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Happy new year and welcome to this week’s Exams Officer Update. 

We hope you've enjoyed a well-earned rest over the winter break. 

As always, our essential information guide is available for you to access and utilise throughout the academic year. The article is designed to aid you with frequently asked questions and various processes that you might require assistance with in your day-to-day activities.
Our next live online event will be 13 February 2024 at 2 p.m. You can register here if you'd like to attend.

Throughout the event, we will walk you through the latest news, updates, and upcoming processes for the weeks ahead, providing you with the opportunity to pose any questions you may have. You can view recordings of previous events on our Pearson Development Hub.
Date Description
9 February Cohort Declaration checkpoint: deadline for you or your Head of Centre to confirm which learners are expecting a qualification result in August 2024, following a check that all estimated completion dates are accurate on Edexcel Online.
13 February Deadline to submit special consideration requests for February 2024 BTEC Firsts
21 February Entry deadline for Summer 2024 BTEC Tech Awards 2022
We’ve recently been in touch to ask centres to complete our term-time checkpoint, which is this Friday 9 February. We’re asking you to check that all estimated completion dates and registrations are accurate before completing your cohort declaration. This year, this activity should be completed for: 
  • BTEC Firsts and Nationals
  • BTEC Tech Awards (2022)
  • BTEC Specialist and Professionals
  • BTEC Internationals
  • BTEC Higher Nationals

Who should complete this activity?

Schools, colleges, training providers and international centres could all potentially need to complete the declaration if they offer any of the above qualifications. The cohort declaration should be completed by your head of centre, or person authorised by your head of centre.

Why are you asking me to complete this?

We need to have a shared view of all your learners expecting an overall qualification in August so we can ensure we deliver results on time. We’ll then be working in partnership for the rest of the year to make sure you have the information you need to make BTEC claims and received your results.

Where can I find support and training?

Explore our latest cohort declaration FAQs on the teaching, learning and assessment webpage.

Don’t forget, we are here to help, and you can contact us through the Pearson support portal using “cohort declaration” in the description. 
The latest modules in our BTEC exams officer training series are now available on the Pearson Development Hub.

  • BTEC Bitesize Module 4: BTEC Amendments (2023/24)
    This course includes information about how to amend learner details on a BTEC registration, how to process transfers and deletions, how to amend external assessment bookings and onscreen tests, and much more.
  • BTEC Bitesize Module 5: Modified Papers (2023/24)
    This module explains what a modified paper is and how to make an application for modified papers on PAAO. It will also show you where you can find key dates and deadlines and how to access past papers in a modified format.
  • BTEC Bitesize Module 6: Access Arrangements (2023/24)
    This module explains what an access arrangement and a reasonable adjustment is and how to apply for access arrangements on PAAO. It also covers deadlines and how to avoid common issues when making your applications.

We sent our monthly BTEC Tech Awards newsletter last week, featuring details on the January series, moderator reports, where to access PSAs and external assessment materials for May/June, and much more.

If you or any colleagues would like to receive these updates, sign up to the mailing list.

Our BTEC Tech Awards 2022 support index is designed to support you over the academic year. 

The index contains direct links on support covering the following topics:
  • Registration & Entry processes
  • Access Arrangements & Modified Papers
  • Internal Assessment & Learner Work Transfer (LWT)
  • Quality Assurance
  • Results
  • Certification
We'll add to this support throughout the year, so please bookmark the page to see our latest articles.
Date Description
15 February Final date for requesting copies of scripts to support teaching and learning – GCSE English Language, Mathematics - November 2023
21 February Deadline to make entries - GCSE/GCE- June 2024
We published our provisional timetables for summer 2025 on Monday 22 January as agreed by JCQ and all other awarding bodies.

The consultation window will run from Monday 22 January to Friday 23 February.

The above provisional timetables are available on our website.

Please send any comments to timetables@pearson.com
As users of our Learner Work Transfer platform, we would like to hear from you about your experiences with the system. The outcomes of this survey will help us to continue to introduce improvements, making it easier for you to upload and monitor learner work in future series.

The survey is anonymous but there is the opportunity to leave contact details to provide more in depth feedback if you so wish.
Leave your feedback here

Models for use with summer 2024 Mathematics modified papers

Please be aware that we no longer automatically supply 3D models with the modified large print Maths papers.

Please note that 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 Maths, please complete this form to order your candidate 3D models.

Failure to respond will result in no models being sent to your centre.

If you require any further information regarding this, please contact the Modified Formats Team at additional_requirements@pearson.com.

For further information on modified papers, access to past modified papers and answers to FAQs, please go to the modified formats page on our website.
You can expect to start receiving question papers for the March series from Tuesday 6 February with attendance registers, labels and learner cards from Tuesday 13 February.

The Yellow Label Service will be in place for this series for centres in England to return scripts.

If you require tracking information, please contact us via the Pearson support portal
We introduced app-based multi-factor authentication for all users of Edexcel Online in December, to protect your data and maintain the integrity of our assessments. This replaced the existing web based multi-factor authentication, and became mandatory on 5 December. All users will require access to a smart phone device to receive a verification code to access Edexcel Online.

Additional guidance on using app based MFA to access the Pearson Portal can be found in the Pearson Portal Authenticator support article.

Based on feedback received since this was launched we have also created a short 'Did you know?' graphic to answer some of your immediate questions.

Please share this information with your teaching and IT staff and anyone else who may have missed these communications but needs to access Pearson systems.

If you are running examinations in 2024, 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. 

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.
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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.

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