the time in which the group commenced the Edexcel programme. The enrolment date defines the date that the learner started on the programme. NOTE: Failure to enter an accurate enrolment date could result in the issue of a late fees invoice. By clicking on the ‘Next’ button you are confirming that the enrolment date accurately reflects the learner commencement date. Order number The order number will be printed on the invoice arising from the registrations. It may be up to 6 characters (alphanumeric) and can be whatever you choose. The order number can be left blank but you should have some system in place to ensure that invoices can be reconciled to the registrations.
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Customising individual units Before selecting the individual unit to be registered for a learner, that unit must be customised. This involves selecting which individual units you will be registering for so that you are not required to choose from all your approved units each time you register. In order to do this, you will need to select ‘Customised Units’ from the ‘Qualifications’ menu on the left-hand side. You will then be presented with a list of all currently approved BTEC units in alphabetical unit title order. By selecting the units required and clicking the ‘Save’ button you will update your profile of customised units to be used later. Selecting programme or apprenticeship After clicking the ‘Next’ button you will be given the chance to choose which programme or apprenticeship you wish to register the learners on. You will now be given a drop-down box listing all of your currently approved programmes or apprenticeships. Simply select the required programme or apprenticeship and click ‘Next’ to proceed. If the programme that you wish to register for is not listed, please check your currently approved programmes in the ‘Qualifications’ menu.
10.2 Register online After selecting all of the header records that apply to all learners in a group, you can now enter the individual learner details. The register online option allows you to enter all the learner details individually. For large groups of registrations, the register by spreadsheet option may be easier (see part 10.3 in this section of the manual). The information required for each is the same.
Centre reference This field allows you to enter a reference for your own administrative convenience. It should be alphanumeric, up to a maximum 10 digits in length. First names The first name must be no more than 20 characters including spaces.
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Last name The last name should be no more than 30 characters including spaces. Sex Select M for male or F for female. Date of birth This is a required field and should be in the format: dd/mm/yy (eg 24/11/88). Planned completion This date must be in the future and should be in the format: dd/mm/yy (eg 01/07/10). LSC (Learning and Skills Council) code This is not relevant in the case of international centres so should be left blank. Study mode Choose the main mode of study from the drop-down list. Collaborative Partner Franchising is not permitted and therefore this is not relevant in the case of international centres. Combination This is required for BTEC programme registrations only. The drop-down box allows you to choose from the valid combinations and this will usually be A. The programme definition should be used to check different combinations; this can be found in the ‘Qualifications’ menu under the ‘Reports’ option. Completing the registrations Once you have entered all of the required information for a particular learner you need to click the ‘Add’ button. This will then start a list of learners to be registered at the bottom of the screen. You need to keep adding learner details until you have everyone for that particular course. At this point, you have the option to delete learners from the list using the ‘Del’ button, or to amend any details incorrectly entered using ‘Edit’ next to each learner’s name. Once you are happy that all information is correct, proceed by clicking the ‘Register’ button. The data will then be checked and, if no problems are found, registration numbers will be displayed on screen. A confirmation report will be available at this point for you to print or save electronically for your records. Possible errors Any errors relating to the data entered will be displayed, with instructions in red advising you of the problem — for instance, invalid characters in the name field or a completion date in the past. You will have an opportunity to correct the data before uploading once more. The registration will also be rejected if it is found that a registration already exists for that learner and programme. If this is the case, the learner will be highlighted in green and their existing registration number will be displayed. You will need to remove this learner from the list to be registered before continuing. Where a record is highlighted in green you can view the specific error message by ‘hovering’ the mouse pointer over the highlighted record.
10.3 Register by spreadsheet This option allows you to use a standard format of an Excel spreadsheet template which can be downloaded in order to provide learner details. The spreadsheet, once downloaded, can be completed offline either by the person who intends to make the registrations, or sent to another member of staff for the updating of learner details to be uploaded at a later date. This might be a more convenient way of registering large numbers of learners on different programmes.
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The information required for these fields — centre reference, first name, last name, date of birth, completion date — is the same and in the same format as required above in part 10.2. It is essential that no amendment is made to the column headings on Row 1, that the correct order of the columns is maintained and that no columns are deleted.
