Three new types of qualification will be available to learners over 16 in England from September 2027 - V Levels, Foundation Certificates, and Occupational Certificates. Ofqual, England’s exams regulator has recently published its response to the consultation on proposals for regulating them. The consultation covered the purpose and assessment approaches for the qualifications.
Exam boards providing V levels will be allowed to use on-screen assessment in the following circumstances:
All Foundation and Occupational Certificates subjects will be allowed to use on-screen assessment for the first and subsequent tranches.
This development represents the introduction of a defined scope for on-screen assessment of vocational courses. On-screen assessment is already possible in limited GCSE and A level subjects. Further information on how on-screen assessment should be regulated and developed in GCSEs, AS and A levels in England will arrive with the outcome of Ofqual’s recent consultation on that topic.
Designed as alternatives to A levels and T levels, the new qualifications act as a pathway to further study or employment in the occupations covered:
The regulator will decide on eligibility for on-screen assessment subject by subject. The guiding principle for regulating assessment in these qualifications is to strike a balance between suitable consistency and rigour on the one hand, and relevance to the real world of work in these disciplines on the other.
For V levels the approach is a cautious, phased one. Only two subjects are permitted to use a digital approach for timetabled assessments. Each of the two subjects lend themselves to on-screen assessment due to the nature of work in those disciplines. Ofqual will consider permitting use of digital assessment for other subjects on a case-by-case basis using evidence gained from the first two, and according to centre readiness.
The stance for Foundational and Occupational Certificates is more permissive. No restrictions will exist across both timetabled and other assessment.
Ofqual has explained its different positions on the two qualification types by referring to three factors:
Responses to the consultation raised several concerns about introducing on-screen assessment for these qualifications. They included the importance of ensuring centre readiness before widespread rollout and the variation in infrastructure and digital capability. As with any consideration of on-screen assessment, responders pointed to potential negative impacts of digital inequality on the part of candidates and the risk that the qualifications could end up assessing digital literacy rather than vocational knowledge and skills.
Ofqual acknowledged these concerns and committed to consult further on the implementation of its approach to on-screen assessment and the longer-term approach for on-screen assessment in V Levels specifically.
Ofqual’s commitment to introduce digital assessment for these qualifications is a welcome one. It is a genuine modernisation measure that reflects the work vocational learners will actually do once their careers start.
It is right to introduce such a consequential step with a phased, evidence-led approach. All stakeholders will learn valuable lessons from gradual adoption, making it more likely that the right choices will be made for wider rollout. Many awarding bodies already work with digital assessment system providers like RM to deliver these kinds of project in other countries or for other qualifications.
There are practical hurdles to overcome, not least the digital capability variation that exists between different centres. Closing those gaps will be critical to delivering equity of access for candidates and ensuring that the assessments are a true reflection of their capabilities.
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