Developing Edexcel Qualifications to meet
the needs of Adult Learners

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Discussions with Edexcel staff

Consultations with Edexcel post-16 advisory group

All BTEC ‘own-brand’ qualifications within the ‘vocationally-related’ category of the National Qualifications Framework should be fully unitised by August 2001.

A common set of technical specifications for all united should be adopted and applied to all BTEC own-brand qualifications by August 2001.

Edexcel should develop an electronic databank of approved units, and establish procedures to ensure simple and rapid access to the databank for all centres approved to offer BTEC Qualification.

Edexcel should establish a limited range of unit ‘sizes’ for this databank, based on the existing specifications of the national credit framework and the emerging model of unit-based funding now being developed by the FEFC. In the first instance units should be of a notional 10 hours, 30 hours, 60 hours or 90 hours of learning.

Edexcel should develop a common format for unit certification across all BTEC own-brand qualifications, supported by a transcript of learner achievement. If acceptable to QCA it is proposed that this unit certificate be referred to as a ‘credit certificate.

The requirements for award of all BTEC own-brand qualifications should be set out as ‘rules of combination’ for unit (or credit) achievement.

Edexcel should establish a clear structure of titles for all BTEC own-brand qualifications on the model developed for the BTEC award and consistent with QCA’s advice on titles.

Edexcel should establish clear criteria for the use of the term ‘National’ within its revised structure of BTEC own-brand qualifications.

Each individual qualification specification should set out any restrictions on credit transfer opportunities for learners.

Each individual qualification specification should set out any restrictions on exemption from credit (or unit) certification based on the achievement of qualifications (or parts of qualifications) offered by other Awarding Bodies.