Sex Type either M for male, or F for female. Study mode It is important that a letter is entered for the study mode column for all learners. This should be one of the letters shown below and must be in this format. A B C D E F G H J K L Z
Full-time Short full-time Sandwich Block release Part-time day Part-time day/evening Evening only Open learning Distance learning Open and/or distance learning Flexible Assessment only (APL). This is only available in cases where a learner has approached you on the basis of a complete portfolio of previous qualifications or experience.
Combination Every BTEC programme should include a combination which will be a single letter and must be entered in this column. For most programmes, there is only one combination which will be A. If you are unsure, please check the programme definition for combinations. This is not required for apprenticeship registrations or individual units. Individual unit registration by spreadsheet This spreadsheet has the addition of unit code columns. At least one valid BTEC unit code must be entered for each learner in the unit code column. Uploading the completed spreadsheet When your spreadsheet has been completed and saved, you are ready to upload it to us. Click on the ‘Browse’ button to locate the file on your computer and, once selected, click ‘Upload’. Once registered, the registration numbers of the learners will be listed in the right-hand column and you will be able to access the confirmation report for your records if you wish. Possible errors Any errors relating to the data entered will be displayed with instructions in red advising you of the problem. Examples might be invalid characters in the name field or a completion date in the past. You will have an opportunity to correct the data before uploading once more.
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The registration will also be rejected if it is found that a registration already exists for that learner and programme. If this is the case, the learner will be highlighted in green and their existing registration number will be displayed. You will need to remove this learner from the list to be registered before continuing. Where a record is highlighted in green, you can view the specific error message by ‘hovering’ the mouse pointer over the highlighted record. Possible reasons for errors are:
column added or deleted from spreadsheet column headings deleted or amended (must be in bold font) required field not completed DOB or completion date not in dd/mm/yyyy format sex entered as Male or Female, rather than a single letter M or F study mode not entered as a single letter (eg, FT for full-time).
10.4 Registrations that cannot be made online If you are unable to make a registration electronically, due to special circumstances, you will need to submit the request by email to
[email protected] giving all of the required information. Registrations that you will not be able to make online include: special registration (S type) learners with enrolment date prior to January 2008. Please submit your request for registration by email to:
[email protected].
11
Confirmation and outcomes of registration
The outcome of registration is the creation of an individual record for each learner on an approved programme at a specified centre. A unique learner registration number is allocated and the award will be identified by this number, together with the centre and programme number allocated by Edexcel on approval. The code numbers listed below are essential components of registration and subsequent award issue, and are represented as:
Field
Code required
Learner registration number
1 letter indicating year of registration + 6 digits
Centre number
5 digits (National Centre Number register) Note: Additional suffixes to the centre number can be allocated on request to ensure that learner documentation is sent to a specific centre site.
BTEC programme number
1 letter + up to 4 digits
BTEC individual unit number
Up to 5 digits + 1 letter
If incorrect, or insufficient, registration information has been submitted, we will issue a query through Edexcel Online requesting additional information. The query will specify the problem and request additional data in order that the registration may be completed. We will send an email to your designated examinations officer registered for Edexcel Online, to advise that a query has been issued and requires a response. To check if you are registered as the examinations officer for your centre, click on the ‘Edit My Account’ link in the Edexcel Online homepage. We would ask that you keep track of the queries outstanding with your centre by checking the ‘Form Queries’ option in the BTEC section of Edexcel Online. When you have the answer to a query, please reply to the query online to ensure the speediest possible resolution.
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Registration leads to the production of a list of learners with the registration numbers allocated. Listings will normally be produced weekly and will include all registrations processed that week.
11.1 Registration lists Registration lists report back all registration details, with the registration number, and the centre reference number where submitted. Learners are listed by registration number within a programme in the order in which they were entered. Centres are requested to verify details, especially the learner names, and report any necessary changes on Edexcel Online as soon as possible. Learners not listed will normally have already been queried by us or will appear in a subsequent listing.
12
Transfers and changes to registration details
Developments to Edexcel Online mean that we will no longer be issuing form SA2 (BTEC) for amendments to or transfers of BTEC registrations.
