Guidance

Summer 2026 technical awards awarding data reporting

Published 24 June 2026

Applies to England

The following procedures outline the data that must be provided by awarding organisations during the summer 2026 data exchange for each qualification forming part of the data exchange process for each qualification to which this document applies.

The requirements in this document apply to key stage 4 technical award qualifications that are listed on the Secretary of State’s performance tables. 

This is a Regulatory Document under Condition B7 of the General Conditions of Recognition: Compliance with Regulatory Documents.

Additionally, this document sets out requirements under Conditions PTQ10.1 and PTQ11.1 of the Performance Table Qualifications Qualification Level Conditions.

Statistical indicators for technical awards

Each awarding organisation must create for each specification its own statistical indicator for its specific cohort of all learners from matched centres.

Statistical indicators must be based on aggregated centre outcomes for that specification for all candidates with a full set of results in 2025.

Data must not exclude specific centres.

Data must not be restricted by candidate age.

Data for learners from matched centres against statistical indicators must exclude partial absences.

Data for all learners must include partial absences.

Technical awards reporting

All awarding organisations must provide Ofqual with a schedule of dates of submission by 24 June 2026.

Submission must be no later than three working days after completion of the award, but outcomes can be submitted sooner.

Data must be submitted no later than midday on the scheduled day of submission.

The data submitted must be the data used to inform awarding decisions.  Where the data is updated and the award subsequently reviewed, the updated data must be submitted.

Where outcomes are substantially different from the statistical indicators, the awarding organisation will be expected to be able to provide on request a rationale to Ofqual based on available evidence. Where awarders consider that the quality of work suggested by the statistical indicators exceeds that of summer 2025, awarding organisations will need to consider whether this reflects a genuine increase in attainment.

Principles for using the secure Teams group

1. A secure Teams group is to be used for sensitive data relating to the data exchange.
2. Email must be used as usual where no sensitive data is included or attached. All email correspondence must be sent to STWG@ofqual.gov.uk.
3. Where appropriate, notification alerts must be set up by individual users to notify them when folders or documents are added or changed.
4. In terms of version control, all templates (2026 Template_Tech Awards1_K1) must be uploaded using the date and the AO’s name as a prefix, for example 01072026-WJEC-Template_Tech Awards1_K1. Therefore, whenever a revised data template is uploaded, please create this as a new document using the date as a prefix and the time as a suffix where necessary, for example 01072026-WJEC-Template_Tech Awards1_K1-8.30.
5. Old versions of templates must not be deleted from the Teams group.
6. Awarding organisation users must not create extra folders within the data exchange library of the Teams group without consulting Ofqual first.