Ofqual has confirmed the guiding principles with which awarding organisations (AOs) must comply when making decisions around adaptations to vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) in 2020-21.

These regulatory changes have been implemented to allow adaptations to qualifications because students may have experienced or may experience disruption to teaching, learning and assessment because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ofqual’s guidance for adaptations to VTQs covers four principles:

1. As far as possible, AOs must seek to ensure that adaptations assist with mitigating the impact on teaching, learning or assessments caused by the pandemic for students taking that qualification.
2. AOs must seek to ensure, as far as possible, that adaptations to qualifications do not advantage or disadvantage learners taking that qualification against their peers taking general qualifications.
3. AOs must seek to ensure that the validity and reliability of adapted qualifications are sufficiently maintained.
4. AOs must seek to maintain standards, as far as possible, with the same qualification in line with previous years, and across similar qualifications from other AOs.

These announcements follow two Ofqual consultations in August and September.

Further Ofqual advice for teachers, learners, parents and employers on the adaptation of VTQs in 2020-21 is available here.