12.1 Transfer of registration to a new centre or programme If, for any reason, the amendment cannot be made electronically then the request should be made by email to
[email protected] with all details including centre number, registration number, name and details of the required amendment. A learner registration may be transferred between programmes and centres, with no extra fee payable, provided that the fee due for the new programme at the time of transfer is the same as, or less than, what was invoiced for the original registration. Where the fee for the programme the learner is transferring to is higher than that invoiced for on the original registration, an invoice will be issued for the difference between the 2 fees. A transfer may only take place within the period of validity for the programme to which the learner is transferring, and you must first determine whether programmes within the same level are compatible. For some programmes, it may be necessary to consult the external verifier about this decision. On programme completion, the learner must have completed all the units required for the programme at the final centre. Prior to transfer, it is therefore essential that a comparison of units previously undertaken is made against the requirement of the new programme. The learner must be advised of any additional work that may be needed to meet in full the requirements of the receiving centre. The initial centre must ensure that all the relevant assessment records are passed to the receiving centre. No request for transfer may be submitted for Edexcel programmes until evidence is obtained that the initial centre has submitted all success achieved to date. A learner may not be transferred from an individual unit registration to a full programme (qualification). In such cases, the learner must be re-registered for a full programme. The special registration fee may be applicable. Learners may not be transferred from or to a Modern Apprenticeship Scheme and should be reregistered if they change to a new programme or scheme.
12.2 Programmes which are not compatible All success reported under one registration number will appear on the final, cumulative Notification of Performance or Certificate of Unit Credit. If a learner, having completed some units of the programme for which he/she was initially registered, wishes to commence an entirely new and different programme where units already completed may not be compatible with the new programme, then the transfer of the original registration may not be applicable.
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If the learner does not wish the earlier unit success to appear on final award documentation, then it will be necessary for him/her to re-register.
13
Electronic amendments and transfers
You are able to amend stored learner data through Edexcel Online. Edexcel Online supports amendments to:
learner first names, last names, date of birth and gender programme transfer within your centre planned completion dates transfers from other centres.
13.1 Changing learner’s name, date of birth and other details on Edexcel Online It is important that any errors made at the time of registration are corrected as soon as possible and before claiming certification. The learner details screen can be found through the ‘Candidates’ menu, using either the ‘Search by Candidate’ or ‘Search by Course’ options.
By clicking the ‘Edit’ button at the bottom of the screen you are able to amend all of the fields shown above as well as claim certification. In order to prevent the substitution of one learner for another, you are able to change only one of the first name,last name or date of birth fields and only once. Any further amendments should be emailed to:
[email protected]. Once saved, any certificates issued will reflect the details on the Edexcel database.
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13.2 Transferring within the same centre Changes to the registered programme for a learner should be made on the screen shown below, found in the ‘Candidates’ menu of the BTEC section. Transfers of registration between programmes of the same qualification type and level are made at no extra charge.
This screen allows you to transfer groups of learners or individual learners to any of your currently approved BTEC programmes. A new completion date is mandatory when transferring. Groups of 20 or more learners will be transferred overnight; all other transfers should take place almost immediately. If you are unable to transfer a particular learner, please contact us and we will advise if the transfer needs to be submitted in writing.
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13.3 Transferring from a different centre Edexcel Online should be used to transfer learners from other centres to your own. The screen can be found in the ‘Candidates’ menu. In order that we may validate the identity of a learner transferring into your centre, you will need to provide their date of birth along with their registration number. If these details match, you will be able to choose which currently approved BTEC programme you wish the learner to be transferred to. It is important to ensure that any units completed by the previous centre are reported prior to the transfer. The receiving centre should confirm the units completed by the learner by viewing the unit certificate gained at the previous centre.
When you have selected the programme to be transferred to, click on ‘Transfer’ to process the transaction. International Information Manual
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14
BTEC International qualifications: quality assurance
All BTEC centres and programmes are subject to quality assurance checks. The main form of external quality assurance is through an external verifier. External verifiers are subject experts with experience in delivery and assessment of BTEC programmes. Centres may also be subject to checks through the regional office working with staff based centrally in London. Centres are usually subject to 2 external verifier visits per sector each year. A more detailed guide to external quality assurance is provided in the BTEC Programmes Centre Handbook. Fees are charged for external verifiers’ visits and details of these fees will be provided by the Regional Development Manager.
15
Special considerations and access arrangements
Edexcel’s policy on access arrangements and special considerations for BTEC qualifications aims to enhance access to the qualifications for learners with disabilities and other difficulties (as defined by the UK Disability and Discrimination Act 1995 and the Amendments to the Act), without compromising the assessment of skills, knowledge, understanding or competence being measured. Further details are given in the policy document: AA & SC 04-011 Access Arrangements and Special Considerations for BTEC and Edexcel NVQ Qualifications, which is on the Edexcel website. This policy replaces the previous Edexcel policy concerning learners with particular requirements: Assessment of Vocationally Related Qualification: Regulations and Guidance Relating to Learners with Special Requirements (2002).
