Always Learning

 The Diploma, Principal Learning and Project results explained 

This page provides help on understanding your Diploma, Principal Learning and Project results, including information on how to get a copy of your exam paper and an explanation of how re-marking works.


Understanding your results

How is Principal Learning marked and graded?

Principal Learning is made up of units, which can be internally or externally assessed.

Internally assessed units are marked by your teacher and then moderated by Edexcel. Moderation involves your teacher sending a sample of work they have marked so we can check that they are marking consistently and at the same standard as other teachers.

Externally assessed units are usually exams, which are marked by our examiners.

Once your work has been marked, our examiners set the grade boundaries and you are awarded a grade.

If you are taking Principal Learning as part of the Diploma, the grade you receive for each unit is then converted into a points score. Each unit is worth a total number of points which is determined by the level and size of the unit.

Unit sizes are determined by the number of hours of teaching required to deliver the course, known as Guided Learning Hours (GLH). You can find the number of Guided Learning Hours for your unit by looking at the table at the front of the course specification.

The example below shows that for Level 1 Business, Administration and Finance units 1, 2 and 4 consist of 60 GLH, whereas units 3 and 5 consist of 30 GLH.

The tables below show how we convert your grade into a points score based on the level and size of your unit.

Level 1

Size in GLH
Grade 30 60
Max 4 8
A* 3 6-7
A 2 4-5
B 1 2-3
U 0 0-1

Level 2

Size in GLH
Grade 30 60
Max 5 10
A* 4 8-9
A 3 6-7
B 2 4-5
C 1 2-3
U 0 0-1

Level 3

Size in GLH
Grade 30 60 90
Max 7 14 28
A* 6 12-13 24-27
A 5 10-11 20-23
B 4 8-9 16-19
C 3 6-7 12-15
D 2 4-5 8-11
E 1 2-3 4-7
U 0-1 0-2 0-3

In order to achieve a principal Learning qualification you need to have a result issued for each unit. A unit graded U counts towards the principal Learning qualification.

What if I'm missing a grade?

If you expected to receive a grade but don't have one the most likely reason is that you have an incomplete result. If you don’t have a grade that you expected, the best thing to do is speak to the exams officer at your school or college and ask them to get in touch with us.

How is Project marked and graded?

Your Project will be marked by your teacher but we moderate their marking. Moderation involves your teacher sending a sample of work they have marked so we can check that they are marking consistently and at the same standard as other teachers.

Once your work has been marked, our examiners set the grade boundaries and you are awarded a grade.

If you are taking Project as part of the Diploma, the grade you receive is then converted into a points score. The table below shows how we convert your grade into a points score based on the level of your Project.

Grade Level 1 Foundation Project Level 2 Higher Project Level 3 Extended Project
Max 8 10 28
A* 6-7 8-9 24-27
A 4-5 6-7 20-23
B 2-3 4-5 16-19
C 2-3 12-15
D 8-11
E 4-7
U 0-1 0-1 0-3
 

What is cashing in?

Cashing in is where the marks you scored for the individual units for a modular qualification are added together to create an overall grade.
 
Each unit and cash-in has a unique code. You have to take all the individual units and then your school or college has to tell us you want to cash in, so we know to give you an overall grade. For example, Level 1 Principal Learning IT is made up as follows:
 
Subject title
Cash-in code
Unit codes
Principal Learning IT
ZIT10
 Unit 1: IT101
Unit 2: IT102
Unit 3: IT103
Unit 4: IT104
Unit 5: IT105
Unit 6: IT106

If you don’t take all of these units you can still cash in, as long as you were put forward for them all. For example, you may have taken a unit but were absent on the day of the exam. As such, you wouldn’t get a mark for that unit. On your results slip this would show with the # sign, to indicate that it’s incomplete (e.g. ‘E#’).

How is the Diploma marked and graded?

The Diploma is made up of:

  • Principal Learning
  • Generic Learning (Project, Functional Skills, Personal Learning and Thinking Skills and Work Experience)
  • Additional & Specialist Learning (ASL)

    • You need to complete all of the components before a Diploma can be awarded (with the exception of Level 3 Progression Diploma which has no requirement for ASL). See ‘What are Diploma Hurdles?’ below.

    Your overall Diploma grade is calculated by combining the total number of points achieved in the Principal Learning units with the number of points achieved for the Project Qualification.

