This article describes assessment in the vocational qualifications available to young people aged 16 to 18/19.

Some of these qualifications form part of apprenticeships, one of the main vocational pathways on offer to young people at this stage.

The Government is planning to reform the current system of apprenticeships at the same time as introducing a new traineeship programme for young people aged 16-24 from September 2020. It is intended that traineeships will take two years to complete, be available in a wide range of occupational areas, and lead to a Level 2 award on the Regulated Qualifications Framework.

For further information on vocational pathways, including the new traineeships, see the article ‘Teaching and Learning in Vocational Upper Secondary Education’.

Pupil/students assessment 

For all vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland, including those that form part of apprenticeships, the assessment scheme forms part of the qualification specification. All qualification specifications are included in the Register of Regulated Qualifications.

Assessment schemes vary according to the individual qualification and may include internal and external assessment.

Schools and further education (FE) colleges normally provide students aged 16-18/19 with written progress reports once or twice during the academic year based on teachers’ / lecturers’ assessment.

Progression of pupils/students 

Students aged 16 to 18/19 following vocational courses normally progress to the end of their course without interruption, but this is a matter decided by individual schools, colleges and training providers (the latter working with employers for apprenticeships).

Certification 

Cambridge Nationals / Cambridge Technicals, City and Guilds, National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and BTECs are common examples of the vocational qualifications available to 16- to 18/19-year-olds in Northern Ireland. For illustration, further information on BTECs is provided below.

Vocational qualifications also form part of apprenticeship programmes. The Essential Skills qualifications, which are a key component of apprenticeship programmes are described briefly below.

All qualifications offered to learners under the age of 19 must be approved by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), the regulator of general and vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland. This is set out under Section 81 of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. Eligible approved qualifications are contained within the Register of Regulated Qualifications.

Qualifications are provided by awarding organisations which are recognised, regulated and monitored by the CCEA. For further information on the regulation of qualifications, see the article on the ‘National Qualifications Framework’.

Awarding organisations issue results and certificates for individual qualifications, and certificates normally include information such as:

• the date of the qualification
• the name of the awarding organisation
• the name of the examination centre
• the qualification name and number
• the grade awarded overall and / or for individual units.

BTECs 

BTECs, offered by the awarding organisation Pearson, are work-related qualifications, designed to meet the needs of employers and allow progression to further and higher education. They cover a wide range of sectors including children and young people; construction and the built environment; hair and beauty; hospitality, travel and tourism; and public and uniformed services. Several different types of BTEC qualification are available, accommodating a wide ability range. They include:

• BTEC Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 1 Introductory qualifications, which are intended for learners who are not judged ready for GCSE or similar qualifications, and are Entry Level and Level 1 qualifications on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)
• BTEC Firsts, which are equivalent to, and may be taken alongside, GCSEs by students in compulsory or post-compulsory education (16+), and are Level 2 qualifications on the RQF
• BTEC Nationals, which are recommended for those who have achieved at least four high grade GCSEs (or who have completed a BTEC First), and are Level 3 qualifications on the RQF. Like A Levels, they are accepted for entry to higher education.

BTECs are unit qualifications and units may be assessed internally by the school or college, or by external assessment (depending on the specification for the particular qualification).

Institutions usually report learner achievement in these units to the awarding organisation at the end of each year / stage of the programme. The awarding organisation then calculates the overall qualification grade from the unit grades the school or college has reported. For the BTEC First, for example, this will be a ‘distinction’, ‘merit’, ‘pass’ or ‘unqualified’ grade.

Certificates are provided by the awarding organisation to the school or college for transmission to the student. Where schools / colleges report learner achievement at the end of the academic year (July), learners receive certificates in mid August.

Essential Skills qualifications 

Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeship programmes in Northern Ireland require students to pass Essential Skills qualifications, in addition to competence- and knowledge-based vocational qualifications such as the BTECs described above.

Essential Skills qualifications offer transferable work-related skills in communication, application of number, or information and communication technology (ICT). 

Most Level 2 apprenticeship programmes require Essential Skills qualifications at Level 1 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). Most Level 3 programmes require Level 2 Essential Skills qualifications.

Assessment methods vary depending on the individual Essential Skills qualification. Some include externally set and marked tests. Others are based on internal assessment, for example, learners produce a portfolio which is later subject to external moderation. The total qualification time (TQT) for Essential Skills qualifications is 60 hours.

Further information on Essential Skills qualifications in Northern Ireland is available from the awarding organisations offering them including, for example, City & Guilds and OCN.

Article last reviewed April 2021.