Service messages

Updated on [21/01/2026]

Welcome to our service messages area. This area is regularly updated with the latest information about our products, qualifications, processes and more.

We’ll also send you a monthly newsletter where we’ll highlight any key updates, and you can click through to this webpage to read the full details. We recommend bookmarking this page so that you can check back regularly for any updates!

January 2026

Service continuity 

We’re pleased to share that we’re making strong progress in restoring key services from the recent cyber security incident. Thank you for your patience and support during this time. If you have any queries, please visit our service continuity webpage.  

Update on the Portal  

While we work to restore the Portal we have a team available to support you with administering these Portal functions: 

• learner registrations 

• assessment bookings, including bookings for controlled assessments for Functional Skills and external assessments for CACHE and Functional Skills 

• certificate claims. 

You can access this support by visiting our interim Portal support webpage, where you can complete the relevant webform for the Portal function you need. The webforms capture all the information you would usually provide when completing these processes on the Portal and give our teams all the details we need to complete the process on your behalf. 

Updates on assessments and results 

All external assessments are continuing, including on-demand Functional Skills assessments, and timetabled CACHE external assessments. From Monday 12 January, Functional Skills assessment results have returned to their usual 6-day turnaround for online and paper-based assessments.  

While the Portal is unavailable, we’ve made alternative arrangements for upcoming CACHE assessments to allow your learners to complete them as scheduled.  

Read more on our service continuity webpage. 

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Term-time checkpoints (timely delivery of VTQ results) 

Following the recent cyber security incident, we let you know that the first term-time checkpoint will no longer take place. You don’t have to complete any actions in relation to this change.  

We will instead proceed with a single term-time checkpoint. That checkpoint will open on Monday 23 March 2026 and close on Thursday 30 April 2026.  

Please share this update with exams officers, curriculum teams, and senior leaders. For full details, including qualifications in scope, information we need from you, and FAQs, visit our term-time checkpoints webpage.  

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Qualifications updates and withdrawals  

View this month’s Horizons update for the latest qualification changes and withdrawals.  

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Artificial intelligence 

Download our new guide: how to use AI with confidence when marking 

Thinking about using AI to support marking and feedback, but unsure where to start? Our new guidance – Using AI with Confidence – gives you clear, practical advice to help you use AI tools effectively, ethically and with confidence. Download this resource now.

You can also catch up on our webinar that took place in November, to hear directly from our experts. Catch up now.  

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Updates for exams officers 

Read the latest news and updates for exams officers here. 

What does the Royal Mail and Parcelforce merger mean for the secure dispatch of scripts (yellow label) service?  

In August 2025, Royal Mail and Parcelforce announced their merger and decision to move to a new single delivery network, which involves an integration of their IT systems.  

We’ve been working with Parcelforce and Royal Mail to mitigate the impact of any changes to our current yellow label process, which is currently operated by Parcelforce. The existing systems and process will remain in place until March 2026, and we’ll let you know about any future changes to the process and timeframes. We can confirm that the service will continue under Royal Mail into summer 2026, meaning that although the provider details may change, the service will still work as planned for returning your assessment papers. 

In the meantime, if you have any specific questions, please contact our Assessment Delivery team by email at [email protected].  

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Supporting your delivery 

Our teams are running lots of events this term to support you and your colleagues. Click the links below to discover what’s coming up and register your place: 

• Functional Skills events, including: 

• • Exploring the Level 2 Functional Skills English assessment  

• • CPD maths: unlocking underpinning skills 

• • Teach, Share, Transform: focus on SEND 

• Internal Quality Assurance (IQA training) 

• Assessor training 

• T Level events  

Discover all our events and training 

Education and Early Years student conference: the professional education and early years educator 

Our next student conference, taking place on Thursday 12 February, will bring together professionals from across education and childcare to discuss professional practice and to support your learners in their career journey.  Suitable for learners on any early years, education or childcare qualifications. 

Sign up your learners now 

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Qualification-specific updates 

• Functional Skills  

• T Levels  

• V Certs 

Horizons archive

Explore our Horizons portfolio archive below.