    For example:

    Edexcel Construction in the Built Environment Level 3 Example
    Unit GLH Max Points Grade Points
    1 60 14 D 5
    2 90 21 U 1
    3 90 21 C 9
    4 60 14 D 5
    5 90 21 B 14
    6 90 21 C 11
    6 90 21 C 7
    Total for Principal Learning 540 126 D 52
    Extended Project 120 28 A* 24
    Diploma 154 C 76

What is the Uniform Mark Scale (UMS)?

Principal Learning is a modular qualification, and you can take exams for individual units at different times. Question papers may vary slightly in difficulty from year to year. For example, a ‘raw’ mark of 53 in one paper in a January exam session might represent the same level of achievement as a ‘raw’ mark of 49 in the following summer exam session. The Uniform Mark Scale (UMS) ensures that these two ‘raw’ marks receive the same value when contributing to the final grade.

The Uniform Mark Scale (UMS) also ensures that results for different Principal Learning subjects can be compared to one another in a consistent way.

What are Diploma Hurdles?

In order to complete the Diploma you need to satisfy the requirements for Functional Skills, Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS), Work Experience and Additional & Specialist Learning (ASL). Although they do not affect your overall grade you need to complete these components to finish your Diploma.

Functional Skills Maths Final Grade Pass grade required
Functional Skills English Final Grade Pass grade required
Functional Skills IT Final Grade Pass grade required
Work Experience Requirement Centre confirmation required
PLTS Requirement Centre confirmation required
Additional and Specialist Learning Requirement Sufficient GLH attained

Where can I find the grade boundaries?

You can find grade boundaries for Principal Learning and Project qualifications taken from January 2009 onwards on the relevant grade boundary pages:

Principal Learning grade boundaries

Project grade boundaries

What is the Diploma Aggregation Service (DAS)?

When completing a Diploma we will use your ULN (unique Learner number) to set up your account on the Diploma Aggregation Service (DAS). All component qualifications, PLTS and Work Experience outcomes are recorded in your account throughout the programme.

Once you have met all of the requirements for the Diploma and a claim has been made the DAS will calculate your Diploma grade using the points from each Principle Learning and Project qualification outcome.

The grade will then be confirmed by the Diploma Awarding Body who will then issue a Diploma qualification.

Where can I find the Diploma grade boundaries?

The total Principle Learning points score is added to the Project points score to obtain the overall Diploma points score and grade.

The grade boundaries for the Diploma are as follows:

Level 1 Diploma Grade boundaries

Grade Diploma Minimum Points
B 10
A 20
A* 30
Max 40

Level 2 Diploma Grade boundaries

Grade Diploma Minimum Points
C 16
B 32
A 48
A* 64
Max 80

Level 3 Diploma Grade boundaries

Grade Diploma Minimum Points
E 22
D 44
C 66
B 88
A 110
A* 132
Max 154

When will I receive my certificates?

Your certificate will be sent to your school or college.
 
If you finished your course in January the latest your centre will receive your certificate is 31 May.
 
If you finished your course in June the latest your centre will receive your certificate is 31 October.

What is special consideration?

Special consideration is when we issue you a calculated result or extra marks because you’ve had an illness, injury or experienced other personal circumstances that have affected your performance.
 
If you think you may be entitled to special consideration, you should speak to your exams officer. They will make a request on your behalf and we make decisions on a case-by-case basis.
 
Special consideration isn’t shown on the statement of results you’re given by your school or college. However, it is on the subject mark reports that are sent to schools and colleges.
 
If you’d like to know whether special consideration was requested on your behalf, please check with your exams officer.

Some of my personal details are incorrect on my results slip. What can I do?

We can make changes such as misspelled names very quickly. We suggest you ask your exams officer to contact us to request any changes.

These requests must come from someone at your centre as we have no way of identifying students who call or email us. If we can’t identify you, we can’t make changes to confidential information.

When will UCAS be sent my results?

If you are completing a Level 3 Diploma, Project or Principal Learning qualification this summer and are a UCAS applicant, we will send your results to UCAS the day before August results day. They collate your Edexcel results together with any other results you have from other exam boards and send these to the universities and colleges from which you've had offers.


What if UCAS haven't received my grades?

There are a few reasons why UCAS may not have received your grades. See the table below to see some of the common problems and their solutions.

Reason
Solution
You are missing a grade
If your grade doesn't appear on your results slip it may mean that your qualification hasn't been cashed in. Cashing in is when your school or college tell us that you have completed your qualification and that you want us to add your module results together to form your overall grade. If you speak to your exams officer, they will be able to resolve this.
You have been entered for a late cash-in If you were entered for a late cash-in you don't need to do anything - we will send your results to UCAS within 24 hours of your grade being issued and they will update your application.
Your personal details don't match
Sometimes we're unable to update the UCAS results database because the details we have are different from the details on your UCAS application. Check that the personal information is correct on your results slip and matches the information on your UCAS application. If it doesn't, ask your exams officer to update our records.
You have been issued a new grade after a re-mark If you have been issued a new grade, you don't need to do anything - we will send your results to UCAS within 24 hours of your grade being issued and they will update your application.

