V Certs FAQs

'V Cert' is our brand name for our technical award qualifications for schools. We have developed these qualifications in line with the technical guidance provided by the Department for Education (DfE), and these qualifications have been approved to count on KS4 Performance Tables.  

Each V Cert technical award is equivalent to one GCSE and contains both internally and externally assessed elements.  

V Certs are recognised by the DfE as technical awards.  

Each V Cert consists of two components: an external assessment and a non-examined assessment (NEA). There is one series of assessments every year, with NEA marks to be submitted on 30 April and the external assessment timetabled in May or June. 

Learners have to complete both V Cert assessments in the same series in order to certificate. There are no resits and no opportunity to carry achievement on one component forward to another series. 

Further V Cert assessment support can be found here. You can also look at key dates in our assessment timetable.  

Schools can deliver any existing age-appropriate qualification – please visit the Government's list of qualifications approved for funding page for further information. However, if you're looking for qualifications that are included in the Key Stage 4 performance tables, then you will need to choose a qualification from the list published by the Department for Education. 

Our V Cert technical awards are on the DfE list, and each is equivalent to one GCSE. 

Yes, the Department for Education (DfE) has approved our V Cert Technical Award qualifications for KS4 performance tables. Please refer to our Performance Tables Quick Guide for more information. 

The full list of technical awards approved for the KS4 performance tables can be found on this page on their website.  

The list of qualifications that attract performance points can be found on the Department for Education's website. This is updated every year. 

All Level 1/2 V Cert Technical Awards are graded from Level 1 Pass through to Level 2 Distinction* and are equivalent to GCSE grades 1 to 8.5. Please see the grading table below. 

Qualifications are assigned a discount code by the Department for Education (DfE) to show where one qualification discounts another because the content of each qualification is deemed too similar. 

If a learner completes two qualifications that have the same discount code, even though the learner still gains both qualifications, only one of those qualifications will count towards the Key Stage 4 Performance Tables. For example, if a learner completes both the GCSE in Physical Education and the V Cert in Sports Studies, only one of these qualifications will count in the Performance Tables.

The DfE updates the discount codes every year. See the DfE's website for further information. 

Qualifications taken from Year 7 onwards can count in the Key Stage Performance Tables once the learner reaches the end of Key Stage 4. 

However, the early entry policy comes into effect from Year 9. 

This means if a learner completes a Level 1 qualification in Year 7 or 8 and completes the Level 2 qualification in Year 9 or 10, then their best result from either the Level 1 or Level 2 qualification will count in the Performance Tables.  

However, if the learner completes both the Level 1 and Level 2 qualification in Year 9 or later, then it is their first entry that will be reported in the Performance Tables.  

The specification for each qualification provides guidance on the experience and qualifications needed to deliver and assess the qualification, but it isn’t intended to be exhaustive or definitive. Examples of relevant qualifications and occupational backgrounds are given as benchmarks.  

Other equivalent qualifications or backgrounds may also qualify prospective staff for delivery or assessment roles. Centres must provide sufficient numbers of suitably experienced assessors and internal quality assurers to ensure that qualifications are delivered effectively.

Centres should be aware that it is their responsibility to ensure that all staff involved in the delivery and assessment of our qualifications are suitably qualified. 

Subject-specific qualification specifications can be found on the qualification pages. 

The operational end date is the last date that we can accept registrations for a qualification. We’ll review the qualifications before this date with the intention of extending the accreditation period, subject to any reviews carried out by the Department for Education.

You’ll still have two years from the operational end date to claim your certificates.

For the external assessment, please take a look at our external assessment timetable.  

For the non-examined assessment (NEA), please look at the tutor guide for the qualification – this can be found on the individual qualification pages, under the ‘support materials’ tab, within the teaching/delivery guidance section. Our Moderation page also provides key dates and support to help you plan and deliver the NEA.  

For all V Cert qualifications, learners must be booked onto both the external assessment and non-examined assessment (NEA) at the time of registration. Please note that both paper and online exams are available, so you'll need to select the relevant delivery method appropriate for your learners. Learners are required to sit both assessments in their final year of study. 

Please refer to our Portal User Guide for support.

Yes, learners can sit the external assessment online through Surpass if your centre is approved to deliver online assessments. You can find more information on how to get approval via our online assessment support page. 

If you need to change the booking to paper-based, you’ll need to contact our Customer Support team to make the change no later than two weeks before the date of the external assessment. You should contact them via email at [email protected].

Yes, please visit the relevant qualification page on our website, and you can download these from the ‘Assessment materials’ section.  

