Guidance

Submitting data to Ofqual

Guidance on formats and timings for submitting data to Ofqual.

Applies to England

We collect a wide range of data about regulated qualifications, from which we produce official and national statistics reports.

The documents on the pages listed below provide guidance if you work for an organisation which provides data to Ofqual. They describe the format and requirements for each of the data collections we run. We have grouped the guidance notes into pages relating to specific types of qualifications.

Data should be sent to us using our data portal. Instructions on accessing this are in the document ‘Connecting to Ofqual’s data portal and uploading data’ below.

Timetables detailing the schedule of data collections for general and vocational and technical qualifications are also provided. The table below describes some of the terms relating to vocational and technical qualifications.

VTQ reporting schedule

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A 3-country regulatory approach to submitting data

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Connecting to Ofqual’s Data Portal and uploading data

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Vocational and technical qualification terms

Term Description Related Ofqual qualification type
PTQs All vocational and technical qualifications included in Department for Education performance tables including: Applied Generals, Technical Levels, Technical Certificates, Technical Awards and some other Level 3 qualifications including Pre-U, IBO and graded music examinations. This is therefore all qualifications included in performance tables other than GCSE, AS, A level, Project and Advanced Extension Awards VTQ PTQs fall into the following categories but note that not all qualifications under the following categories are VTQ PTQs: occupational qualification, other general qualification, performing arts graded examination, vocationally-related qualification
FSQs Functional Skills Qualifications Functional Skills
TQs T Level Technical Qualifications Technical Qualification
EPAs Apprenticeship End-Point Assessments (Apprenticeships) End-Point Assessment
Other Generals Other general qualifications Other general qualification

Guidance notes for data collections

Published 19 March 2021
Last updated 1417 March 2023 + show all updates
  1. GQ Reporting schedule - empty rows removed VTQ Reporting schedule - 29th June PTQ timetable Sept-Nov 2023 and VTQ PTQ entries 23rd May collections have been added

  2. PTQ Outcomes retrospective collections have been added to the VTQ Reporting Schedule

  3. Dates for FSQ Outcomes and Core Math data collections have been amended.

  4. GQ Reporting schedule - factual checks and links to guidance notes have been added

  5. VTQ reporting schedule has been updated - the EPA Outcomes and Core Math collections cut off dates have been amended.

  6. GQ Reporting Schedule - updated till August 2023

  7. Marker Recruitment collections have been added to the GQ Reporting Schedule.

  8. E-assessment and Errata collection has been amended

  9. GQ reporting schedule has been updated

  10. VTQ Reporting Schedule has been updated - collections till August 2023 have been added.

  11. GQ reporting schedule – date of complaints collection has been changed.

  12. 05-Oct-22 40 Access Arrangements 05-Oct-22 40 Access Arrangements - Candidate Level collections have been amended

  13. GQ Reporting Schedule has been updated - Entries by Year Group collections have been added.

  14. VTQ reporting schedule has been updated for August.

  15. New collections have been to reporting schedules

  16. Updated GQ reporting schedule - 10 August 2022 Appeals collection moved to 5 September 2022. 12 August 2022 Marking Progress collection moved to 15 September 2022.

  17. GQ and VTQ reporting schedule updated.

  18. GQ and VTQ reporting schedule updated.

  19. Updates to the GQ and VTQ reporting schedules.

  20. GQ and VTQ reporting schedule updated.

  21. GQ and VTQ reporting schedule updated.

  22. GQ reporting schedule updated.

  23. Updated the VTQ Reporting Schedule 2020 to 2021 attachment

  24. VTQ reporting schedule updated for July.

  25. Updated the reporting schedule for general qualifications and vocational and technical qualifications.

  26. Updated the reporting schedule for vocational and technical qualifications

  27. Updated the reporting schedule for vocational and technical qualifications.

  28. Added table of vocational and technical qualification terms.

  29. Updated the VTQ reporting calendar.

  30. Updated the reporting schedule for general qualifications.

  31. Update to the GQ reporting schedule. Both GQ and VTQ reporting schedules now provided in an accessible format.

  32. First published.