16
Equal opportunities
16.1 Equality of opportunity Equality of opportunity is a tenet of our provision and is embedded in Edexcel’s policies. There should be no artificial barriers to Edexcel BTEC programmes and awards, which must: be available to everyone who can achieve the required standard be free from barriers which restrict access to progression be free from overt or covert discriminatory practices with regard to age, colour, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, marital status, race or sexual orientation pay due regard to the particular requirements of individuals, including those who may require support to undertake learning and assessment be free from any restrictions that are not legally required. Every approved centre must have an equal opportunities policy and a strategy for monitoring and reviewing, to encompass:
access to assessment and learning prevention of discrimination provision for learners with particular requirements a mechanism for dealing with learner appeals.
It is essential that centres recruit with integrity and fully explore with applicants any issues which may prevent them from achieving areas of their proposed qualification. Centres should assess each applicant’s potential and make a judgement about his/her ability to achieve the qualification or individual units successfully. Centres should refer to the full BTEC Guidelines and Unit Specifications for the particular BTEC title when giving advice to prospective learners. As part of
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this process, centres should advise learners if there is a more appropriate qualification or if they would only be likely to achieve unit certification.
17
Recognition of previous achievement
17.1 Accreditation of prior learning and/or experience (APL) Please refer to the document APL 03/01 Policy on Accreditation of Prior Learning which can be found on the Edexcel website. APL is an assessment process which enables recognition of achievement from a range of activities using any valid assessment methodology. Provided that the assessment requirements of a given unit or qualification have been met, the use of APL is acceptable for accrediting part of a unit, unit(s) or a qualification. Evidence submitted for APL must be:
authentic current relevant sufficient.
The centre assessor has the responsibility for ensuring that all the requirements of a unit have been met, and for keeping appropriate records. Centres are expected to establish their own policy with regard to APL, in line with Edexcel policy. Centres should refer to the Policy on Accreditation of Prior Learning on the Edexcel website.
17.2 Claiming a qualification by APL After assessment of a learner’s previous achievements, registration should be effected in the usual way and APL achievement may then be reported as normal achievement, graded where appropriate, using Edexcel Online.
18
Reporting learner achievement
18.1 Responsibility Centres are responsible for reporting on the achievement for each learner, in respect of all internal assessment requirements for the programme for which he/she is registered, and for reporting success to Edexcel for interim or final certification. For all BTEC programmes, the external verifier should be given access to learner work in order to check that assessment is being carried out to the appropriate standards. For a newly approved programme/unit which has not yet been subject to verification, learners’ assessment results should not be submitted to Edexcel until external verification has taken place and the external verifier has submitted a report form to Edexcel confirming a ‘Yes’ to certification. Thereafter, it is not necessary for the external verifier to verify each individual learner’s achievement, and results may be reported without a final visit from the external verifier.
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18.2 Grades of achievement BTEC First, National and Higher Nationals Unit grades Achievement should be reported using the grades below: P — Pass M — Merit D — Distinction. BTEC Short Courses and Customised Framework A decision whether to offer unit grading at Merit and Distinction is usually made at the time of approval and centres should report grades in line with their approval conditions. Overall qualification grades Overall qualification grades are not usually available to international centres. However, if an overall qualification grade was set up at the time of approval, the system will calculate the overall grade on the basis of the unit grades reported.
18.3 Submission of results to Edexcel Interim reporting Results must be returned or results reported via Edexcel Online for every learner registered who has achieved unit success, and also where he/she has withdrawn from the programme. If he/she has already been deleted, then you do not need to report. Success on units should only be reported where all requirements have been met. Note: In all cases of interim reporting, a Notification of Performance will be produced automatically. Dates for grade reporting In order to ensure that certification is received as soon as possible, please refer to part 1.2 in this section for the required dates. For learners completing programmes at the end of the academic year, if results reach us by 3 July, awards will be issued by 15 August unless there is an external verification certificate block or a query over the result. Certificates and results for success reported after 3 July may be issued after 15 August.
18.4 Method of reporting Edexcel Online Centres may report results, claim certification and notify withdrawals through Edexcel Online. (See the Edexcel Online section of this manual for how to gain access to Edexcel Online.)