Papers for set date/time assessments are sent by our external printers and will arrive three working days before the published date of the assessment.  

All external assessment papers are available via the Portal one hour before the published start time of the assessment, so you can also download/print these if required. Instructions can be found on our support page for accessing assessment material.

For the Level 1/2 Technical Award in Music Technology, pre-release audio files will be available from the Portal 10 working days before the assessment so that you can ensure the files work on the exam equipment.   

For any online assessments, the assessment will be available on the morning of the assessment on the Surpass platform.  

You should follow the advice in our External Assessment Contingency Planning document. If you have any issues, please contact our Assessment Delivery team at [email protected]. 

Our courier, DHL, will attempt to deliver hard copies of assessment papers three times. This will begin three working days before the assessment and continue for the next two working days.    

If you don’t receive papers by the time of assessment, you can access a PDF of the assessment paper via our Portal that you can download, print, and share with learners to ensure the assessment takes place as planned. 

The Yellow Label is included within the assessment pack alongside the Invigilator's Register and assessment papers. If you can't locate the Yellow Label, please contact Customer Support. 

The Invigilator's Register must be completed in full, with all learners marked as present or absent. You don’t need to return blank assessment papers to us. These must be securely destroyed. If no learners attended the assessment, the completed Invigilator's Register must still be returned to confirm attendance status.  

If a learner uses a supplementary answer booklet or submits a word-processed document, the centre number, candidate number, candidate name and qualification title must be clearly written on every additional page. 

All supplementary materials must be returned with the correct learner's assessment. Where multiple answer booklets or supplementary sheets have been used, these should be placed in the correct order and securely included with the learner's script. 

The use of a supplementary answer booklet or word-processed document must be recorded on the Invigilator's Register, along with the total number of additional pages submitted by the learner. 

The supplementary answer booklet is available on the qualification page under the 'Assessment Materials' tab. We also accept JCQ or equivalent supplementary answer sheets. 

We have released a draft version to support you with the delivery and planning of the NEA, allowing you to review and gain clarification on any points, prior to delivery commencing. 

No, the draft version must not be used to begin delivery; this would be deemed as malpractice. The draft must not be shared with learners; this would be deemed as a maladministration.   

The draft NEA is a near-final version.  

The draft NEA will be watermarked as a draft, and only the centre version of the assessment will be released in this format. Once the clarification period has ended, the draft version will be removed from the portal and replaced with the live assessment materials. 

The submission date for learner marks will be 30 April each academic year (or the closest working day to this date). This ensures sufficient time for moderation and supports the accurate and timely release of overall grades in line with the published results release date.     

If you have questions about the live assessment after the clarification window has ended, please refer to the clarification questions and responses available on the Portal for the qualification. For additional information regarding V Cert delivery or regulatory requirements, please refer to the JCQ guidance document. 

Once the assessment material is live, we may be unable to answer questions about the materials directly, as this could potentially compromise the integrity of the assessment. Additionally, responding to individual queries after the finalised assessment is live may disadvantage other learners and centres if we cannot provide the same information to all centres at the same time. 

We designed the clarification window to allow you to submit questions before the assessment goes live. This process means we can collate all enquiries and share comprehensive answers with all centres at the same time, ensuring fairness and consistency. 

Learners need to have a booking in place, and all teaching and learning should have been delivered before learners start the live assessment. The NEA assessment will be available to download from the assessment booking area of the Portal, from 1 October each session. 

The live NEA briefs will be released on 1 October each session. You can only access the NEA if you have a valid booking for your learners.

You’ll need to have registered and booked your learners on the current assessment window, before following the below steps to access the materials: 

• Log in to the Portal. 
• Go to 'Bookings' tab and click 'View Assessments'. 
• Search for batch number or product code. 
• Select all relevant learners. 
• Click 'View Bookings'. 
• Click the appropriate component from the drop-down menu. 
• Download via the material link. 

This process can be found in the Portal User Guide.  

We’re now aligned with the JCQ Non-Examined Assessment (Vocational and Technical Qualifications) guidance. You can find information about this on our mandatory policies page.  

Yes. Please visit the qualification page on our website and you can download them from the ‘assessment materials’ section.

Yes, additional time is allowed for the NEA where appropriate. The allocated time for each NEA is outlined in the tutor guidance for the qualification. If a learner is entitled to extra time as a reasonable adjustment for external assessments, this can also be applied to the NEA without the need for prior approval.  

However, any reasonable adjustments must reflect a learner’s normal way of working. All reasonable adjustments must be recorded on our Reasonable adjustment tracking document and centres must keep this evidence available for inspection. Details of the adjustments applied should also be included on the evidence upload checklist alongside learner evidence and submitted via the Portal.

