Updated on [12/11/2026]
As we shared last month, we’ve now combined all our essential regulatory, qualification and assessment updates for all product areas into one central area of our website.
We’ll 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 key information.
Remember to register your learners to avoid late registration fees
We wanted to send a reminder about our late registration fees to ensure you have all the information you need to register your learners on time and avoid additional charges where you can. Read more in our fees and pricing guide and make your registrations on our Portal.
Please note that late registration fees for T Level students will be charged for registrations after 1 November 2026.
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We’re pleased to introduce basedata and electronic data interchange (EDI) at NCFE, an important step forward in how we support you with registrations, entries, and results management. Read more.
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Did you know? Many of our qualification pages include a range of useful learning resources to support delivery and achievement. Whether you're looking for guidance, teaching materials or additional support documents, visit the relevant qualification page to explore the resources available.
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Visit our timely delivery of results webpage for this year’s term-time checkpoints process. We’ll have contacted you separately if you’re in scope and need to complete this process.
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Please ensure you’ve booked your external quality assurance review with your EQA for each Quality Assurance (QA) Group you have learners registered. Availability becomes limited in spring/summer so by booking now you can secure your preferred dates.
If you’re delivering qualifications in scope for the term-time checkpoints process, and have learners who will need their results on Level 3 results day, then your reviews must take place by 30 June 2027.
If the contact details have changed for anyone at your centre, please let us know by using this form.
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View this month’s Horizons update for the latest qualification changes and withdrawals. This is an essential read to ensure you don’t miss any information about qualifications that may be withdrawn.
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It’s important we have the correct contact information for key colleagues within your centre. Please let us know if you’ve had any recent changes in personnel within your organisation.
The main contacts we’ll use to communicate important information regarding moderation are head of centre, exams officer/administrator and programme contact. Should you wish to make any changes please contact [email protected] or update us via this change your contact details form on our website.
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We're delighted to share that we've now submitted our draft qualification materials to Ofqual for our new V Level and Level 2 qualifications, marking another important milestone as we work towards their launch in September 2027.
You can view our draft qualification specifications for our V Levels on our dedicated qualification webpages, alongside recordings of our recently delivered webinars. These resources are designed to help you understand the qualifications and support your curriculum planning and preparations for delivery.
Level 2 qualification specifications and webinar recordings will be available soon. In the meantime, you can visit the qualification webpages to learn more about the qualifications.
Your next steps
As you start thinking about your curriculum offer for September 2027, we're here to help you prepare.
There are two key ways you can access further guidance and support:
Visit the relevant qualification webpage to access the draft specification and recordings of our recent webinars:
Our team is available to talk through your plans, answer your questions and provide further guidance to support your preparations for delivery.
Book your one-to-one curriculum consultation
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Read the latest news and updates for exams officers here.
JCQ guidance review: exams officer focus groups
We’d like to let you know that JCQ has commissioned Avencera to complete further work to support a review of key JCQ guidance: ICE, General Regulations, Malpractice and Special Consideration. This work will be completed by the end of the year.
JCQ wants to hear exams officers’ perspectives as guidance is shaped for the future, on how the guidance is used in practice and suggestions for improvements.
There will be a focus group session taking place on Tuesday 17 November, which you can register for here.
If you have any questions about the focus groups, please contact Alison Groombridge.
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T Level autumn assessment series: what you need to know
Remember to visit our website to read essential information about the upcoming T Level assessment series, focusing on the core exams and employer set projects (ESP) that students will be completing this autumn. Please visit our autumn assessment series webpage for more details on:
Visit our autumn assessment series webpage
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T Levels will be available from September 2027 to young adults aged 19 to 23 who haven’t yet achieved their first full Level 3 qualification.
Students will complete the full T Level programme, including the technical qualification and industry placement. The qualification content and assessment requirements will remain the same as those for students aged 16 to 19.
Funding will be through the Adult Skills Fund, with further details on eligibility and funding arrangements to follow. In devolved areas, Strategic Authorities will determine local funding arrangements.
You can read more in the DfE’s Post-16 pathways implementation plan.
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We want you to feel confident and prepared for moderation. View the timeline for T Level delivery and moderation in 2026-27 here.
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We released this year’s standardisation training last month, which is mandatory for T Level providers to complete. You can find these materials on the relevant T Level qualification page, under ‘Support Materials’ and can use them as part of a CPD package within your centre.
These training materials are mandatory and provide an opportunity for delivery teams to look in more detail at the tutor guidance document and marking bands, allowing them time to discuss and develop a standardised approach. This will support you and your colleagues to have confidence that you’re marking consistently and to allow successful preparation for the assessment window.
The training session should be led by your centre’s lead IQA and be part of annual standardisation activities.
