About these rules and guidance

Information about these rules and guidance, including when they came into force, and who and what they apply to

This document sets out rules and guidance for awarding organisations offering Performance Table Qualifications. These rules and guidance came into effect at 00.01am on 19 February 2020.

All awarding organisations offering Performance Table Qualifications have a legal obligation to:

  • comply with these rules
  • have regard to this guidance

Except where these rules specifically state otherwise, awarding organisations must also comply with our rules, and have regard to our guidance, for all regulated qualifications.

Qualifications to which these rules and guidance apply

At present, these conditions and requirements apply only to Key Stage 4 technical award qualifications that –

  • are listed on the Secretary of State’s performance tables, or
  • were listed on the performance tables on or after 19 February 2020 but were subsequently removed.

We will consider extending these rules and guidance to cover other qualifications that appear on the performance tables and consult where we propose to do so. Where we decide to do so, we will add those qualifications to the definition of Performance Table Qualifications in Condition PTQ13.

Rules and guidance set out in this document

This document sets out the following rules:

  • our Qualification Level Conditions for Performance Table Qualifications (Conditions PTQ1 to PTQ13), which we have set using our powers under section 134 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, and
  • our requirements in relation to assessment strategies, qualification purposes, Total Qualification Time, assessments, specified levels of attainment and standard setting for Performance Table Qualifications – awarding organisations must comply with these requirements under Conditions PTQ3.1(b), PTQ5.1, PTQ7.1, PTQ9.1, PTQ10.1 and PTQ11.1 (respectively).

It also sets out a range of guidance for awarding organisations, designed to help them understand how to comply with:

  1. (a) these Qualification Level Conditions and requirements, and
  2. (b) our General Conditions of Recognition (and associated requirements)

when offering Performance Table Qualifications.