Ensuring timely delivery of vocational and technical qualification results

In October 2023, Ofqual announced measures to embed timely delivery of results for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQ) in 2024 and beyond. These plans are designed to ensure parity between VTQs and other qualifications by making sure learners expecting results for progression receive these as expected with their peers.

To make this possible, we will need our centres to confirm the details of learners expecting results for progression at two points during the year:

• Term-time checkpoint: 01 March 2024 and 25 March 2024
• Final term-time checkpoint: 03 June 2024 and 14 June 2024.

We expect all YMCA Awards centres to engage with the timely results process, ensuring that full and correct information is shared by our deadlines. This is to prevent delays and implications for learners, and/or possible sanctions for your centre.

Qualifications in scope

We expect the centres delivering the following qualifications to share information on learners who are planning to progress to further or higher education.

We expect all other YMCA Awards qualifications to be out of scope of the timely results process, but welcome discussions with centres if they disagree.

Requirements for the term-time checkpoint (01 March 2024 and 25 March 2024)

At the term-time checkpoint, we’ll ask centres to provide the following information for all learners expecting a result to support progression in August 2024:

• Learner name
• Learner number
• ULN
• Qualification title
• QN
• If any reasonable adjustments are being applied
• Estimated final assessment date (must be before 19 July 2024)
• Estimated last day learners are available for resubmission

Centres will also need to provide contact information for a Senior Designated Contact (SDC). This is an Ofqual requirement and they will be our point of contact to ensure results information is available on or before results day. The SDC does not need to be the existing main centre contact for YMCA Awards, but must be contactable throughout July and August to support us to resolve any issues with issuing results on time.

Requirements for the final term-time checkpoint (03 June 2024 and 14 June 2024)

At the final term-time checkpoint, we’ll ask for confirmation of information shared during the term-time checkpoint including:

• details of learners expecting results to support progression (see term-time checkpoint)
• details of any delays to assessment or achievement, which may impact our quality assurance checks
• confirmation of the expected final assessment date
• confirmation of the SDC and their contact information

We expect the information for both checkpoints to be submitted through Y-Connect and we’ll be in touch nearer the time to confirm this process.

Key dates