Key Dates Schedule for 2024-25 and 2025-26 | NCFE

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Key Dates Schedule for 2024-25 and 2025-26

Our new Key Dates Schedule for 2024-25 and 2025-26 is now available, to help with your planning.  

Access the new Key Dates Schedule  

The revised schedule takes into consideration your feedback that we gathered throughout the consultation process. See below what we’ve actioned as a result of this feedback: 

  • We’ve altered the Digital Business Services Occupational Specialism (Data Technician) dates to ensure all Occupational Specialism tasks can be completed prior to commencement of Employer Set Project. 
  • We’ve altered the Education and Early Years Occupational Specialisms (both pathways) dates to ensure all Occupational Specialism tasks can be completed prior to commencement of the Employer Set Project.  
  • We’ve altered the assessment start time for summer 2025 Core A paper for Education and Early Years to avoid clashes with high-volume GCSE examinations. 
  • We’ve extended the Health Employer Set Project summer 2026 window from 2 weeks to 3 weeks, to mitigate against increased provider workload to accommodate an increase in student numbers. 
  • We’ve altered the Healthcare Science Occupational Specialism (Assisting with Healthcare Science) dates to minimise overlap between the completion of the Occupational Specialism assignments and commencement of the Employer Set Project. 
  • Ahead of each assessment series, we’ll create a calendar of key dates for each qualification, which we’ll publish on our website and incorporate additional and complementary assessment-related information to support your planning and preparation. 
  • We’ve consulted with JCQ on high-volume qualifications to mitigate against timetable clashes with key GCSE and GCE assessments. 
  • We’ve amended the digital evidence upload process to minimise the impact on you, including: 
    • extending the upload timeframe from 2 working days to 3 working days 
    • having a designated point of contact for queries 
    • opening the window for upload prior to the end of assessment 
    • providing detailed guidance for uploading video and large file content.   

We’ll continue gathering feedback on our Key Dates Schedule throughout 2024-25, in order to achieve the necessary balance between the principles of assessment structure and design, and the delivery needs and resource limitations within and across providers. 

Access the new Key Dates Schedule