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Administration training materials are available year-round on our moderation page to support your teams in preparing for the 2026/27 assessment window.
The training consists of a series of short videos covering essential processes, including how to:
We recommend all colleagues involved in assessment administration should view or complete or revisit these videos regularly to ensure they remain confident and up to date with moderation requirements.
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Schedule of assessment guidance
Once you’ve booked your second-year students onto the occupational specialism of their choice (Early Years Educator or Assisting Teaching), you’ll be able to submit a schedule of assessment for each student via the Portal. The allocated Moderator will use the schedule of assessment to plan moderation visits for Assignment 2 (Generation 1) or Assignment 1 (Generation 2) of the occupational specialism.
The schedule of assessment captures:
Please follow the guidance below when using the Portal:
For further guidance, please refer to the T Level Portal and Online Assessment User Guide.
Please contact our Customer Support team if you have any queries [email protected].
Supporting high-quality Education and Early Years T Level delivery with free resources
We're working in partnership with Gatsby’s Technical Education Networks (TEN) to provide free, employer-informed resources and Communities of Practice that support the delivery of high-quality Education and Early Years T Levels. Through this collaboration, teachers can access practical teaching materials, curriculum planning tools and a national peer network, helping bring industry context into the classroom and support positive learner outcomes. Find out more now.
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Education and Early Years Teacher and Assessor Networks: Working together for student success – Wednesday 25 November 1:30-3pm
The purpose of this Education and Early Years Teacher and Assessor Network is to allow for supported networking opportunities for staff involved in the assessment of Assignment 1 (EYE & AT) parts 1 and 2. Led by NCFE moderators, this session will allow for the sharing of ideas and experiences which share best practice and provider ‘top tips’ for success. There will also be the opportunity to ask questions.
Education and Early Years Assessor Masterclass: Assessment conversations that count – maximising the value of a professional discussion - Thursday 3 December 9:30-11am
Move beyond question-and-answer approaches. Discover how professional discussions can reveal deeper understanding, professional reasoning and decision-making, helping assessors gather richer evidence and make more informed judgements.
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Bring Health T Level learning to life with a new immersive VR resource
Health T Level teachers can now access a new immersive learning resource through Gatsby’s Technical Education Networks (TEN).
Developed in partnership with Metaverse Learning, TEN’s first virtual reality (VR) teaching resource sits within the development, impact and management of disorders topic. Learners step into a realistic home-visit scenario, supporting Millie, a service user living with chronic kidney disease. Using AI and speech recognition, Millie responds to learners’ communication and choices, giving them the opportunity to practise person-centred care, active listening and empathy in a safe environment.
The scenario is free and doesn’t require a VR headset. It works on a desktop computer, laptop or mobile device.
Early feedback from providers has been positive, with a T Level Health student sharing:
‘It was a fun way to learn, and it was useful to see how I interact with patients without having to interact with an actual person.’
A Work Placement Coordinator who had used the resource with a group of students said it helped them prepare for real life care:
‘The interactive questions and answer sections encouraged students to think critically about the actions they would need to take in different situations. This helped them develop their understanding and better prepare for real-life care environments.’
Explore the full suite of free Health T Level resources, including the new VR scenario: www.technicaleducationnetworks.org.uk/health-science/
Have you used the resource with your Health T Level students? Please get in touch with: [email protected]
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If you’ve transitioned to the Generation 2 T Levels in Health and Science with Pearson, you can still make student registrations for cohorts starting this academic year.
Please remember, you must be approved by Pearson to deliver each Technical Qualification you intend to deliver. If you didn’t seek provider approval during the approval window (February – June 2026) please contact Pearson immediately via their service portal and they will support you through the process.
You can also keep up to date with relevant updates via Pearson’s E-Bulletin, sign up here.
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Following the summer 2026 assessment series, we’ve published additional Grade Standard Exemplification Materials (GSEMs) for the occupational specialisms listed below. These materials provide further examples of student evidence to help clarify the standard required at each grade boundary.
T Level Technical Qualification in Healthcare Science (603/7083/X)
2026 – Assisting with Healthcare Science – Assignment 3 – Pass
T Level Technical Qualification in Health (603/7066/X)
2026 – Supporting the Mental Health Team – Assignment 1 – Pass
These GSEMs are now available on the T Level qualification pages on our website (linked above), accessible via ‘Support materials’ on each qualification page and are delivered by NCFE for Gen 1 T Levels.
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Non-exam assessment (NEA) release – summer 2027
On 1 October 2026, we released the non-exam assessment (NEA) briefs for the summer 2027 assessment series. To view these, follow the below instructions:
Remember that we’ve aligned with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) instructions for the setting, supervision, authentication, marking, internal standardisation and external moderation of non-exam assessments (Vocational and Technical Qualifications) in examination centres. These instructions can be viewed on our website.
