BTEC Standards Verification

Standards Verification is how we check that Pearson centres are operating appropriate quality assurance and maintaining national standards. External Examination is a specific type of standards verification used for our BTEC Level 4-7 (QCF) programmes and BTEC Level 3 and 4 Foundation Diplomas in Art and Design.

We allocate a Standards Verifier (SV), who is a subject expert, to conduct sampling of assessment documents and assessed learner work to provide judgements and feedback. SVs support centres in identifying good practice and areas for further development, giving you guidance on how to improve centre assessment. The process for Standards Verification is slightly different, depending on the type of programme centres are delivering.

What are the BTEC Programme Control Measures for 2024/2025?

Each programme will be allocated one of the following Control Measures for standards verification:

Standard Control

Standard Control is the normal measure applicable to annual sampling. Sampling will be conducted remotely, and the sample submitted electronically. The SV will inform centres of the units and learners to be sampled. Please refer to the sample size tables in the Centre Guide to Standards Verification.

Enhanced Control

Programmes assigned Enhanced Control will be provided with additional support through more detailed scrutiny of their assessment decisions, which is reflected in the number of units to be standards verified. Sampling will be conducted remotely, and the sample submitted electronically. The SV will inform centres of the units and learners to be sampled. Please refer to the sample size tables in the Centre Guide to Standards Verification (available from mid-autumn term).

Please see the Centre Guide to Quality Assurance for further details on programme control measures.

What are the sampling requirements for 2024/2025?

The units/components in scope for sampling are primarily those that have been assessed during the academic year 2024/25. The sample can be from a year 1 or year 2 cohort.

Where the assessment plan clearly shows that sufficient completed units are not available within the sampling window, the SV may consider work completed in the previous academic year provided:

the unit was not used for sampling last year with the same cohort,

the unit has not been used as part of any certification claim for top-up learners.

What are the sample sizes for Standards Verification?

You can find the sample sizes in the BTEC Centre Guide to Standards Verification found on our Quality Assurance Webpage here.

We have been selected for Enhanced Control sampling – We do not have two units available for sampling. What shall we do?

The enhanced sample should be primarily taken from units that are being delivered this academic year and can come from:

learners on the first year of a two-year programme
or the second year of a two-year programme
or a mixture of both.

If 2 units are not available for the enhanced control sample in the smaller size qualifications, as evidenced by the assessment plan, the sample will instead increase by learner number. Please see the Centre Guide to Standards Verification for sample sizes.

Should my SV ask for Work from last year?

Although the sample should be from this year's work there may be circumstances where the SV may need to use work from last year:

Where the assessment plan clearly shows that sufficient completed units are not available within the sampling window, the SV may consider work completed in the previous academic year provided:

- the unit was not used for sampling last year with the same cohort.
- the unit has not been used as part of any certification claim for top-up learners.

Where the programme was not sampled in 2023/24 and learners require certification in 2024/25.

Where the programme was Not Yet Fully Sampled (NYFS) in 2023/24 and learners require certification in 2024/25.

Where an additional unit is required for a re-sample and no other units are being delivered in 2024/25. In this case the additional unit must not have been selected for standards verification in 2023/24.

If there is no unit/component from 2023/2024 that meets the requirements, will SVs be able to sample?

Yes. However, if late sampling is agreed, this carries risks for timely certification.

We currently deliver the License to Practice/Off measure Qualifications and therefore require a centre visit, what will this look like?

The Standards Verifier will agree a suitable date to visit. Standards Verifiers should be supervised by centre staff whilst on-site. Assessment Plans will be made available as usual, and a sample selection agreed beforehand. Centres must ensure that all unit evidence is available for Standards Verifiers if required. For example, in Childcare, access to the learner’s full Practical Evidence Portfolio is required. Standards Verifiers may also discuss delivery and assessment of the programmes with Centre Assessors.

When will we get SV allocations and how can I check the SV allocated?

SV allocations will start from mid-January, SV’s will send introductory emails to the Quality Nominee.

For further information please see BTEC: SV Allocation Details.

What should I do with the SV allocation information?

Please share the SV allocation details with your teams - particularly the Lead Internal Verifier so that they can start the process for sampling.