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Claiming interim and full certification via Edexcel Online
19.1 Claiming via Edexcel Online Edexcel Online is a web-based service designed to make the administration of learner information easier, faster and more accessible. It allows you to report unit grades and claim certification within a few minutes. Once changes have been saved, our in-house system updates instantly.
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Choosing header details If your centre has sub-sites, please ensure that the correct site has been chosen at the top of the screen. You will need to select the ‘BTEC’ tab from the qualification bar, followed by the ‘Candidates’ menu and ‘Search by Course’ option.
You then need to use the drop-down menus to determine the qualification type and the session before clicking on the ‘Next’ box.
This will result in a new window appearing, listing the programme numbers and number of learners registered for the qualification type and session selected. By clicking on the ‘Candidates’ link on the right for the programme the learners are currently registered on, a list will appear showing all candidates for the specified criteria in numerical order of registration number. To change registration details, please refer to part 12 of this section of the manual. Locate the student for whom you want to claim and then click the ‘Details’ link on the right. This will show the individual learner’s details. Scroll down and click on the ‘Edit’ button, which then allows you to indicate the ‘Claim Type’.
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Claim type Full award If the learner has completed the qualification appearing in the ‘Programme/Unit Details’ field, click the ‘Full Award’ button. For learners registered on individual units, only click the ‘Full Award’ button if the learner has completed all the units. It is important that a full award claim is made or a final qualification will not be issued. Please ensure that all the requirements for the programme have been satisfactorily completed and all units are showing onscreen, as this entry closes the registration. You should only click the ‘Full Award’ button where the learner has completed all required units and is eligible for the qualification. Interim If the learner has not completed all the requirements for the qualification appearing in the ‘Programme/Unit Details’ field, click the ‘Interim’ button. Note: A Notification of Performance will be issued even where an interim claim is made, but this does not close the registration. For learners registered on individual units, click the ‘Interim’ button if the learner has not completed all the units registered for and you wish to keep the registration open so that the remaining units may be completed at a future date. A Certificate of Unit Achievement will be issued automatically for all learners registered for individual units. International Information Manual
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Fallback Clicking this button closes the learner’s registration, so you should only do so where you are sure that the learner will not be returning to continue the qualification at a later date. For BTEC Firsts, Nationals and Higher Nationals, click ‘Fallback’ where the learner does not qualify for the final award for which he/she was registered, and chooses to receive a Certificate of Unit Achievement instead of the Notification of Performance for individual unit achievement. Note: A Notification of Performance will be issued even where no final award is claimed, but this does not close the registration. In most cases, the Notification of Performance will be sufficient and it allows the learner to upgrade or to retake units on the original registration with no additional fee. The Certificate of Unit Achievement does not state the title of the original programme of registration but merely lists units that have been successfully achieved. If a Certificate of Unit Achievement is claimed, the registration is terminated. For NQF versions of BTEC qualifications, there may be alternative fallback qualifications. However, these will only be awarded when a transfer has taken place prior to certification being claimed. Unit grade Units that have already been achieved at your centre will appear onscreen. These units may be upgraded where the final award or fallback has not been issued. To delete or downgrade a unit grade, see part 20 in this section, ‘Amendments to reported success’. P — Pass (completed/achieved where units are not graded; for example, Professional Development, Entry Level, etc) M — Merit D — Distinction T — Transferred credit. We no longer collect failed or referred grades and therefore these cannot be reported to Edexcel. Grades should not be reported until all the assessment necessary for individual units has been completed. The T (transferred credit) is for use only where a learner has transferred registration to a new programme at the same or another centre, previous success on these units has already been reported, and you have received a transfer performance report confirming the grades. In all other instances, credit for previous learner achievement must be assessed by APL. No request for transfer may be submitted to Edexcel until the initial centre has notified us of all success achieved to date (normally the learner(s) will be able to produce the Notification of Performance). Unless success has been reported, achievement at the initial centre will not be included in the final award. When evidence of achievement at the initial centre has been obtained in the form of interim certification, and where the receiving centre agrees that programmes are educationally compatible, then a transfer request may be made through Edexcel Online. Success reported by the initial centre will remain in the learner’s record and be reported on a transfer performance report when the transfer of the learner is requested. This success will show on the final Notification of Performance, together with the units achieved at the receiving centre. The whole document will therefore show units completed at each centre, which together have led to a recommendation for an award against an approved programme. When recommending a final award for a learner who has transferred, it is necessary to review performance at the previous centre and credit equivalent units at your centre.
