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Exams Officers page | September '23 support | Development Hub | Support portal

• Key dates
• Vocational quality assurance
• BTEC registrations and completion dates
•  NEW  Pearson Onscreen Platform (POP) update
•  NEW  Introduction of Learner Work Transfer for BTEC
•  NEW  Access Arrangements for BTEC Tech Award 2022
•  NEW  BTEC Administrative Support Guides (ASGs) 2023/24

• Key dates
• Autumn question paper despatch
• Modified papers models | Autumn 2023
• November 2024 provisional timetable

• Post results and appeals
• Instructions for Conducting Examinations
•  NEW  Customer Support Portal
• Edexcel Online account security
• Social media | Pearson Exams Officer Support

This year all school, colleges and training providers must maintain accurate estimated completion dates for all their learners. This is essential to maintain an accurate view of your 2023/24 cohort, and so we can track these learners through to completion.

Unsure of which estimated completion date a learner should have or need extra support? Read our comprehensive guide to maintaining estimated completion dates.

As learners are enrolled on to their BTEC programmes, you should make their BTEC registrations by 1 November to avoid any late fees. You should check that your centre has approval for the programme they will be following, and if you need to gain approval to run a course you should do this straight away.

A new update is available for the Pearson Onscreen Platform (POP) used to deliver onscreen on-demand tests. This update removes the requirement of Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 as a prerequisite, as this software has reached the end of life with Microsoft.  

If you are removing Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 from your machines, you must update the software to prevent your learners encountering issues whilst taking onscreen tests.

Use the following links to access the installers and support for installation:

We strongly recommend that you keep the software up to date. You can check the current version at any time on our support pages.

The Sample Test Player,  used to deliver practice or mock tests to your learners, has also been updated to remove the Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 prerequisite. You can access the installers and support for installation here.

Where you have previously uploaded learner work to us through SharePoint, we will be moving to use our Learner Work Transfer portal in January. We will be in touch with all customers who will need to use learner work transfer to ensure you have access to the system and receive support from us to upload your learner work successfully. 

To prepare for the transition to Learner Work Transfer, all colleagues in your school or college who are involved in the upload of learner work should have an Edexcel Online account. Read more about creating Edexcel Online accounts.

We are pleased to announce that the function to submit Access Arrangement applications for the reformed BTEC Tech Awards 2022 via Pearson Access Arrangements Online (PAAO) has now gone live. You can submit applications for externally assessed units(first sitting January 2024) and all Internally moderated units. 

Full guidance on how to do this can be found in our PAAO: Pearson Access Arrangements - Creating an Application support article

Our Admin Support Guides have been updated following customer feedback and reviewing regularly asked questions to our Customer Service and Subject Advisor teams.  

The updated versions are on the same pages on the website and where needed we have also added a copy of a learner handout which can be printed out and placed on the learner's desk ahead of the assessment.  

If your centre has entries for International GCSE, question papers will be despatched from Wednesday 4 October.

The deadline for ordering modified papers for the November 2023 exam series has now passed.

If you were unable to meet the deadline, please place your late order on AAO/PAAO as a matter of urgency and then contact us by way of email on additional_requirements@pearson.com, quoting your order number and centre number. We will then be able to advise you if it will be possible to supply a modified paper.

The deadlines for ordering modified papers remain the same every year:

For further information on modified papers, access to past modified papers and answers to FAQs, please visit our modified formats page.

We no longer automatically supply 3D models with the modified large-print Maths papers.

The provisional timetable for the November 2024 GCSE series is now . available to download from our website

Please send any feedback to timetables@pearson.com by 29 September.

If your centre is concerned about any summer 2023 exam results, our post-results services are still available. The deadline for the majority of reviews of marking and moderation (RoMMs) is 28 September.

These articles provide full details on key dates and deadlines:

You can find detailed information on which services are available to you using these articles from our support portal:

Finally, if you would like dedicated training on post results and appeals, the following on-demand e-Learning modules are available on the Pearson Development Hub. 

All of our bitesize modules are designed to give you the essential information that you will need to successfully administer our qualifications. The courses take about 20-30 minutes to complete, are fully interactive and offer a certificate as proof of completion.

Whether you are preparing for the November 2023 series or have learners intending to take BTEC external assessments in the January 2024 series, it is important for you to stay up to date with the official exam regulations.

The JCQ have published the 2023/24 version of their Instructions for Conducting Examinations (ICE) document, which you can download from their website or from our support article collecting all regulatory documents, including the JCQ ICE, BTEC ICEA and general regulations.

We want to ensure you have all the help and support you need at your fingertips; that’s why we’ve got a library of support articles hosted on our Customer Support Portal. Each article contains answers, detailed information, step-by-step guides, instructional videos, and general advice. Articles require no special access, are easily searchable by keywords in their title, and are available 24/7, 365 days a year. And for good measure, we also have the portal user guide.

Take a look at our short video that explains more about our support portal, the information you can find and the further benefits it provides. 

Check out the Pearson Support Portal.

As exams officer, you're in control of Edexcel Online accounts and access at your centre, and there's no better time than the start of a new academic year to double check that staff in your centre have the access they need.

From your Edexcel Online home page, go to Centre Accounts > List Accounts to bring up a list of every user account at your centre. Please review this list and remove any accounts for members of staff who no longer work at your centre, and also take the opportunity to go into each user's profile and check they have the correct account permissions for their role.

For detailed guidance on maintaining Edexcel Online accounts, see our Edexcel Accounts index article.

Don't forget we have dedicated Pearson Exams Officer Support pages on both Facebook and Twitter/X. These provide you with a quick and convenient way to stay up to date with our latest news and advice.

Both pages are monitored 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, by Seren, Emma and Charlie on our Social Media team, so please feel free to message them with your quick queries or comments.

While we can answer your general queries online, specific queries should be submitted via the Pearson support portal to ensure you get the best advice from our Customer Services team.