Release of 2025-26 V Cert non-exam assessment (NEA) materials
Your assessment materials for our V Cert non-exam assessments (NEA) are now available to download.
What qualifications have an NEA?
- NCFE CACHE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Child Development and Care in the Early Years (603/7012/9)
- NCFE CACHE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Health and Social Care (603/7013/0)
- NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Business and Enterprise (603/7004/X)
- NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Creative Design and Production (603/7003/8)
- NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Engineering (603/7006/3)
- NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Food and Cookery (603/7014/2)
- NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Graphic Design (603/7011/7)
- NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Health and Fitness (603/7007/5)
- NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Interactive Media (603/7005/1)
- NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Music Technology (603/7008/7)
- NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Sports Studies (603/7010/5)
How do I access the NEA briefs?
To access the live NEA, your learners need to be registered in the current assessment window, then you can follow the below steps:
- log in to the Portal
- go to the 'Bookings' tab and click ‘View Assessments’
- search for a batch number or product code to find students on the relevant qualification/assignment
- select all learners by checking the box
- scroll to the bottom and click ‘View Bookings’
- click on the desired component and a drop down will appear
- click the material link to download it.
Please ensure that this is the version you are delivering to learners, and the watermarked draft version that you may have previously downloaded is deleted.
FAQs following the clarification window
Thank you to everyone who asked questions via our form during the clarification window. Read our FAQs to view the answers to the common queries.
Now the assessment is live, we may be unable to answer questions about the materials directly as this could potentially compromise the integrity of the exam. Additionally, responding to individual queries may disadvantage other learners and centres if we cannot provide the same information to all participants at the same time.
We published a watermarked draft of each NEA ahead of releasing the final version that you can deliver to learners. We implemented this clarification window to allow you to submit your questions before the assessment goes live. This process enables us to collate all enquiries and share comprehensive answers with all centres at the same time, ensuring fairness and consistency.
Please ensure the draft versions are not shared with learners.
The non-exam assessment (NEA) is a formal synoptic assessment that requires learners to independently apply an appropriate selection of knowledge, understanding, skills and techniques, developed through the full course of study, to a real-world situation.
Before the NEA, learners are given a project brief related to their chosen sector and will carry out a synoptic project based on this. Synoptic assessment is an important part of a high-quality vocational qualification because it shows that learners have achieved a holistic understanding of the sector.
The summer 2026 pack contains the live assessment materials, including a learner version and a centre version, which contains a mark scheme.
To access the live NEA, your learners need to be registered on the current assessment window, then follow the below steps:
- log in to the Portal
- go to the 'Bookings' tab and click ‘View Assessments’
- search for a batch number or product code to find students on the relevant qualification/assignment
- select all learners by checking the box
- scroll to the bottom and click ‘View Bookings’
- click on the desired component and a drop down will appear
- click the material link to download it.
Read more in the Portal User Guide.