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Award date box Enter mm/yy (eg 07/09), to indicate the month that the programme was fully completed. The date entered, which may be any month/year within the last 6 months, will appear on the final award document. For advice on submitting claims where the award date is more than 6 months in the past, email the details to
[email protected]. Awards may not be post-dated. We will print the award issue date as well as the award date on the final certificate. Withdraw/Reinstate Candidate Click on this box where the learner has withdrawn from the programme, or where he/she is transferring to another centre and an updated SRF is not required. This puts the registration on hold, but does not permanently close the registration. A Notification of Performance will be issued for any units reported. Declaration (for centre) When claiming certification online, the user is declaring that he/she attests to the authenticity of the information and claims submitted and confirms that he/she is authorised to make the statement on behalf of the centre.
19.2 Timing of success reporting Data should be submitted for all learners through Edexcel Online on these occasions: at the end of each year/stage of the programme: by 3 July for programmes following a normal academic year, or as soon as possible thereafter, even where learners are retaking assessments or tests immediately after completion for non-academic year programmes on transfer of the learner to another programme/centre for all learners who have withdrawn from the programme, even where no success has been achieved.
19.3 External verification: certificate block Where problems have been encountered with the assessment of the programme or individual learners, the external verifier will report this to Edexcel. If a certificate block is put in place because standards are not being met, then certification for learners on these programmes will be blocked until the issues of standards are resolved. Certificate deferrals occur where no external verifier report has been received by us or where a centre or learners at the centre have been blocked for certification. A weekly report is produced and forwarded to centres identifying the learners affected and the appropriate action required to remove the deferral.
19.4 Learners re-sitting units Learners may upgrade performance prior to award issue at any time within the validity of registration for those units where Merit and Distinction are available for unit grading. Revised recommendations should be reported via Edexcel Online, quoting:
learner registration number learner name unit code unit grade award claimed (where appropriate).
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An amended Notification of Performance will be issued in all cases. Re-sit grades may be reported at Pass, Merit or Distinction levels.
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Amendments to reported success
Prior to final qualification issue, unit upgrades may be made through Edexcel Online. Unit downgrades and the deletion of unit grades should be actioned as described below. Amendments to unit grades reported after the qualification has been issued must be accompanied by a written explanation. Where award documentation has already been issued, the original Notification of Performance should be returned so that a revised document may be issued. Where the amendment leads to a change in the overall qualification result, the original qualification certificate and Notification of Performance should be returned, with form SA16(BTEC). Any request for amended certificates received by Edexcel more than 1 month after the certificates were issued will be subject to the Edexcel duplicate certificate fee, which is applicable at the time the request is received.
20.1 Certificate recalls Where there has been a change to the overall grade(s) for a learner on a programme after certification has been issued, the original certificate and Notification of Performance must be returned to BTEC Registration and Certificate Services at Edexcel, with form SA16(BTEC) or SA6, before amended documents can be issued.
20.2 To re-open a registration where a fallback Certificate of Unit Achievement has been issued When a fallback Certificate of Unit Achievement is claimed and issued, the learner’s registration is closed. If the learner then resumes his or her programme of study, we will re-open the registration on request from the centre. This request will be subject to the standard duplicate certificate fee at the time of the request.
20.3 Queries raised by Edexcel: form queries If learners’ reported success cannot be satisfactorily processed because of insufficient or incorrect information, or if an award has been withheld due to ineligibility on the basis of the information submitted, we will issue a query to the centre through Edexcel Online. An email is sent to the designated examinations officer registered on Edexcel Online, to advise that a query has been issued. Centres should then reply to the query online by clicking on the ‘Reply’ button. The query will specify the problem and request additional information or documentation in order that processing and award issue may be finalised. The query should be dealt with by the centre immediately and replied to online in order to avoid unnecessary delay in the issue of a final award. It is important that there is a designated examinations officer registered for Edexcel Online at each centre. To check whether you are registered as the examinations officer, click on the ‘Edit My Account’ link from the Edexcel Online homepage. A progress check is kept on queries to ensure that a response is received and that outstanding problems are resolved.
