A guide to what happened with Vocational and Technical Qualifications in summer 2020

Abstract

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the closing of schools across the United Kingdom, and to the cancellation of exams and assessments in England. A large number of learners take Vocational and Technical Qualifications (VTQs) that are offered in a diverse range of subject groups and they can be used to enter the next stage of education, apprenticeships or employment. What VTQs did in response to the cancellation of exams and assessments differed to the approach taken for GCSEs and A Levels because of the differences in the structure and assessments of VTQs and because of the differences between VTQs. In this article, we look at what happened in summer 2020 with VTQs typically taken in schools and colleges. The breadth and diversity of VTQs meant that what works for one type of VTQ would not necessarily work for another, either due to the purpose, design and delivery of the qualifications. The regulator therefore produced an Extraordinary Regulatory Framework with the aim to ensure as much consistency in approach as possible and that included three options: calculate results, adapt assessments, and delay assessments. This article explores each of these options and looks at how and why they were implemented.