Exams Officer Newsletter
January 2026 |
|
|
Welcome to your monthly Exams Officer newsletter |
We hope you have a well-rested Christmas period as we welcome you into 2026. To keep you prepared for this spring term, we have highlighted important key dates, shared reminders of ongoing campaigns and offer intuitive training events to sign up to.
We are always open to feedback to make further improvements, so do reach to us if you have any suggestions to make it more useful to you.
As always, we are here. If you need further support, reach out to us through the Pearson support portal.
Best wishes,
Pearson Communications |
This month's news and updates |
|
|
Date |
Activity |
| 7 January |
Results released to centres: for GCSE November 2025 series |
| 8 January |
Results released to learners: for GCSE November 2025 series |
| 21 January |
Results released to centres: for International GCSE November 2025 series |
| 22 January |
Results released to learners: for International GCSE November 2025 series |
| 30 January |
Termtime checkpoint deadline: cohort declaration. Your head of centre completes a declaration to confirm all students who are expecting a result in summer 2026 |
| 12 February |
Post-results deadline: International GCSE for November 2025 examinations |
| 21 February |
Entry deadline: make your entries for summer 2026 for GCSE, International GCSE (UK centres), Entry Level Certificate, AS/A level, AEA, Mathematics in Context (Level 3 Core Maths) and Level 2 Extended Mathematics
Certificate, BTEC Tech Awards (2022)* |
| 18 March |
Results released to centres: for December/January for BTEC Nationals, Firsts and Tech Awards (from 2022) |
| 19 March |
Results released to learners: for December/January for BTEC Nationals, Firsts and Tech Awards (from 2022) |
| 20 March |
Entry deadline: make entries for external assessment for May/June for BTEC Firsts, L3 Nationals and L2 Technicals* |
| 21 March |
Entry deadline: make your entries for summer 2026 for Edexcel Award, Level 1 and 2 Projects and Level 3 Extended Project (EPQ) |
|
* Learners who sat BTEC assessments in the January 2026 series can be re-entered for June exams after January results have been issued, and no late fees will be charged. The entry deadline for these learners is 28 March.
* Learners who sat BTEC assessments in the February 2026 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 10 April.
|
|
|
Introducing the newest member of the team: voice AI assistant |
|
|
At the end of 2025, we introduced a new Voice AI Assistant when you call, giving you clear answers directly from our support articles.
Answer a few simple questions to help the AI assistant understand who its talking to, then just ask it your question in the same way you would ask a real person.
|
|
|
Autumn & Winter: Essential Information |
To help support you during the autumn and winter terms, we've put together this essential information article containing important knowledge on upcoming key dates, events, assessments, and available resources. |
|
|
Changes to Secure Download Service
We are delighted to let you know that we’ve made some important key changes to the Secure Download Service (SDS) that will significantly improve your experience when using this service. These changes have initially been launched for the International A level, Edexcel Award and BTEC Tech Award January 2026 exam series, but is effective for all qualifications and series moving forward. We will be in touch with you again as you begin to make your summer 2026 series entries'. |
|
|
Join us on our General Qualification 'Bitesize' webinars
If you're a new exams officer or just new to Pearson general qualifications, you might have questions about the administration of these. We are running a series of interactive, engaging live events which are dedicated to specific GQ admin processes, providing in depth guidance and include demonstrations on the completion of the process specified.
Why not join us for our next GQ & VQ Bitesize event focusing on Access Arrangements, taking place on Tuesday, 13 January 11am-12pm. |
Don't worry if you missed any! You can always watch the recording of any event on our support article. |
|
|
Modified papers
We have begun despatching the January 2026 modified question papers. All orders for large print or Braille, will arrive separately to standard exam materials and will be in a green tamper proof packaging. Looking ahead to summer 2026, read the latest update to ensure you order on time. |
|
|
November 2026 final timetables
The final timetables for GCSE and International GCSE for November 2026 are now available on our website and can be found on the timetables webpage. |
|
|
Hard copy pre-release material for summer 2026
You should have received your pre-release materials for the following papers:
GCSE Art & Design:
1AD0/02, 1FA0/02, 1GC0/02, 1PY0/02, 1TD0/02, 1TE0/02
GCE Music Technology:
8MT0/01, 8MT0/02, 9MT0/01, 9MT0/02
Pre-release materials for the below papers will start to be despatched to centres on 28 January 2026.
GCE Art & Design:
9AD0/02, 9FA0/02, 9GC0/02, 9TE0/02, 9TD0/02, 9PY0/02
This initial despatch will be based on any estimated entries that your centre has made or the number of entries made in summer 2025. If you require additional hard copies, make actual entries for the qualification so that we can send you the right number of materials for your centre.
Tracking information will be available on Edexcel Online once materials have been despatched. |
|
|
Your BTEC cohort declaration is open to complete by 30 January |
|
|
This is your first term-time checkpoint and completing it by 30 January helps us build an accurate picture of students expecting results in August 2026, so we can work together to make sure every learner gets their results on time.
|
|
|
In that email we’ve got you covered with support articles, FAQs, and what you need to do to complete your cohort declaration in the VQ Learner Tracker.
Not ready to complete yet? No problem. Simply select “View declaration” and pledge to complete it on time. It’s a quick way to let us know you’re on track. |
|
|
Receiving your question papers
You should have already received all your standard and modified papers and attendance registers for the January series. The yellow label service is in place as usual for centres in England to return scripts.
You can expect to start receiving question papers for the February series from Tuesday 13 January. Attendance registers, labels and learner cards for February series were despatched with January packs in December, so you should have already received these for entries made on time. Materials for any late entries may arrive up to one week ahead of the exam date.
If you need tracking information or discover any issues with your question papers, please contact us via the Pearson support portal.
Accessing secure materials
If you're running any set tasks this series, you may need to download secure materials from our website. You'll find all of these on our secure tests page, and you'll need your Edexcel Online details to access them.
Make sure you're using each unit's admin support guide, available from each qualification's course materials page so you know exactly what you need and what you need to do, along with our new external assessment overview tool. |
|
|
Your new BTEC external assessment overview tool
If you’re running BTEC external assessments, find everything you need to know quickly and easily so that everything runs smoothly. |
|
|
Adverse weather and disruption
With winter weather and industrial strike actions potentially causing disruption, we want to make sure you and centres have clear guidance for January BTEC external assessments and know where to find support if needed. If you missed it, read our latest update. |
|
|
BTEC Tech Awards
Look out for your initial moderator reports
You'll start receiving your draft moderator reports from 16 January for work and marks submitted by the 15 December deadline.
You'll get an email notification when your report is ready to download from Edexcel Online, and you can then share it with relevant staff. You'll then have until 23 January to amend any marks in line with the moderator's feedback, if you wish to.
Don't forget about the terminal rule
The terminal assessment rule means students have to take their external assessment at the end of their qualification; i.e., the same series in which they'll certificate. This means students must sit their internal assessments either before or in the same series as the external assessment.
|
|
|
UK webinar events
We will host a series of online exams officer updates during 2025/2026. These live events go through news, updates and various areas to support you in the coming month. |
If you were unable to attend our event in December, you can access the recording on the support portal. |
|
|
Find out everything you need to know to manage examinations and administer our qualifications.
|
|
Our new dedicated space for exams officer training created to offer enhanced support.
|
|
|
JCQ
Published on 17 December 2025.
Sign up to future updates.
|
|
Ofqual
Keep up-to-date with the latest news and blogs.
|
|
|
The Exams Office
Working in collaboration with Dfe, Ofqual, JCQ and awarding bodies.
|
|
Social media
Join our Facebook community to stay up to date with news.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
