Research and analysis
Malpractice in vocational and technical qualifications: 2024 to 2025 academic year
Number of cases of malpractice for Performance Table qualifications, Functional Skills qualifications and other general qualifications in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.
Applies to England
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Details
Key Headlines
The key headlines for proven cases of malpractice for which a penalty was issued in selected vocational and technical qualifications for the 2024 to 2025 academic year were as follows.
- In 2024 to 2025, for PTQs, there were 1,195 student malpractice cases, a decrease compared with 1,220 cases in 2023 to 2024. For context, this is small in relation to the 719,830 certificates issued for PTQs in England in 2024 to 2025. For Functional Skills qualifications, there were 1,385 malpractice cases in 2024 to 2025, an increase compared with 1,125 malpractice cases in 2023 to 2024. For context, this is small in relation to the 326,060 certificates issued for Functional Skills qualifications in England in 2024 to 2025. For other general qualifications (excluding PTQs), there were 10 cases in 2024 to 2025, which was a decrease compared with 30 cases in 2023 to 2024. For context, this is small in relation to the 174,745 certificates issued for other general qualifications (excluding PTQs) in England in 2024 to 2025.
- In 2024 to 2025, the most common type of student malpractice reported for PTQs was ‘mobile phones or other communication devices’, the same as in 2023 to 2024. This category accounted for 34.9% of student malpractice in PTQs (420 cases in 2024 to 2025, a decrease compared with 445 cases in 2023 to 2024). For Functional Skills qualifications, the most common type of student malpractice reported was ‘breach of examination rules and regulations’. This category accounted for 35.6% of student malpractice in Functional Skills (495 cases in 2024 to 2025, a decrease compared with 595 cases in 2023 to 2024). For other general qualifications (excluding PTQs), the most common type of student malpractice was ‘plagiarism’, accounting for 66.7% of student malpractice (10 cases in 2024 to 2025, the same as in 2023 to 2024).
- In 2024 to 2025, for PTQs, there were 180 staff malpractice cases, a decrease compared with 280 cases in 2023 to 2024. For Functional Skills qualifications, there were 50 staff malpractice cases in 2024 to 2025, an increase compared with 45 malpractice cases in 2023 to 2024. For other general qualifications (excluding PTQs), there were 10 staff malpractice cases in 2024 to 2025, a decrease compared with 45 cases in 2023 to 2024.
- In 2024 to 2025, for PTQs, there were 130 centre malpractice cases. This is a decrease compared with 155 centre malpractice cases in 2023 to 2024. For Functional Skills qualifications, there were 45 centre malpractice cases in 2024 to 2025. This is an increase compared with 30 centre malpractice cases in 2023 to 2024. For other general qualifications (excluding PTQs), there were 25 centre malpractice cases in 2024 to 2025. This is an increase compared with 20 centre malpractice cases in 2023 to 2024.
- In 2024 to 2025, there were fewer than 5 examiner malpractice cases across all types of qualifications included in this release.
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Updates to this page
Published 5 May 2026