Qualifications updates and withdrawals
View this month’s Horizons update for the latest qualification changes and withdrawals.
Updates to the Interactive Media V Cert
We’ve made some small changes to the qualification specification for the NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Interactive Media (603/7005/1). We’ll release version 1.5 in September 2026.
The changes are as follows:
- 3.5 – removed the assessment criterion referencing resolution.
- 3.6 – updated the assessment criteria to reflect the export settings learners select when exporting video, audio and image files.
These updates are simply designed to bring greater clarity and accuracy to the specification. We’ve not introduced new technical content or increased the knowledge requirement for learners.
The revised terminology aligns with common industry usage and real-world practice, reflecting the export options learners routinely encounter in standard media‑production software. These changes ensure the terminology used is accurate and applied consistently throughout the specification, without altering assessment requirements or increasing technical demand.
Occupational standard update
We’ve made small updates to the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Technical Occupational Entry for the Early Years Practitioner (Diploma) (610/4587/1) and NCFE CACHE Level 2 Extended Technical Occupational Entry for the Early Years Practitioner (Diploma) (610/4588/3) qualifications. We’ve done this to reflect revised and/or new knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) within the newly published occupational standard ST0888: Early Years Practitioner Level 2 Version 1.1.
We've also absorbed the Early Years Practitioner (EYP) assessment principles into the overarching 'NCFE assessment principles for adult care, childcare, early years and health qualifications'. You can find this in the mandatory Support Handbook, and the delivery and assessment guidance sections in each unit have been updated accordingly.
You’ll need to deliver the new version of the qualification specification (version 2.0) to any learners registered after Monday 3 August 2026.
If you have any queries, please contact our Customer Support team.
Deadline for making certificate claims (does not apply to T Levels or V Certs)
If you have learners registered on vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) with planned end dates this summer, the deadline to make claims for learners who aren't awaiting an external assessment result is Thursday 16 July.
If you've already claimed certificates for your learners and are waiting for an External Quality Assurer to accept your claims, no further action is required at this time.
If you still have learners who require their result on Thursday 13 August and you haven’t claimed their certificates, please check the Portal User Guide for instructions and take the following actions as soon as possible:
- If you're ready to claim certificates for your learners, you can claim these on the Portal certification screen.
- If you're not ready to claim certificates for your learners, please extend their planned end date to the new expected completion date in the Portal, My Learners, then Manage Learners screen.
- If any of your learners will be resitting any external assessments, you need to book these on the Portal bookings screen.
- If any of your learners are no longer expected to complete the qualification, please withdraw them through the manage learner screen on the Portal, or make a partial claim if they've completed part of the qualification.
Learners awaiting external results after Thursday 16 July
For learners registered on NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education (Early Years Educator) awaiting an external assessment result on Tuesday 4 August, we’ll contact your centre’s exams contact directly on the day your results are issued, reminding you to make your claims where applicable.
Reminder to keep your senior designated contacts up to date
If any of your senior designated contacts have changed since your submission earlier this year, you must update your details here.
Updates for exams officers
Read the latest news and updates for exams officers here.
On this page you’ll find all the key information to support you in your role, including timetables, a key dates calendar and FAQs, as well as monthly updates to ensure you’re kept up to date with any changes, events and training opportunities.
Supporting your delivery
New V Cert Assessor and Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) training
Starting in October 2026, you'll be able to book Assessor and IQA training specifically for V Cert qualifications.
This is a fantastic opportunity to explore the assessment and IQA processes related to the Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) through a virtual meeting of subject teachers. This event will allow you to:
- explore the general principles of the assessment and IQA process in relation to the NEA
- understand what we expect from Assessors and IQAs
- get to know our paperwork and processes
- highlight and share good practice
- meet and network with other practitioners.
Please note that discussion will not relate to current live NEA assessment materials.
This training is suitable for anyone involved in the assessment and IQA of the qualification, whether you’re assessing our qualifications for the first time or you’re an experienced assessor who requires CPD.
Book here
Skills for Care - support webinar
Skills for Care would like to invite you to a webinar designed to support training providers working, or considering working, within the adult social care sector to deliver learning and qualifications.
Adult care qualifications: What training providers need to know – Wednesday 1 July, 2-3pm
Aimed at:
- training providers currently delivering adult social care qualifications
- training providers planning to deliver regulated qualifications
- employers within the adult social care sector who want to understand more about qualification pathways and provider support.
This session will explore the latest developments in adult care qualifications and the support available for organisations delivering, or planning to deliver, regulated qualifications.
Find out more and book your place
Qualification-specific updates
- Functional Skills - visit this webpage for the latest Functional Skills updates, including upcoming events and a reminder to book your External Quality Assurance (EQA) review as soon as possible as availability for this session is now extremely limited.
