Standard setting (Condition PTQ11)

Rules and guidance about setting standards in Performance Table Qualifications

Condition PTQ11: Standard setting

  1. PTQ11.1 In respect of each Performance Table Qualification which it makes available, an awarding organisation must comply with any requirements, and have regard to any guidance, which may be published by Ofqual and revised from time to time in relation to –
    1. (a) the promotion of consistency between the measurement of Learners’ levels of attainment in that qualification and similar qualifications made available by other awarding organisations, and
    2. (b) the setting of specified levels of attainment.
  2. PTQ11.2 In setting the specified levels of attainment for a Performance Table Qualification which it makes available, an awarding organisation must have regard to an appropriate range of qualitative and quantitative evidence.
  3. PTQ11.3 In respect of each Performance Table Qualification which it makes available, the range of evidence to which an awarding organisation has regard for the purposes of Condition PTQ11.2 will only be appropriate if it includes evidence of –
    1. (a) the Level of Demand of the assessments for that qualification,
    2. (b) the level of attainment demonstrated in those assessments by an appropriately representative sample of Learners taking that qualification,
    3. (c) the level of attainment demonstrated by Learners taking that qualification in a –
      1. (i) prior assessment (which was not for that qualification), whether or not that assessment was for a regulated qualification, or
      2. (ii) prior qualification, whether or not that qualification was a regulated qualification, and
    4. (d) the level of attainment demonstrated by Learners who have previously been awarded the qualification.
  4. PTQ11.4 An awarding organisation must maintain a record of –
    1. (a) the evidence to which it has had regard in setting the specified levels of attainment for each Performance Table Qualification which it makes available, and
    2. (b) its rationale for the selection of and weight given to that evidence.

Standard Setting requirements

Condition PTQ11.1(b) allows us to specify requirements and guidance in relation to how specified levels of attainment in Performance Table Qualifications are set.

We set out our requirements for the purposes of Condition PTQ11.1(b) below.

Setting the specified levels of attainment

An awarding organisation must ensure that any result for a Component that it issues in respect of a Learner is based on the Learner’s overall performance across the knowledge, skills and understanding for the assessment(s) within that Component.

An awarding organisation may apply to Ofqual for an exemption from this requirement. However, Ofqual will only allow such an exemption if an awarding organisation has also applied for, and been granted, an exemption from using mark-based assessments.

An awarding organisation must explain in its assessment strategy its approach to the aggregation of Component results at qualification level.

Guidance on publishing details of grade aggregation approaches

Condition PTQ11.1(b) allows us to specify requirements and guidance in relation to how specified levels of attainment that must be used for Technical Awards are set.

Awarding organisations should make clear that any grading algorithms and overall grade thresholds published, or otherwise made available to schools, colleges and students, may be subject to change where this is necessary to maintain standards.

Guidance on standard setting for Performance Table Qualifications

Condition PTQ11.1(b) allows us to specify requirements and guidance in relation to the setting of specified levels of attainment for Performance Table Qualifications.

We set out below the guidance for the purpose of Condition PTQ11.1(b).

Evidence to be taken into account when setting specified levels of attainment.

Condition PTQ11.2 states that in setting the specified levels of attainment for a Performance Table Qualification which it makes available, an awarding organisation must have regard to an appropriate range of qualitative and quantitative evidence.

Condition PTQ11.3 states that such evidence will only be appropriate if it includes evidence of –

(a) the Level of Demand of the assessments for that qualification,
(b) the level of attainment demonstrated in those assessments by an appropriately representative sample of Learners taking that qualification,
(c) the level of attainment demonstrated by Learners taking that qualification in a –
      (i) prior assessment (which was not for that qualification), whether or not that assessment was for a regulated qualification, or
      (ii) prior qualification, whether or not that qualification was a regulated qualification, and
(d) the level of attainment demonstrated by Learners who have previously been awarded the qualification.


Without prejudice to any requirements that Ofqual may set in relation to the weight to be given to evidence, examples of the evidence that may be used by an awarding organisation in setting the specified levels of attainment for a Performance Table Qualification which it makes available may include –

  • question papers/tasks and final mark schemes,
  • senior Assessor input into decisions, for example comments on how the assessments have worked or are likely to work, and recommendations for the setting of specified levels of attainment,
  • technical information about how the assessments, and/or any similar assessments previously and concurrently available, have functioned, for example mark distributions, mean marks, standard deviations, item-level statistics,
  • samples of current Learners’ work selected from a range of Centres and assessed/Moderated by Assessors/moderators whose work is known to be reliable,
  • details of changes in entry patterns and choices of options,
  • archive Learners’ work exemplifying specified levels of attainment in previous assessments for the qualification, together with the relevant question papers/tasks and mark schemes,
  • inter-awarding organisation evidence for Performance Table Qualifications,
  • pertinent material deemed to be of equivalent standard from similar qualifications or other relevant qualifications,
  • information on Learners’ performance in previous assessments for the qualification, and
  • marking guides for assessments where the evidence is of an ephemeral nature.

In determining whether it has sufficient evidence of the level of attainment demonstrated in the assessments for a Performance Table Qualification by an appropriate percentage of the Learners taking that qualification, an awarding organisation should consider whether the marks on its system reflect –

  • all possible routes through the qualification and/or Component, and
  • a representative proportion of Learners’ marks for, or likely to be achieved in, the qualification and/or Component.