Yes. The two-hour preparation and research period is open book. This means learners can use relevant resources such as textbooks, notes, teaching and learning materials, the internet, and other published sources. Learners should use this time to create their own research support pack for use during the NEA. Supervisors must not direct learners’ research or provide templates or writing frames. Further guidance can be found in the Tutor Guidance document and assessment materials available via the Portal. 

Learners can only use the internet for the completion of NEA tasks where the brief states it is allowed.

Each learner must list their browsing history for each task which allows internet access. The supervisor is responsible for making sure all learners begin each task and session with a cleared browsing history. At the end of the supervised session, the supervisor should get a record of each learner’s internet browsing history by selecting the relevant history tab in the browser toolbar. A learner’s browsing history should be clearly attributable to the individual learner who completed it. Acceptable formats include a screenshot of the learner’s history, an IT-based report or a typed/written list of websites accessed during the session such as in the example below:

Record of internet browsing history 

Learner Name: XXXX XXXX  

Learner number: 106xxx  

Qualification: NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in Food and Cookery (603/7014/2)  

Assessment series: Summer 2025  

No, learners should only be provided with the learner version of the NEA brief. Centre staff should not provide any additional resources or support, such as a template/writing frame or set of questions that could be seen to assist learners. 

The specification is not a list of everything which could be included in the NEA tasks – it is an overview of the vital components and content which should be included in teaching the qualification. In industry, there will be differences in the processes and/or equipment that are used, so teachers will need to apply the specification to context and include specific detail regarding what could be used in the industry.

If a learner is absent from one or more supervised assessment sessions, they should be given the opportunity to make up any missed time. The assessment window has been designed to provide centres with sufficient flexibility to implement their contingency arrangements in such circumstances.  

Where no specific recommendations are provided, learners should select the software or equipment which is capable of allowing them to access all elements of the specification and undertake the assessment effectively. Teachers should refer to the guidance and NEA brief for further information.   

Yes, centres must retain learners’ research support packs and upload them with learner evidence to NCFE if selected for moderation. Required evidence for upload can be found on the Evidence Upload Checklist, which is in your assessment materials, downloaded from the bookings area of the Portal.

No, teachers should not use live NEA content or tasks as examples – the skills should be covered in the delivery of all content areas contained in the subject specifications. Under no circumstances should indicative content or live mark schemes be shared with learners; this would be seen as malpractice.

Learner evidence can be submitted in any file format accepted by the NCFE portal. Where evidence is provided in a single document, centres should clearly identify which work relates to each task. If evidence is submitted across multiple files, each file should be labelled with the learner's name, NCFE learner number and task number. 

For learners selected for moderation, all required evidence must be uploaded, including the assessor feedback document and student research pack. 

Further support and a full list of accepted file formats is available here. 

No, teachers must follow the tutor guidance and the NEA brief. Changing when learners carry out research would be considered malpractice. 

The two-hour preparation and research must be completed before any assessment tasks are shared with learners. During this time, learners may use classroom notes, textbooks and the internet to support their research. Any research requirements relating to the assessment tasks will be clearly detailed within the assessment materials, along with any permitted sources that learners may use. 

The tutor guidance document is available in the NEA pack through the Portal and on the individual qualification pages. You'll need a Portal login to access it. 

If learners have attempted the NEA but haven’t achieved any marks, the marks should be entered as 0. If they have not attempted the task, this should be marked as DNA. If no NEA tasks have been attempted, each task should be entered as DNA, and the learner’s overall mark would be DNA.  

We deliver assessor training sessions throughout the year. Find out more.  

We'll publish provider standardisation training materials for each subject on 1 October of each session in the ‘Support’ area of the relevant qualification pages on the NCFE website. 

The pack may contain images and screenshots if that is the learner’s preference. Typed and handwritten notes are also acceptable.  

Exemplar materials are available on our website – each qualification page has a set of exemplars available in the assessment materials section.

The tolerance is 6%, which is in line with JCQ guidelines. More details can be found on our moderation page.  

The full moderation process – including how sample sizes are selected, how marks are applied, and what happens if adjustments are made – is outlined on our moderation page.  

Guidance on sampling, regression and marks application is available on our moderation page. 

Annotation is not required but can support your own marking.

You’ll find a proforma for assessor feedback and comments in the NEA assessment materials which you can download from the bookings area of the Portal. This must be completed for all learners at task level. This shows us how marks were awarded and supports the moderation process.

