BTEC Tech Awards - Your quick guide - The skills to succeed, the confidence to progress

Oct 20, 2026

BTEC Tech Awards are broad Level 1/Level 2 qualifications for Key Stage 4 students in England and Northern Ireland, designed to be studied alongside GCSEs. They develop applied, sector-specific and transferable knowledge and skills through a balance of vocational assignments, practical tasks, and written assessments as relevant. The guide explains the qualification size, progression intent, available subject options, who they suit, and a typical two-year structure with guided learning hours and component-based assessment. It also covers how internal and external grading works, including Pearson Set Assignments (PSAs) and moderation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

What are BTEC Tech Awards

Available subjects

Who they are designed for

Qualification structure

Qualification components

How assessment works

Pearson Set Assignments (PSAs)

How final grades are determined

Support for delivery and quality

Why choose Pearson BTEC

BTEC Tech Awards Your quick guide The skills to succeed, the confidence to progress Contents Copyright 2025 Pearson. All rights reserved. | 01
What are BTEC Tech Awards | | --- | | 02
Available subjects | | 03
Who they are designed for | | 04
Qualification structure | | 05
Qualification components | | 06
How assessment works | | --- | | 07
Pearson Set Assignments (PSAs) | | 08
How final grades are determined | | 09
Support for delivery and quality | | 10
Why choose Pearson BTEC | What are BTEC Tech Awards? • Broad, high-quality Level 1 / Level 2 qualifications in non EBacc subjects, for Key Stage 4 students in schools in England and Northern Ireland to study alongside GCSEs. • Designed to equip students with applied knowledge not normally acquired through GCSEs, giving them a taste of a particular sector, sector-specific and transferable skills, and the confidence to take their next steps. • The same size as a single GCSE, they are rigorous enough to show capacity for progression to Key Stage 5/post-16 . • Created to meetthe DfE’s latest technical guidance for Key Stage 4 qualifications for inclusion in performance tables and the ‘Open Group’of Progress 8. • Assessed using a combination of vocational assignments, practical tasks and written assessmentsas relevant to each subject area. Creative subjects use only practical, task-based assessments. Copyright 2025 Pearson. All rights reserved. Available subjects All 12 qualifications are included in Key Stage 4 performance tables, providing the broadest offer from any awarding organisation . Animal Care Enterprise Art and Design Practice Health and Social Care Child Development Music Practice Construction and the Built Environment Performing Arts Creative Media Production Digital Information Technology Travel and Tourism Copyright 2025 Pearson. All rights reserved. Who BTEC Tech Awards are designed for BTEC Tech Awards are perfect for students interested in learning more about a specific sector in a hands-on way. With a Tech Award your students will: • Get a taste of what a sector is like • Receive an introduction to vocational study • Grow their confidence to help them in the world today and prepare them for their futures • Develop knowledge and technical/creative skills integral to roles within their chosen sector • Have opportunities to apply academic knowledge from their GCSE subjects to every-day contexts • Build applied knowledge and skills that show an aptitude for further learning, both in the sector and more widely. Copyright 2025 Pearson. All rights reserved. "My BTEC Tech Award was both challenging and rewarding. The balance of theory and practical elements kept learning engaging, while the hands-on experience of leading sessions helped me develop perseverance.” Ryan Hughes Former BTEC Tech AwardSport student Qualification structure Students will typically take this qualification over a two-year period (120 guided learning hours) . This enables them to build their confidence to understand the sector, vocational contextsand vocational attributes before they are assessed. Most of the subjects follow the same pattern of internal and external assessment, although there is variation between subjects whether the external assessment is a written exam or a task-based assignment. Copyright 2025 Pearson. All rights reserved. | Component | Guided learning hours | Weighting | Available
marks | Assessment type | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Component 1 | 36 | 30% | 60 | Internal assessment (PSA) .
External moderation. | | Component 2 | 36 | 30% | 60 | Internal assessment (PSA) .
External moderation. | | Component 3 | 48 | 40% | 60 | External assessment. Externally marked. | Pearson Set Assignments (PSAs) are set by Pearson, marked by the centre and moderated by Pearson. Please note: For Construction it is Component 1 that is the externally assess

FAQs

What are BTEC Tech Awards designed to achieve for Key Stage 4 students?

They provide applied knowledge and sector-focused skills that complement GCSE study, building confidence for progression to Key Stage 5 and beyond.

How do BTEC Tech Awards assessments typically work?

Assessments use a mix of internally assessed components and externally assessed elements, drawing on vocational scenarios. Components are marked internally and quality assured through Pearson moderation.

What role do Pearson Set Assignments (PSAs) play?

PSAs are project-based assessments set by Pearson, marked by the centre, and moderated by Pearson, supporting consistent quality and enabling feedback before marks affect results.

Oct 20, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn Holloway