Please see below the latest service messages relevant to our Level 1/2 Technical Awards (V Certs).
Updated on [04/02/2026]
Below you’ll find your monthly update for February 2026, including V Cert Drop-In Q&A and Qualifications updates and withdrawals.
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Please review our V Certs key dates document. It includes important dates for the summer 2026 assessment series, along with details of the activities required at each stage and guidance on where to find the support you need.
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Join our Provider Development team for upcoming events, including a drop-in Q&A next month. We’re also sharing details on how you can subscribe to the new V Certs podcast!
V Cert drop-in Q&A with Rachel and Beth: key information for year 10 and year 11 delivery
Join Provider Development Officers, Rachel and Beth, for an open Q&A session focused on delivering V Cert Level 1/2 Technical Awards across both years 10 and 11. Whether you're teaching one group or managing delivery across both year groups, this session will help you feel more confident about what’s expected and how to stay on track.
Date and time: Wednesday 10 March, 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Podcast: Welcome to All About V Certs
The go-to podcast for busy teachers delivering NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Awards. Hosted by our experienced Provider Development Officers, Rachel and Beth, each bite-sized episode (just 15–20 minutes long) is packed with practical insights, top tips, and expert guidance on all things V Certs.
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Thank you for your continued patience whilst we’ve been fully restoring our services following the cyber incident we experienced late last year. We’re pleased to share with you that the NCFE Portal will be available for you to use, with full functionality, from Monday 9 February.
As you’re aware from our previous communications, we proactively closed access to the Portal as a precautionary measure as soon as we learned of the incident, and this enabled our IT team, working with specialist cyber security partners, to complete rigorous testing of the platform, putting in place additional security protocols for you to use the Portal with confidence. The only change that you may notice is that the Portal will only be available from 6am until 10pm GMT (rather than 24/7), to allow us to actively monitor the platform. This will be in place until at least September 2026 and we'll let you know if we make any changes to these hours.
To support your use of the Portal please refer to the Portal User Guide or you can visit our service continuity webpage for further information and FAQs ahead of Monday 9 February.
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Standardisation training materials are temporarily available to download from our service continuity web page.
These resources provide delivery teams with the opportunity to:
We recommend all staff involved in assessment should complete this training as part of your annual standardisation activities.
Administration training materials are available year-round on our moderation page to support your teams in preparing for the 2025-26 assessment window.
The training consists of a series of short videos covering essential processes, including:
We recommend all colleagues involved in assessment administration complete or revisit these videos regularly to ensure they remain confident and up to date with moderation requirements.
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Come along and join us for our Child Development and Care IQA training event, taking place on Friday 30 January, 1:30-4pm.
This is an opportunity to explore the assessment and IQA processes related to the non-exam assessment (NEA) through a virtual meeting of subject teachers. In this event, we’ll:
No communications for December 2025.
New Assessor and IQA training events available for booking in the 2025-26 session
Sign up to attend one of our V Cert training events: These events are a fantastic opportunity to explore the assessment and IQA processes related to the NEA through a virtual meeting of subject teachers. Attending an event will allow you to:
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 assessing our qualifications for the first time; or even experienced Assessors who require CPD.
Engineering – Monday 8 December 2025 – 16:00-18:30
Engineering – Monday 12 January 2026 – 13:30-16:00
Business and Enterprise – Wednesday 10 December 2025 – 16:00-18:30
Business and Enterprise – Wednesday 14 January 2026 – 10:00-12:30
Health and Social Care – Thursday 4 December 2025 – 16:00-18:30
Health and Social Care – Thursday18 December 2025 – 16:00-18:30
Music Technology – Wednesday 3 December 2025 – 16:00-18:30
Music Technology – Friday 16 January 2026 – 13:30-16:00
Food and Cookery – Monday 1 December 2025 – 16:00-18:30
Food and Cookery – Monday 15 December 2025 – 16:00-18:30
Health and Fitness – Tuesday 16 December 2025 – 16:00-18:30
Health and Fitness – Tuesday 13 January 2026 – 13:30-16:00
Our assessor training events will provide you with an opportunity to:
This training is suitable for anyone assessing our qualifications, whether you are new to assessment, assessing our qualifications for the first time, or even experienced Assessors who require CPD. If you attend this event, you’ll be eligible to receive a digital credential that you can add to your professional development portfolio.
Assessor training – Tuesday 3 February 2026 – 09:30 – 12:30
Assessor training – Tuesday 3 March 2026 – 09:30 – 12:30
Assessor training – Wednesday 22 April 2026 – 09:30 – 12:30
Assessor training – Wednesday 6 May 2026 – 09:30 – 12:30
Assessor training – Wednesday 10 June 2026 – 09:30 – 12:30
Functional Skills Assessor – Wednesday 13 May – 09:30 – 12:30
Please note, this training is generic across our qualifications and not subject specific. Colleagues and trainers will be from a wide range of sectors. If you require subject specific training please see links to Support visits.
Our internal quality assurance (IQA) events will provide you with an opportunity to:
This training is suitable for anyone involved in the IQA process of our qualifications, whether you’re new to IQA, applying it to our qualifications for the first time, or even if you’re an experienced internal quality assurer and require CPD. Delegates who attend this event will be eligible to receive a digital credential that you can add to your professional development portfolio.
IQA training – Tuesday 17 February 2026 09:30 – 12:30
IQA training – Tuesday 17 March 2026 09:30 – 12:30
IQA training – Thursday 23 April 2026 09:30 – 12:30
IQA training – Friday 8 May 2026 09:30 – 12:30
IQA training – Thursday 11 June 2026 09:30 – 12:30
Functional Skills IQA – Thursday 20 November – 09:30 – 12:30
Functional Skills IQA – Wednesday 20 May – 09:30 – 12:30
Functional Skills IQA – Wednesday 8 July – 09:30 – 12:30
Please note, this training is generic across our qualifications and not subject specific. Colleagues and trainers will be from a wide range of sectors. If you require subject specific training please see links to Support visits.
Event information
Each booking is valid for one delegate only, and only the registered delegate will receive confirmation of attendance.
Each event costs £75 per delegate and is delivered via Microsoft Teams as an interactive session.
All the above events are delivered remotely via Microsoft Teams, please ensure you have a mic, camera and chat availability to partake in the discussions.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the team on [email protected].
No V Certs communication for October 2025.
No V Certs communication for September 2025.
