Students across the country are set to receive their GCSE and BTEC results on Thursday. However, around 7,000 BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) students are not currently “unfit” to receive their results, according to exam board Pearson. The situation has been described as “unacceptable” and “absolutely appalling” amid calls for the government to take action. Pearson has already been forced to tell some students it is very sorry they are still waiting for their results, leaving them unable to confirm university places. Sarah Hannafin, senior policy adviser for school leaders’ union NAHT, said exam boards “have a responsibility to ensure results are issued on time” with “next steps” for students depending on their grades. He added: “It is an unacceptable situation for potentially 7,000 students to be without their BTEC results this week. “This will cause unnecessary stress and anxiety as young people seek to confirm their places with sixth forms, colleges and training providers.” Labour’s shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, called on the government to address the “absolutely unacceptable mess” surrounding the results. He said: “It is appalling that students are still waiting for last week’s results and now we are being told that some young people will not get their grades tomorrow. “Instead of understanding the situation, we have had virtual silence from the education secretary. “Our zombie government is content to sit by as our children’s futures are threatened. We need to know what ministers are doing to solve this problem right now.” “We have a dedicated team in place” It follows almost a week’s delay for other BTEC students, who were not issued their results as planned last Thursday when A levels were published. A Pearson spokesman said: “Today we sent 235,000 BTEC Firsts, Technicals and Tech Awards to schools and colleges to share with students tomorrow. “From 9 a.m. today, there are 7,000 students who are currently ineligible to receive their degree as they do not meet the eligibility criteria at this time. “We have a dedicated team to work with schools and colleges to receive and validate any outstanding information.” Read more: Exam regulator to check result delays Pearson said the changes this year, made to account for the disruption to teaching and learning during the COVID pandemic, had “added more complexity to the process” and that without full information they could not award their results to students. The agency added that not all 7,000 students would necessarily expect a grade on Thursday because they had not completed all the modules. In relation to last week’s delays, Pearson said that as of Tuesday, there were around 1,100 outstanding claims for BTEC Level 3 qualification results needed for students’ UCAS applications. Parents and students have been advised to speak to their school or college if they do not have a result on Thursday or contact Pearson on 0345 618 0440.
