Exams Officer Update 18 March 2025 |
|
Welcome to this week’s Exams Officer Update.
As some of you may be expecting BTEC results this week, or working towards Fridays BTEC entry deadline, we wanted to highlight our Spring Summer essential information article which has lots of helpful information to support you:
- Key Dates
- Exam Paper Tracking
- Missing Labels, Registers & Returning Scripts
- Additional Exams Stationery
- Exam Timetables
- How to apply for Special Considerations (including deadlines)
- Submitting and Amending Coursework & Controlled Assessment Marks
- Submitting Coursework & Controlled Assessment Samples via LWT
- Edexcel Online Access & Permissions for Exams (including Secure Download Service)
- Modified Paper Applications (including enlarged / coloured papers via SDS)
- Vocational Qualifications: Learner Tracker
- BTEC Registration & Entries
- Results & Post-Results
|
|
Pearson Development Hub and upcoming live EO events |
|
Our dedicated space for Exams Officer training has been created as part of our commitment to you, to offer enhanced support and training in 2024/2025 and beyond.
Features
You can access our library of interactive modules alongside live training, curated support articles, and the most useful documents from our website. We have brought everything you need to one place to save time when you need to upskill or refresh yourself on a topic.
- Pause interactive modules and return to them later
- Make notes in the notepad that you can refer to and download later
- Receive email alerts when new content is released.
- Follow curated learning paths for a particular qualification or process
Exams Officer Update live sessions
Why not join us for our next live online event, taking place on Thursday 3 April, 2pm - 3pm. Here we will focus in supporting you through the BTEC external assessment entry processes.
As with last year's events, we will go through news, updates and processes for the coming weeks and give you the opportunity to ask any general questions.
In April we’ll be focusing on preparing you for the start of the summer exam series and talking you through the cohort confirmation term-time checkpoint. We’d love to see you there! |
|
Date |
Description |
19 March |
Restricted release of results to centres BTEC Nationals, BTEC Firsts, BTEC Tech Awards (2022) January 2025 |
20 March |
Release of results to learners BTEC Nationals, BTEC Firsts, BTEC Tech Awards (2022) January 2025 |
21 March* |
Deadline to make external assessment entries BTEC Nationals, BTEC Firsts, BTEC Tech Awards (2017), BTEC Technicals June 2025 |
28 March |
Entry deadline for re-entering learners who sat assessments in the January 2025 series BTEC Nationals, BTEC Firsts, Tech Awards (2022) June 2025 |
2 April |
Restricted release of results to centres BTEC Firsts, Tech Awards (2017) February 2025 |
3 April |
Release of results to learners BTEC Firsts, Tech Awards (2017) February 2025 |
|
*Learners who sat BTEC assessments in the February 2025 series can be re-entered for June exams after February results have been issued, and no late fees will be charged. The entry deadline for these learners is 11 April.
*Learners who sat BTEC assessments in the March 2025 series can be re-entered for June exams after March results have been issued, and no late fees will be charged. The entry deadline for these learners is 2 May. |
We've collated some useful support and guidance we think you’ll find helpful as you prepare to receive your BTEC results this week.
|
Please note that if you are expecting to receive results for BTEC First and BTEC Tech Award (2017) assessments that took place in February, these are not released until 2 April.
Results for Level 2 Technical assessments, sat in March, will be issued to centres on 23 April. |
|
EDI results files for external assessments sat in January will be issued to centres automatically if those external assessment bookings were also made via EDI only.
Where external assessment bookings have been made in Edexcel Online, no results files will be issued and you will need to view these results in Edexcel Online.
|
Centre grade boundaries will be sent to your exams officer’s Edexcel online mailbox on 19 March for 8am. All grade boundaries will then be made available on our website under silver padlock.
|
The deadline to submit your summer series entries for BTEC Firsts, Nationals and L2 Technicals is 21 March. It’s essential that entries are made on time for all learners. It means that you’ll receive any question papers on time and we know that your learners are on track to receive their results when they expect them.