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Award documentation
21.1 Certificates Certificates are issued to the centre weekly as necessary. They are normally sent by recorded delivery or by courier service. Where certificates are normally distributed by the centre at an award ceremony, sympathetic consideration should be given to learners who require awards earlier for employment purposes. Centres are requested to issue awards to learners as soon as possible after receipt from Edexcel. Note: Edexcel reserves the right to withhold certification if fees are outstanding at the time of despatch.
21.2 Course Assessment Report: all programmes A listing of grades reported for all learners, the Course Assessment Report (CAR), will be produced showing the current status of the learner. This listing is for reference purposes only and no action needs to be taken by the centre. Any problems will be queried separately by Edexcel.
21.3 Evidence of achievement Successful completion of all programme requirements will be recognised by the issuing of an Award, Certificate or Diploma, as appropriate, together with a unit certificate, the Notification of Performance, Certificate of Unit Credit, or credit transcript, which lists all units successfully completed. Where the learner does not complete all programme elements satisfactorily, and you do not claim the final Award, Certificate or Diploma, the unit certificate appropriate to the programme will automatically be issued. It will list all units successfully completed. This document gives evidence of completion in order that all units successfully achieved may be used as credits in the future, and it allows learners to retake or add units under the same registration free of charge throughout registration validity. Successful completion of individual units is recognised by the award of a Certificate of Unit Achievement, which lists all units satisfactorily completed.
21.4 Notification of Performance Individual notifications of performance will be issued in respect of all learners registered for the BTEC programmes for which interim or final results have been received. The Notification of Performance will list all units achieved on the registration to date, at all centres attended. The title and details of each unit studied at each centre and the grade achieved will be shown, together with an indication of the current status of the learner. This Notification of Performance should be promptly forwarded to the learner, so that he/she has evidence of achievement to offer for entry to a further programme, for employment purposes or for transfer to another centre. A learner may collect a number of Notifications of Performance during completion of a programme of study and each document will be a cumulative record of success up to the date of issue.
21.5 Certificate of Unit Achievement Learners registered on a programme of study which does not lead to a full award or who do not obtain the qualification for which they were registered, and who claim a Certificate of Unit Achievement, will receive details of graded success, where appropriate. This document will be a
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cumulative record of success to the date of issue and does not state the title of the programme for which the learner was originally entered. The issue of a Certificate of Unit Achievement, where learners fail to achieve the Award, Certificate or Diploma for which they were registered, closes the learner’s registration. It should be noted that a Notification of Performance will automatically be issued for all units reported, so a request for a Certificate of Unit Achievement should not be necessary unless specifically requested by the learner.
21.6 Award date The award documentation will show the month and year in which a programme was completed. Unless otherwise requested, 1 of 5 standard months (depending on the date of receipt of the recommendation) will be printed by us on all award documents, as follows: Results received December—February March—April May—June July—September October—November
Award date December March May July September
If, for any reason, results were submitted to Edexcel late, or the programme was of unusual duration, the centre can backdate the month to be entered on the final award by up to 6 months when reporting through Edexcel Online. The termination of the programme and the appropriate month for inclusion on the final award must be taken as the month in which the total learning process (including the final assessment) was completed, and not the date on which any formal teaching finished. Award claims may not be backdated by more than 1 year without a written explanation for the lateness of the claim. Note: In order to ensure that the award date is correct, centres are advised to report this date for all learners who do not complete the programme at the end of the normal academic year.
21.7 Award lists An awards list will be issued for each programme.
21.8 Acknowledgement of receipt of awards: form SA6 All awards received should be checked for accuracy. The personalised form SA6 ‘Awards Receipt Acknowledgement’ issued with the awards should be completed and returned to BTEC RACS at One90 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BH as soon as possible to confirm receipt. Any amendments necessary will be actioned and the corrected documents sent to you. Any request for amended certificates received by Edexcel more than 1 month after certificates were issued will be subject to the Edexcel duplicate certificate fee, which is applicable at the time the request is received. We will not accept responsibility for missing award documents, unless we are informed of the omission within 1 month of award issue.
21.9 Retention of certificates If learners do not collect certificates, it is the responsibility of centres to retain this documentation for a minimum of 12 months. It may then be destroyed (in a confidential manner). However, a duplicate award fee will be due if a replacement is then required. Uncollected certificates should not be returned to Edexcel.