What is the deadline for the SV to receive the sample?

Sampling deadlines can be found in the BTEC Centre Guide to Standards Verification found on our Quality Assurance Webpage here.

What forms/documents will the SV ask for?

Initially, the SV will request:

Assessment Plans to select the unit/s to be sampled.

Just before the agreed sampling date:

Learner tracking details will be sent to the SV. The SV will then choose the learners to sample.

For the sample you will need to send:

Assignment briefs.
Internal verification of the assignment brief documents.
Learner work, feedback to learners/assessment records, including authenticity signatures.
Internal verification of assessment decisions documents and any evidence in relation to resubmission for the learners chosen.

Further guidance can be found in the BTEC Centre Guide to Standards Verification found on our Quality Assurance Webpage here.

Will sampling be remote?

Remote sampling will be applied to the majority of BTEC programmes, including those with bespoke sampling. License to Practice Qualifications will be sampled via a Centre Visit.

For further guidance, please see the BTEC Centre Guide to Standards Verification found on our Quality Assurance Webpage here.

Can we send paper copies, or must the sample be electronically shared with the SV?

For programmes that are sampled remotely, please submit these digitally using Pearson’s Learner Work Transfer platform (LWT). We have provided guidance on how to submit files via the LWT here.

Licence to practice programmes will be sampled via a Centre Visit so please make evidence available to the standards verifier on the day.

My SV is not answering our calls/emails

If you have tried and are unable to get in contact with your SV, please contact your Vocational Quality Assurance Manager by using the Pearson Support Portal.

I am unhappy with the SV that has been allocated. Can I get this changed?

If you are not happy with the allocation of your SV, please create a case record stating your reason for dissatisfaction and our Assessment team will then make a decision and update the case.

SV Apprenticeship allocation – Why do I have two different SVs allocated for the same subject area?

The Standards Verifier process for Apprenticeship programmes is different from that of standalone qualifications; this means both the apprenticeship and standalone qualifications need to be sampled for all the programmes to be released for certification.

Can I send my sample early?

If your sample will be ready before the agreed date, we recommend you send it early.

Why have I not received the SV report yet?

You should allow 10 working days for the SV to review the sample and complete a report. There may be a slight delay if the report is subject to our internal quality assurance, but the SV should be able to tell you that. If the report is outstanding for a significant time, then please let your Vocational Quality Assurance Manager know via the Pearson Support Portal.

How can I access the SV report?

Please see BTEC: SV Allocation Details for a step-by-step guide.

The report should be shared with all the relevant teams so that they can act on any advice or recommendations. Please ensure that any actions are followed up and any recommendations are considered for the remainder of the current academic year and incorporated into your improvement plan for the following year.

Where can I locate the SV report for a NVQ, Competency BTEC and BTEC Level 1 Introductory qualification?

Please see NVQ Standards Verifier (SV) Reports for a step-by-step guide.

What do the SV report outcomes mean?

Not Yet Fully Sampled (NYFS)

A full sample has not taken place and certification cannot be released.

Released

All assessment decisions have been agreed and certification can be released. No further action is required; however, Pearson reserves the right to request an additional sample of learner work if the cohort profile is showing evidence of potential grade inflation.

Certification Pending – Centre Action Required

The SV has identified inaccurate assessment for one or more learners. A second sample is required.

Can I appeal a Standards Verification outcome?

Yes. Please make an appeal via the Pearson Support Portal within 14 days of receiving our decision or results. Further details can be found in the Centre Guide to Standards Verification - This will be available on our quality assurance webpage late in the autumn term.

Managing vocational quality

For additional help and support for Quality Nominees and BTEC delivery teams, we have created dedicated quality assurance webpages that can be accessed via the Home of Quality Assurance. These webpages provide easy access to quality assurance guides, videos and resources, FAQs, regular updates, training events, live chat with an expert and much more.

We recommend Quality Nominees and BTEC staff join our Quality Nominees Group, here you can ask questions directly to the Vocational Quality Assurance Management team, browse posts/updates and share ideas and good practice with colleagues.

Back to Vocational Quality Assurance support index.

Detailed Instructions

Not Applicable.