The deadline to sit and upload onscreen tests for BTEC Firsts, in order to receive results in time for August results day, is 23 June.
Following the completion of your cohort confirmation in January, we have a shared view of your learners expecting results in the summer. You can use the VQ Learner Tracker to quickly see all learners who need external assessment entries to be eligible for their overall qualification result.
Once you’ve identified learners who need entries, we have a wealth of support available to help you make your entries on time, whether you’re making them via EDI or on Edexcel Online.
|
Following the Department for Education’s (DfE) review of Level 3 qualifications, some BTEC qualifications will no longer be funded for 16–19 learners in England from 1 August 2025. This may impact your centre if you currently use a top-up model, where learners complete a smaller qualification in their first year before progressing to a larger one in their second year.
Read more about Level 3 defunding and top ups |
The provisional timetables for BTEC external assessments for winter 2026 and summer 2026 exam series are now available on our timetables page. These timetables cover all BTEC qualifications (BTEC Firsts, Tech Awards, Technicals, Nationals. BTEC AAQ Nationals first external exam is Summer 2026).
Please email any feedback or comments on these provisional timetables to timetables@pearson.com by the end of Friday 21 March 2025.
|
Getting ready for December/January series results
You will receive your December/January series results on Wednesday 19 March, which you can then release to learners on Thursday 20 March. Refer to our dedicated support articles for step-by-step guidance on how to access learner results:
Our understanding your results for BTEC Tech Awards page covers you everything you need to know about your learners’ results.
Certification and resits
If learners sat their terminal external assessment in January and are eligible to certificate, you can either submit certification claims or allow them to resit in the summer.
Certification claims for January assessments open on 21 March and close on 18 April via Edexcel Online.
You can use the grade calculator or check Section 8 of the specification to determine final grades. If a learner does wish to resit the terminal external assessment, you can still choose to submit a certification claim for them if they are eligible, or you can choose to wait until the summer.
When considering resits, you should think about the likelihood of improvement and the potential impact on other assessments and learner wellbeing.
The BTEC Tech Awards are compensatory, meaning that even if a learner receives a U grade in one component, they may still achieve an overall qualification grade if their total UMS points across all components are sufficient.
|
Date |
Description |
21 March |
Entry deadline Edexcel Award, International GCSE, Project Qualifications June 2025 |
21 March |
Deadline to request transferred candidate arrnagements International GCSE, GCSE, AS/A level, AEA, Edexcel Award, Mathematics in Context, Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate
June 2025 |
21 March |
Deadline to submit applications for access arrangements International GCSE, GCSE, AS/A level, AEA, Edexcel Award, Mathematics in Context, Level 2 Extended Mathematics Certificate
June 2025 |
|
Centres entering students for GCSE Sciences must complete and submit an online GCSE Headteacher Declaration form to confirm that reasonable steps have been taken to ensure candidates have completed the required practical activities set in the following GCSE specifications.
The deadline to complete this is 15 April.
|
Centres are required to sign and send in the A level Science Headteacher form by the 15 May to declare that students have completed the practical activities that meet the practical Endorsement requirements of the A level science specifications.
The deadline to complete this is 15 May.
|
Centres entering students for GCSE Astronomy (1AS0) must complete and submit an Observation Statement to confirm that reasonable steps have been taken to ensure each candidate has completed at least one unaided and one aided observation.
The deadline to submit this statement is 15 April.
|
Looking ahead to the summer series, here’s an update on when you will start receiving exam materials.
You can expect to start receiving standard and modified question papers from the following dates:
- Edexcel Award exams: from 23 April onwards
- General qualification exams taking place from 6 May and up until 20 May: from 23 April onwards
- General qualification exams taking place from 2t May and up until 9 June: from 9 May onwards
- General qualification exams taking place from 10 June onwards: from 31 May onwards
You will be able to track your standard question paper despatch for General Qualifications via Edexcel Online.
Please ensure that appropriate colleagues are aware that question papers will be arriving soon and what they need to do with them. Question papers need to be carefully checked to ensure that you have received what you were expecting and that all question paper packs are in good condition. You should report any issues relating to question papers as soon as possible.