Centres must share marks with learners once the NEA is completed to allow for any internal appeals before submitting marks to us.

Grade boundaries are set each academic year after moderation and examinations are complete, in line with GCSE qualifications. The Chief Examiner and Chief Moderator reports from previous sessions may act as a guide. These reports are available on our qualification pages in the assessment materials section.

No. We don’t provide a calculator because grade boundaries change each session.

No. However, on results day, centres can see the following information:  

• the external assessment mark 
• the internal assessment (NEA) mark 
• the overall grade awarded for each learner. 

Guidance on marks awarded is available on our moderation page.  

Teachers should apply the mark scheme using the live marking grid for the appropriate task and assessment, which is included within the assessment materials, alongside the live assessment brief. The assessment brief provides indicative content that may be evident in learners’ responses. This content is intended as guidance only and is not an exhaustive list of what learners must include to achieve marks. 

Learners may include all, some, or none of the indicative points. Assessors should use professional judgement to assess how relevant and accurate each response is. Marks must also be awarded for any other appropriate or valid responses that are not listed in the indicative content. 

Details of sample sizes are available on our moderation page.  

• The sampling plan will be available the day after the submission deadline. 

• If the cohort is 15 learners or fewer, you will need to upload evidence for the whole cohort, so there’s no need to wait for a sampling plan to generate.

• To view the sampling plan: 
  1. Log into the Portal 
  2. Go to the Bookings tab → Upload learner evidence 
  3. Select Sample learners to see which learners have been chosen. If you have registered learners in multiple batches, please make sure you check them all. 

The Portal User Guide has further details on how to do this. 

Yes. The evidence upload checklist is included in the live assessment materials (downloadable from the Portal). You will need to upload a completed checklist for each learner along with their evidence. Where reasonable adjustments have been applied, these should be recorded on the evidence upload checklist. 

On Wednesday 18 August 2027, you’ll be able to see your learners’ assessment results as well as their overall grades on the Portal (see Portal User Guide for more information). These results are embargoed until results day (Thursday 19 August 2027) – when you can share results with your learners.    

After results day, you’ll be able to view your final moderation report via the results area of the Portal. First, search for your learners, you will be able to view results slips and reports by selecting the appropriate option in the drop-down, under the heading ‘results’. This report is unique to each cohort. It includes feedback from the Moderator regarding the accuracy of internal marking as well as any areas for development. Please visit the  Portal User Guide for more information on how to access results and reports.

These reports cover the chief examiner’s and chief moderator’s review of the examined assessment (EA) and non-examined assessment (NEA), focusing on learner performance, key highlights, grade boundaries, administration, evidence creation, and relevant regulations. You can find this report on the individual qualification pages under ‘Assessment Materials’, by selecting the appropriate assessment series. You will need your Portal login details to download the reports.

No, you do not need to claim certificates for your Level 1/2 Technical Award learners. Learners who have passed the assessment will be auto certificated 6 weeks after the results release date

Learners will be auto certificated six weeks after the results release date. This means you’ll be able to view their e-certificates on 30 September 2027 on the Portal and will receive a physical copy of the certificates around four weeks after this date.  Please allow sufficient time for physical copies of your certificates to be delivered; however, if you don’t receive your certificates by the expected date, please contact [email protected] for support.

If you or your learners have queries about grades received, please view our post-results services for more information on enquiries about results, access to scripts, a review of marking and more. 

No, there are no resits for single assessments, early attempts at either assessment, or the chance to combine multiple attempts across more than one series. Learners can retake the qualification in full, but no assessment results from previous attempts at the qualification can be carried forward. Learners complete both assessments in a single series, and this provides their qualification outcome.     

Although there are no resits, these qualifications give learners a platform for further study. If they do go on to continue that subject in further education -they'll have subject-specific knowledge which gives them a head start and helps set them up for future success.   

Yes, every mark counts! The scaled marks awarded for the NEA and EA are added together and aggregated to award the overall grade for the qualification. Providing the total combined NEA and EA marks equate to at least the marks required for a L1 Pass, the learner will achieve the qualification. 

The NEA assessment will be numerically marked by centres, rather than graded. Centres will have access to administration and standardisation training to support the application of the mark scheme. Setting the grade boundaries and awarding learner grades is completed by NCFE as part of our awarding processes. As the grade boundaries are set by us as part of the awarding process, we won't know the boundaries in-year so will not be able to provide indicative grade boundaries ahead of time. 

The resources are available to download for free via individual qualification pages.  

You can register for our upcoming webinars here and view our on-demand playlist here.

To access additional teaching and learning support, please visit our V Certs delivery support page.