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21.10 Outstanding financial obligations to the centre Centres are reminded that certificates are and remain at all times the property of Edexcel. Where a learner has been registered and an award has been claimed but he/she has an outstanding financial obligation to the centre, and the centre is considering withholding the learner’s certificate until settlement of the financial obligation is made, the centre must always seek the prior consent of Edexcel in withholding the certificate. Edexcel reserves the right not to permit the centre to withhold the certificate. The additional charge of a late registration fee can be levied by a centre on a learner who does not pay the initial registration fee when required. In order to avoid problems, centres are advised to ensure that they receive all necessary payments from learners prior to registration.
21.11 Incorrect and invalid certificate claims Where a certificate has been claimed in error for a unit or qualification that the learner did not actually complete, the certificate(s) must be returned to BTEC RACS at One90 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BH, with an explanatory letter. The letter should explain how the error occurred, describe the nature of the error and detail any steps taken to prevent a recurrence of the error.
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Replacement certification
Lost between Edexcel and centre We will take every care to ensure the correct preparation of the award and the receipt by the centre of a satisfactory document. All award documents are issued to centres by recorded delivery, or by a similar service that provides evidence of delivery. If a centre has to return documents to us, it should either use recorded delivery or obtain proof of posting from the post office. Either will be accepted as satisfactory evidence of posting. Lost by centre We ask that you take due care in receipt and distribution of award documents. However, if you misplace award documents in the centre, you may apply in writing to Edexcel giving full details of the loss. In such cases, a duplicate certificate fee per learner will be charged for replacement. Applications should be sent by email to
[email protected]. Learner name The centre is asked to ensure that the learner’s name reported on registration is the name that he/she wishes to see on the final award document. We will issue amended award documents where the learner’s name is incorrect because of a spelling mistake. Where a change of name is required, the original document must be returned to Edexcel. A replacement certificate fee will be charged if the request is received by Edexcel more than 1 month after the certificate was issued. No change of name that has taken place later than the award date can normally be taken into account. Learners should be made aware of this policy. Damaged documents If any damaged award documents are received by the centre, they should immediately be returned to Edexcel for replacement. Lost or damaged between centre and learner We cannot accept responsibility for the loss or damage of documents between the centre and the learner. It is suggested that centres either arrange for personal collection or use recorded delivery
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for despatch of original documents. We make every effort to pack documents securely and advise centres to ensure that any awards mailed to learners are likewise securely packaged. If award documents are lost between the centre and the learner, you may apply by email to
[email protected] for duplicates, enclosing details of any information you have from the post office regarding the loss. A duplicate certificate fee per learner will be charged for replacements.
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Duplicate documents
23.1 Certificates or diplomas Where the original was issued after 1983, the learner may apply for duplicate award documents on form SA5 (Vocational), available from Edexcel Operations (Past Records). If an award document is damaged after receipt, a duplicate will be issued on payment of the appropriate fee, provided that the original is returned to us. Duplicates, while of precisely the same standing as the originals they replace, are produced in the layout currently in use and they may not be facsimiles of the original. Duplicates may be issued to replace award documents which are lost, stolen or completely destroyed, provided that the application is witnessed and a copy of a birth certificate or passport is produced. There is a fee for such a replacement, which covers the award and, where appropriate, the Notification of Performance or Certificate of Unit Credit. The fee must accompany the application. Note: In cases where documents are lost in transit, a period of at least 4 weeks must elapse before application for the issue of a duplicate document is made.
23.2 Notification of Performance, Certificates of Achievement or Unit Credit Duplicate copies of these documents will be produced on payment of the appropriate fee and completion of the application form.
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Letter of confirmation: for awards originally obtained prior to 1984
A letter confirming success will be produced on payment of the appropriate fee where award documentation was issued prior to 1984, as the original certification is no longer available.
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Centre and programme closures
Centres are reminded that where there is a planned closure of a centre or programmes, it is a requirement that Edexcel is informed in writing. This communication should include information as to the proposed plan for learners who are registered and active as well as those who are enrolled but not yet withdrawn. Records should be kept for 3 years and, where this is not possible, a plan made of where they will be stored. Records which should be kept are those which allow for an audit trail of the process
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from registration to certification, including records of assessors and internal verification activities. Retaining records is an obligation for all centres that are approved to offer Edexcel qualifications. Where there is an unexpected closure, it is important that Edexcel International is informed in writing as soon as the remedial actions are identified. Centres should ensure that all grades for completed units are reported to Edexcel prior to the centre’s closure.
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