Pearson said it was trying to provide any missing results “as soon as possible” to affected students. It comes after Pearson apologized last Thursday to BTec level 3 students who did not receive their grades as planned on the day A and T level exam results were released. Pearson said problems with “eligibility criteria” were behind the further delays. In a statement, it said the results for the 7,000 students who were at risk of not receiving their grades on time were delayed because they were “currently unsuitable” and “did not meet the eligibility criteria”. Regarding last week’s wait, Pearson previously said the problem was not a “systemic issue” and that only a small percentage of students had been affected. On Wednesday, a Pearson spokesman said: “Today we sent 235,000 BTec Firsts, Technicals and Tech Awards to schools and colleges to share with students tomorrow. “As of 9am 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 obtain and validate any outstanding information. “We are focused on carrying out these eligibility checks and providing any results as quickly as possible to students. As always, we are grateful to the partnership of schools and colleges, who tirelessly support us in this work.” The BBC reported that the affected BTec students could be considered “ineligible” because some of their grades were not recorded in the system. Pearson previously said the delays in last week’s BTec results were because overall grades could not be issued due to a lack of modules. In a statement last week, Pearson said: “We are very sorry that some students are still waiting for their results. BTecs is a modular qualification and in order to be able to award an overall result we require the provision of points for each unit and the claim to take the qualification.” Sarah Hannafin, senior policy adviser for the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said the delays were unacceptable. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Hannafin said: “Despite the differences in unit assessment arrangements due to the pandemic and the complexity it has created, examination boards have a responsibility to ensure that results are issued in time for all students, whose next steps may depend from their result. “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. And with no result, how can they celebrate their achievements with their family and friends?” Ofqual, the exams regulator, said students “have shown so much resilience in preparing for and gaining their qualifications during the pandemic” and added that it had “every sympathy” for those affected. Parents and students affected by the delays have been advised to speak to their school or college or contact Pearson on 0345 618 0440.