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For V Certs, late registration or amendment fees will apply to learners registered from 1 February – 30 April during their first academic year on programme (the year before their assessments). This ensures we have the resource to moderate your learners’ work in a timely manner and ensures that we can best support you during periods of high demand. Very late registration or amendment fees will apply to learners registered after 1 May of their first academic year on programme (the year before their assessments).
Read more in our fees and pricing guide and make your registrations on our Portal.
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We want you to feel confident and prepared for moderation. For V Certs, you can view everything you need to know about planning for the summer 2027 NEA here.
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We’ve released this year’s standardisation training last month. You can find these materials on each V Cert qualification page, under ‘Support Materials’ and can be used as part of a CPD package within your centre.
These training materials help to provide an opportunity for provider delivery teams to look in more detail at the tutor guidance document and marking bands, allowing them time to discuss and develop a standardised approach. This will support you and your colleagues to have confidence that you’re marking consistently and to allow successful preparation for the assessment window.
The training session should be led by your centre’s lead IQA and be part of annual standardisation activities.
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Administration training materials are available year-round on our moderation page to support your teams in preparing for the 2026/27 assessment window.
The training consists of a series of short videos covering essential processes, including how to:
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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Join Provider Development Officers Rachel and Beth for a relaxed drop-in session focused on practical delivery support for V Cert Level 1/2 Technical Awards. This is your chance to ask questions and get guidance on key areas of planning and classroom management for the NEA.
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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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Whether you're assessing our qualifications for the first time, or an experienced assessor seeking continuing professional development (CPD), join us at our in-person training event focused on standardisation and best practice in assessment, taking place in Stevenage or Manchester.
Stevenage: Wednesday 13 January 2027
🕘 9am - 4pm
📍Holiday Inn, St. George's Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, SG1 1HS
💷£120
Manchester: Tuesday 23 February 2027
🕘 9am - 4pm
📍The Alan Hotel and Meeting Space, 18 Princess Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom, M1 4LG
💷£120
Assessor and Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) training events for V Certs are available to book
Sign up now to our upcoming training sessions.
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NCFE Functional Skills paper-based bookings over the festive period
With the festive period fast approaching, we’d like to remind you about the last dates when your learners can sit paper-based bookings before the festive break, along with the first date learners can sit in the new year.
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Last assessment date (Paper-based) |
11/12/2026 |
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First assessment date (Paper-based) |
13/01/2027 |
Remember that you have the flexibility to deliver paper-based assessments anytime from when you receive the papers up until three working days after the scheduled assessment date.
You must return completed papers no later than two working days after the assessment has taken place. All papers must be returned to NCFE and you shouldn’t store these over the festive period. If for any reason papers can’t be returned within two days, please ensure they are securely stored in line with the Instructions for conducting Functional Skills assessments (English and Mathematics) and returned at the earliest opportunity.
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CPD Maths: maximising marks in Functional Skills maths assessments, Thursday 10 December 2026 - 3:30-5pm
This free CPD session focuses on effective strategies to help learners achieve maximum marks in Functional Skills maths assessments.
CPD English: Entry Level English Standardisation, Wednesday 9 December – 3:30-5pm
This free CPD session is designed to support consistency and confidence in assessing Entry Level Functional Skills English, with a focus on the Reading and Writing components.
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Assessor and Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) training events are available to book
Sign up now to our upcoming training sessions, using the links below:
Assessor training – this training provides an excellent opportunity to connect with assessment professionals and develop your knowledge and understanding of assessment practices and our qualifications
IQA training – this training provides a place for you to connect with internal quality assurers and further develop your knowledge and understanding internal quality assurance practices and our qualifications.
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New Unreasonable Behaviour Policy
We’re committed to maintaining respectful, professional and constructive relationships with everyone we work with, including centres, learners, customers, partners and other external stakeholders.
We’ve introduced a new Unreasonable Behaviour Policy to set out how we manage unreasonable behaviour towards our colleagues and the impact this may have on their wellbeing and our ability to deliver services effectively.
The Policy outlines what may constitute unreasonable behaviour, how such behaviour will be managed and the measures we may take where necessary and appropriate.
We recognise that stakeholders may have concerns, disagree with decisions or wish to raise complaints. We remain committed to listening to feedback, considering concerns fairly and providing appropriate routes for complaints and appeals. Raising a concern or making a complaint won’t be considered unreasonable behaviour.
We ask everyone engaging with us to treat our colleagues with respect and to work with us to maintain positive and constructive relationships.
Access the policy on our mandatory policies and fees page.
Explore a record of our historic updates about our products, qualifications, processes and more.
Learn moreExplore our Horizons portfolio archive below.
