V Cert service messages

Your monthly update (September 2025) 

Below you’ll find your monthly update for September 2025, including our NEA draft release, a reminder on the introduction of late registration fees, our 2025-26 and 2026-27 Assessment Timetable, and upcoming events with our Provider Development team, as well as our new podcast. 

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Summer 2025 post-results services 

Summer 2025 V Cert results were released to learners on Thursday 21 August, and there’s still time to consider one of our JCQ aligned post-results options.  

Our post-results services are available to support learners should they or you have any queries relating to their assessment results, and our deadline for requesting these are:  

All requests relating to the external assessment can be submitted through the Portal, or use the form on our website to request a review of moderation, where you will also find further details on each category.  

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V Cert draft assessment material is now available  

We wanted to let you know that the DRAFT assessment materials for the upcoming non-exam assessments for our V Certs are now available. You can access these materials in the Portal. Read more on our NEA webpage on how to access these materials. 

We’ve published this watermarked draft ahead of releasing the final version that you can deliver to learners. We’ll publish the final, live assessment on Wednesday 1 October.   

We’re taking this approach to give you time to review the content and ask any clarifying questions before your delivery to learners begins.   

Once you’ve reviewed the draft NEA, you can ask any clarification questions to us through this form. The clarification window closes on Tuesday 16 September, and you’ll no longer be able to ask questions about the assessment from this point. We’ll review all the questions we’ve received and respond on our website when the final NEA is published on Wednesday 1 October. Please note, there may be instances where queries can’t be answered, due to regulatory requirements.  

Please note: the draft assessment materials must not be shared with learners.  

Read more on our NEA webpage. 

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New for 2025-2026: V Cert late registration fees 

As of Friday 1 August 2025, we’ve introduced new V Cert late, and very late registration fees for registrations made past Saturday 31 January 2026. This will help us to ensure we have the resource to quality assure your learners’ work in a timely manner and ensures that we can best support you during periods of high demand. 

Read more information on learner start dates and late registration fees on our fees webpage.  

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Updated assessment timetable for 2025-26   

We’ve updated our timetable for all V Cert qualifications with an assessment for 2025-26 and 2026-27. View the timetable.  

Since the consultation period and previous version of this document, we’ve:  

• Included details of V Cert registration cut-off dates for the next two sessions. The deadline for registrations for summer 2026 is Saturday 31 January 2026. Please note that from summer 2027 onwards, the deadline will be 31 January of the first year of the standard two-year delivery of these qualifications.  

• Provided clarity that V Cert booking cut-off dates and NEA submission dates are 30 April for the year of assessment. 

• Changed dates for three of our summer 2026 V Cert external assessments to avoid clashes with high-volume GCSE exams.   

The qualifications impacted are:   

We’ve changed the dates above to support you to deliver these assessments while in an already busy period, and we’ve aimed to avoid clashes and minimise impact on learners. Please ensure that your exams administration teams are aware.  

If you have any queries, please contact our Assessment Delivery team via email at [email protected].    

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Events from our Provider Development team 

Join our Provider Development team for upcoming events, including an in-person standardisation event in November. 

V Cert drop-in clinic and Q&A session: Getting started with V Certs Level 1/2 Technical Awards, support session for new educators  

If you're new to delivering V Certs, this session is for you. Join Beth and Rachel, our Provider Development Officers, for a friendly, practical introduction to the V Cert Level 1/2 Technical Awards. Whether you're just getting started or planning your first delivery, we’ll help you build a solid understanding of what’s involved.  

Date and time: Wednesday 10 September, 3:30pm – 4:30pm 

Sign-up today  

You're invited: V Certs Level 1/2 Technical Awards face-to-face standardisation event 

Join us for a full-day, in-person training event focused on standardisation and best practice in assessment. Our Provider Quality and Development teams will be present to answer any of your questions. This is a fantastic opportunity to meet with other practitioners, and learn about, or expand your knowledge and understanding of, our qualifications and assessment practice. This event will give you a chance to: 

• deepen your understanding of assessment processes 

• gain clarity on assessor expectations 

• familiarise yourself with our documentation and procedures 

• share and learn from best practice examples 
• build connections with other professionals in the field. 

Date: Tuesday 19 November Location: Priory Street Centre, 15 Priory Street, York YO1 6ET   

Who should attend?  This training is suitable for anyone assessing our qualifications, whether:  

• new to assessment 

• assessing our qualifications for the first time 

• an experienced assessor seeking CPD. 

Please note that this training is generic across qualifications and not subject-specific. Colleagues and trainers will be from a wide range of sectors. If you require subject-specific training, please refer to our training pages.   

Each booking is valid for one delegate only, and only the registered delegate will receive a certificate of attendance.  

Pricing:  

• Early bird special, £95: book by Tuesday 30 September  

• Standard rate, £145: book by the closing date, Thursday 16 October. 

Limited spaces available – book now to avoid missing out! 

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Provider Development podcast: All about V Certs   

"Helping you make the most of your V Certs – one episode at a time."   

Welcome to All About V Certs, the go-to podcast for busy teachers delivering NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Awards. The podcast will be hosted by our experienced Provider Development Officers, Rachel and Beth. Each bite-sized episode, just 15 to 20 minutes long, is packed with practical insights, top tips, and expert guidance on all things V Certs.   

We’ll start off by releasing an episode every month, designed to fit into your packed schedule, while giving you the support and answers you need. Whether you're new to these qualifications or looking to improve your delivery, we’re here to help you teach with confidence and clarity. Tune in, take what you need, and make V Certs work for you!   

Subscribe today for monthly episodes 

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Follow us on WhatsApp 

Never miss a deadline or upcoming action by signing up to receive reminders directly on your phone via our WhatsApp channel. These will include a clear recap of what you need to do and by when, as well as any links, to save you time and ensure you’re always in the know!  

Join our WhatsApp channel  

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Standardisation materials for V Certs 

We’ve listened to your feedback, and standardisation materials will now be available directly on our website rather than via the NCFE Portal. This change is designed to reduce barriers, improve efficiency, and make access quicker and simpler for all centres. 

The internal standardisation materials will be available to download from the beginning of October 2025, within the qualifications area, located under Support Materials for each separate qualification. This CPD package is designed to bring your teams together to align assessment decisions and expectations for internally assessed, externally moderated components. It will also provide an opportunity for reflection and reference to the appropriate NCFE Chief Examiner/Chief Moderator Reports from summer 2025. 

The internal standardisation materials should be accessed by everyone involved in the delivery and assessment of the qualifications and used as part of your annual standardisation activities. 

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