Key Dates Schedule consultation: we need your feedback  

Key Dates Schedule consultation: we need your feedback  

We need your feedback on the content and structure of our 2025-26 and 2026-27 Key Dates Schedule. Read more below and share your feedback before Friday 9 May.    

To support you to understand some of the changes and additions to this version, as well as addressing some areas of previous feedback received, we’ve provided the following guidance for you to consider prior to reviewing and submitting feedback. 

Process and work to this point  

• We’ve worked with other awarding organisations offering T Levels to ensure our Key Dates Schedule consultation periods align.   

• We’ve worked with other awarding organisations to ensure that core exam set date and time assessments avoid overlap for all but the lowest volume qualifications.  

• We publish our Key Dates Schedule two years in advance, whereas the GCSE and A Level timetable is published only one year in advance. Therefore, we’re aware there may be some clashes between T Levels and GCSE and A Levels but will manage these where possible. 

Changes and additions   

2025-26 changes  

• We’ve amended the assessment date for the T Level Technical Qualification in Education and Early Years Core A to 4 June 2026 from the previously published 5 June 2026 to avoid a clash with GCSE English Language. 

• We’ve amended the start time of the T Level Technical Qualification in Healthcare Science Core A assessment 1pm on 10 June 2026. This is a change to the previously published start time of 9am on 10 June 2026 to avoid a clash with GCSE Mathematics. 

• We’ve amended the T Level Technical Qualification in Science Occupational Specialisms Laboratory Sciences and Metrology Sciences assignment 3 assessment dates to 18 May 2026 – 22 May 2026 to allow assignments to align with other occupational specialisms for this qualification.  

Easter 2026 and 2027  

• Easter holidays always present a challenge when timetabling assessments, and is especially noteworthy in 2026, as it falls early in the season. In addition, across the country there are always varying timings for Easter and other half-term holidays.  

• We prepare our Key Dates Schedule to avoid a 3-week period covering the most common Easter holidays across the country, meaning Easter is a driver for some variation in dates between 2026 and 2027, and when compared to previous assessment dates.  

• Assessments are never scheduled over the Easter holidays; however, this does mean some dates of advanced assessment materials have been moved in the calendar to accommodate this.  

Previous feedback  

We welcome all of your feedback and we want to acknowledge a few things we’re aware of but are unable to change, including:  

• Potential clashes with GCSE and A Level assessments in the summer period is a known concern, but the T Level Key Dates Schedule is published two years in advance, before these general qualification dates are known. We’re working with other awarding organisations to raise awareness of this issue and will continue to manage it through assessment variations, Key Dates Schedule updates, and other regulatory flexibility. 

• The Employer Set Project (ESP) assessment window length has been raised previously, with some providers believing it to be too short. From 2024-25, we’ve extended the Health ESP window to three weeks, and this continues in future dates within this proposed Key Dates Schedule.   

• Overlap between assessments, particularly ESP and Occupational Specialism (OS) windows, has been flagged previously. We’ve worked to avoid this as much as possible, however, we need to balance several considerations. Previous feedback has requested that the OS windows begin later to allow more time for preparation, therefore with a high volume of assessments to timetable and a limited time period in which to schedule them, there are a small number of overlaps which remain but on the basis that to completely remove them would mean some OS windows starting even earlier in the session.  

Who can respond?  

Your feedback is valuable to us, so we encourage all current, approved T Level providers to review the proposed Key Dates Schedule and submit a response. You may wish to submit more than one response on behalf of your organisation, such as one from your exams department focusing on the dates, and another from your teaching department with feedback on the level of detail or other assessment arrangements.  

How can I respond?  

• Review this proposed Key Dates Schedule for 2025-26 and 2026-27 

• Complete this form with all feedback before Friday 9 May.  

After this date, we’ll review your feedback and publish a narrative response ahead of a final version going live on Tuesday 1 July.