Whilst the vast majority of question paper deliveries marked for the attention of Exams Officers are made during normal centre hours, on rare occasions, a courier may attempt delivery when the main reception has closed, so papers cannot be stored securely. We encourage centres to inform staff to refuse these deliveries, and the papers will be redelivered.
The yellow label service will be in place for this summer series for centres in England to return scripts. Please read the yellow label service guidance for exams officers on the government website.
Attendance registers
You can expect to start receiving attendance registers and labels from 23 April onwards.
Availability of Electronic Copies of Question Papers
Our goal is to ensure that your centre's exams run as smoothly and as stress-free for centre staff as possible. To help us achieve this goal, we would appreciate you making checks outlined below well ahead of your centre's first exam.
If your centre requires access to electronic copies of question papers in the Summer 2025 exam series, for example if you make a late entry or need to print onto coloured paper, they will be available to download on the Secure Download Service (SDS). This also includes audio files and transcripts for listening exams. Our recommendation is that a minimum of two members of centre staff have SDS included in their Edexcel Online (EOL) profile.
If your exam staff do not already have SDS added to their EOL profile, they will need to contact us and be available to receive a secure call-back from our Customer Services Specialist on your centre's main telephone number. Once this call has been performed successfully, access to the SDS platform will be added to their account.
Please see the SDS support guide for further details: Secure Download Service (SDS)
If you have centre exams staff without access to SDS, they should contact us as soon as possible, and well ahead of the Summer exam series so that we can update their account.
If you make any entries a week or less before the date of the exam, hard copies will not be sent to your centre. You will need to print the required amount of question papers from an electronic copy.
Electronic copies of question papers will be available via SDS if you are making additional entries. If you are making an entry for the first time this series for a new subject/paper, please contact us to request the question paper to be sent via (Secure File Transfer) SFT.
It is important that all exam staff can access SDS as we will not be able to send electronic question papers via Secure File Transfer (SFT) on the day of the exam without a secure call back to your centre’s main telephone number first. This could result in logistical challenges for your centre at a critical time in the day - with staff required to move between an exam hall and your reception/ exam office. This may result in delays, including potentially impacting the start time of the exam in question. To avoid this please make checks to your exam staff EOL profiles (and specifically SDS) today. |
Please be reminded that, as published on our website, the deadline to submit requests for modified papers for the summer series was 31 January 2025. This deadline is the same every year.
To order modified papers please select ‘ Access Arrangements Online’ on Edexcel Online.
Then select the relevant portal depending on the qualification.
Access Arrangements Online – GCSE, GCE, Edexcel Award, L3C, PLSC.
Pearson Access Arrangements Online – BTEC, International A Level, International GCSE.
Models for use with summer 2025 Mathematics modified papers
Please be aware that we no longer automatically supply 3D models with the modified large print Maths papers.
Please note: these will still come as standard with all orders for UEB Grade 1 and Grade 2 braille. You do not need to order these if your candidate uses braille.
If your centre has placed an order for modified large print papers for GCSE, International GCSE, A Level Maths or Edexcel Award Number & Measure, and your student requires 3D models, please complete this form to order these.
If you require any further information regarding this, please contact the Modified Formats Team at additional_requirements@pearson.com.
|
The DfE has confirmed that students will not need to memorise formulae and equations for GCSE Maths, Physics and Combined Science (physics) for June 2025, 2026 and 2027.
We will follow the same approach for our International GCSE Physics, Science Double Award and Single Award (physics papers) for all series.
Pearson will continue to provide students with support materials in the form of a formulae sheet for International GCSE Physics, Science Double Award and Single Award (Physics) in 2025, 2026 and 2027. We will provide clean copies with their 2025, 2026 and 2027 exam papers.