I'm a UCAS applicant. What are my university clearing options?

If you have completed a Level 3 qualification, we'll send your results to UCAS the day before results day. UCAS will  automatically forward them to the universities and colleges from which you’ve had offers.

For more information on what happens next, visit the UCAS website.


What is clearing?

Clearing is a UCAS service that matches students to courses that still have places available. It runs from mid-July until September and is a real option if you didn’t apply for university or still want to go to, but didn’t get the grades you needed.

For more information on whether you can apply through clearing, speak to your careers or Connexions advisor or visit the UCAS website.


What courses can I apply for through clearing?

Lists of courses with places available are published on the UCAS website and in national newspapers after results day. Not all universities, colleges or courses have vacancies in clearing, but you don’t have to stick with the subjects you originally applied for – you may find something you are better suited to or that you are more interested in.

For more information on the clearing process, check out the UCAS website.

If you’re looking for more information about the Business degree at Pearson College, please call 0203 441 1303 or go to www.pearsoncollege.com.

Didn't get the Diploma, Principal Learning or Project grades you wanted?

If your exam mark is lower than you were expecting, please speak to your teacher. After all the teaching that you’ve had, plus the tests and internal exams, they’re in the best position to advise you.

Can I get a copy of my marked exam paper?

Yes, you can ask your centre to request that we return your marked question papers.


How do I get a copy of my exam paper?

Please speak to your exams officer. They will make an ‘Access to Script’ request on your behalf.

If you've completed Level 3 Principal Learning and want to see a copy of your exam paper so you can make a decision on whether or not to request a re-mark, you will need to request this pretty quickly as the deadline for applications is the week after results day.

If you request a copy of your exam paper after the priority deadline, you will not receive it until after the deadline to submit re-mark requests.

As with other UK exam boards, we're not allowed to send out a copy of Level 1 or Level 2 papers until after the re-mark deadline has passed. This means that if you've completed Level 1 or Level 2 Principal Learning and are considering getting your paper re-marked, you should request this service instead. Your exams officer can ask us to send a copy of your re-marked paper.

Deadlines and costs

The table below shows the deadlines for applying for each service and the amount we charge to process Access to Script requests.

If you miss the deadline to apply for a copy of your exam paper, we will be unable to process your request.

Exam Session Priority deadline £10.30 Standard deadline £7.75
January 15 March 28 April
Summer 23 August 4 October

Can I get my coursework back?

Yes. You can ask your centre to return any project, coursework or controlled assessment.


How do I get my coursework back?

Edexcel (or your school) will keep your coursework until after results day, in case your school wants to ask questions about your result. If you want your coursework back after results day, please speak to your teacher or exams officer. If we have your work, your teacher or exams officer will be able to request that we return it.

Can I get my coursework re-marked?

Your teacher marks all project work, coursework and controlled assessment. It is then moderated, meaning that Edexcel requests a sample of your teacher’s marked work and we check that we agree with their assessment.

Moderation is necessary to make sure that all students have their coursework assessed according to the same standards. Most of the time, your teacher’s marks will be approved and accepted unchanged. However, sometimes marks are reduced or raised, if your teacher’s marking was judged to have been too lenient or too harsh.

If you think that the mark on your results slip is not the mark your teacher gave you, please check with your teacher to see what happened to marks after moderation. If Edexcel did not adjust your mark, talk to your teacher or exams officer and they’ll get in touch with us. If we did adjust your mark, your teacher will need to decide if they want to send back all of the work from your school or college for re-moderation.


Can I get my coursework re-marked?

Every school or college that enters students for external exams must have an appeals procedure in place. If you think Edexcel has the wrong mark, you must first follow this appeals process. Your school or college will involve Edexcel if it can’t settle the matter internally.


Can I get my coursework re-moderated?

It is not possible to re-moderate an individual piece of coursework or re-moderate work where we didn't change your teacher's mark. Coursework can be re-moderated if we changed the marks given by your teacher, but it is up to your school to decide on whether they request this.

The rules around marking and re-marking coursework and controlled assessments are set by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and apply to all major awarding organisations within the UK.

When Edexcel receives a request for coursework re-moderation, the coursework of all students originally entered at your school or college goes through the moderation process again.

Your teacher or exams officer will be able to give you more information on this process.

Can I get my Level 1 or Level 2 Principal Learning exam paper re-marked?

Yes, if your school requests a re-mark.


Is a re-mark the best option for me?

During a re-mark your grade may go up, go down or stay the same. If your grade goes down, you cannot reject the re-mark and go back to the original grade - the only way to improve your grade would be to resit the exam.

The majority of re-mark requests do not result in a change to a grade - simply because the re-mark has shown that the original grade was accurate.


What does a re-mark involve?

A senior examiner will re-mark your paper, checking your answers against the mark scheme. This senior examiner won’t have marked your paper before.

Once your paper has been re-marked, we do a clerical check to make sure that:

  • everything you have written has been marked
    all of the marks have been added up to give the correct total mark
  • we’ve entered your total mark correctly on our systems
  • special consideration has been taken into account (if it was applied for before the exam).

You can request that we only perform the clerical check. If you do, this will cost less than having a full re-mark.


How long will it take to get my paper re-marked?

We aim to have the result of your re-mark back to you within 30 days, but if you miss the deadline you will not be able to have your paper re-marked.


Deadlines

Exam session

Deadline

January exams

16 April

Summer exams 20 September


Costs

Your school or college may ask you to pay for your re-mark before they submit your application. The table below shows the amount we charge to process each type of re-mark.

Re-mark type

Cost

Clerical Check

 £10.30

Standard re-mark

 £23.20


Refunds

You may be able to request a refund from your school or college if your re-mark shows that we have made a mistake. We won't charge your school or college if:

  • your overall grade for the subject changes as a result of the re-mark.

What happens if I am still not happy with my grade after a re-mark?

If you are still not satisfied after a re-mark, you can ask your centre to appeal on your behalf. Appeals do not normally involve re-marking your work again, but work will be re-marked if there is evidence that the correct re-marking procedure wasn’t followed during the original re-mark.

Your centre has 14 days after receiving the outcome of your re-mark to appeal. We can't process appeal requests after this deadline.

Can I get my Level 3 Principal Learning exam paper re-marked?

Yes, if your school requests a re-mark.


Is a re-mark the best option for me?

During a re-mark your grade may go up, go down or stay the same. If your grade goes down, you cannot reject the re-mark and go back to the original grade - the only way to improve your grade would be to resit the exam.

The majority of re-mark requests do not result in a change to a grade - simply because the re-mark has shown that the original grade was accurate.


What does a re-mark involve?

A senior examiner will re-mark your paper, checking your answers against the mark scheme. This senior examiner won’t have marked your paper before.

Once your paper has been re-marked, we do a clerical check to make sure that:

  • everything you have written has been marked
  • all of the marks have been added up to give the correct total mark
  • we’ve entered your total mark correctly on our systems
  • special consideration has been taken into account (if it was applied for before the exam).

You can request that we only perform the clerical check. If you do, this will cost less than having a full re-mark.


How long will it take to get my paper re-marked?

We aim to have the result of your re-mark back to you within 30 days, but if you miss the deadline you will not be able to have your paper re-marked.

We understand that when you have a place at university or a further education college that is dependent on your A level results you need to know the outcome faster. That's why in August we also offer a priority re-mark service where we aim to have the result back to you within 18 days.

Deadlines

Exam session

 Priority deadline

Standard deadline

January exams

 Not available

16 April

Summer exams 23 August 20 September


Costs

Your school or college may ask you to pay for your re-mark before they submit your application. The table below shows the amount we charge to process each type of re-mark.

Re-mark type

 Cost

Clerical Check

 £10.30

Priority re-mark

£41.20

Standard re-mark

 £36


Refunds

You may be able to request a refund from your school or college if your re-mark shows that we have made a mistake. We won't charge your school or college when:

  • the paper you have re-marked has already been used to generate a final grade (that is, you have been entered for a cash-in) and your overall grade changes as a result of the re-mark.
  • the paper you have re-marked hasn't been used to generate a final grade (that is, you haven't been entered for a cash-in) and your unit grade changes as a result of the re-mark.


What happens if I am still not happy with my grade after a re-mark?

If you're still not satisfied after a re-mark, you can ask your centre to appeal on your behalf. Appeals do not normally involve re-marking your work a second time, but work will be re-marked if there is evidence that the correct re-marking procedure wasn’t followed during the original re-mark.

Your centre has 14 days after receiving the outcome of your re-mark to appeal. We can't process appeal requests after this deadline.