This means the formulae sheet to be used in the 2025 exams will be the same as those used for exams in 2024. As such, students and teachers may access exam boards’ 2024 sheets for practice purposes, if they wish. |
|
At Pearson, we value protecting the integrity of our qualifications and assessments for our learners. We would like to remind you that our centres have a shared responsibility to help us do this through reporting and managing possible conflicts of interest that may arise relating to our qualification assessments. |
We have recently made some changes to the process of resetting your password; particularly the design of the email received, as well as the email address this is sent from.
Password reset emails are now sent from noreply@notifications.pearson.com.
Please pass this information onto your internal IT support team, as they may need to add this to any Safe Sender lists used for your centre. Further guidance on this process can be found in our Edexcel Online: resetting your password support article. |
The Provisional timetables for Summer 2026 have been available on our website from Monday 3 February. These can be found on provisional timetables webpage
|
If you choose to contact us via email to examsofficers@pearson.com, you'll notice that our responses are sent from 'customersupport.reply@pearson.com'. This is a response only email address, and allows any responses you send, by clicking 'reply/reply all', to be linked to the existing support case.
However, if you were to compose a brand new email and send to that reply email address, there is no case to link it to, so we do not receive your email and you will not receive a response. This should result in a bounce back email stating the address is invalid. |
We recently introduced our enhanced Qualifications Customer Support Portal, designed to make getting help quicker and easier than ever. Created with our customers in mind, new or enhanced features include:
- A new streamlined contact-us journey enables you to connect quickly with our support teams in the way that suits you; via live-chat for real-time assistance, our new webform, as well as traditional phone or email routes.
- You can use your Pearson Portal (Edexcel Online) credentials to access secure personalised support even faster, and view your existing cases.
- Our comprehensive support article library has also been restructured with sections specific to teachers, exams officers and quality nominees, as well as stronger search functions, to resolve your own queries quickly and easily.
|
Cyber Security
Whether you’re a new or experienced Edexcel Online user, it's important that we are all aware of the possible threats to our collective data. We would encourage all exams staff, new and old, to visit our cyber security webpage and watch our short training video. |
Multi Factor Authentication
Although it has now become a standard way of accessing our systems, that we should all be familiar with, it can sometimes present challenges if a smart device is lost or replaced. You can read more information, see a quick start guide and access FAQs and troubleshooting for our authenticator app in our Pearson Portal Authenticator support article. |
There are multiple ways to contact the customer service teams at Pearson. The Customer Support Portal allows you to choose a method that best suits you.
- Support case – This is much like an email, but we will see all the information you have already populated. You can then log back in to the portal to track the progress of these cases.
- Live chat – A team of agents is waiting to answer these during normal working hours.
- Phone – If you would like to speak with us, we have a team of agents waiting to take your call.
|
The likelihood is that Pearson won’t be the only awarding organisation that you or your centre work with, and this means that you will receive lots of different communications. Some of these may be more relevant to your role than others, so it’s important that you and your colleagues are signed up to receive the regular updates that matter to you. It's also important that Edexcel Online accounts are accurate as these are used to determine who needs to receive ad hoc communications.
As Exams Officers, you will be responsible for the creation and maintenance of Edexcel Online accounts for those in other roles, such as teachers or other curriculum staff. Whilst doing this you could also sign them up to receive the relevant subject advisor updates.
Here is a full list of all the regular updates we send, including an archive of previous editions and the sign-up forms.
|
The JCQ published its latest update on 12 March, highlighting Term time checkpoints, the NAEO survey and more. |
If you are approved to offer JCQ awarding body qualifications, you will automatically receive the JCQ monthly updates. However, your colleagues can also subscribe to the updates via the JCQ website. |
|
|
Don't forget we have a dedicated Pearson Exams Officer Support page on Facebook. This provides you with a quick and convenient way to stay up to date with our latest news and live updates from the team.
Important and informative announcements will be posted on the page daily and messages will be monitored 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday by Charlie, Emma and Seren; our dedicated Social Media Team. Message them with for help with your queries throughout your working day. |
Sign up to receive these updates
If you would like to sign any of your colleagues up to receive these updates, you can do so here. You can view previous editions of the EO Update on our support portal. |
|
|
|
|
|
|