Functional Skills
Entry Level Papers and SLC (all levels)- Results entry and return procedure
There have been a number of significant updates to Open Awards procedures, regarding the upload of results and return of entry level functional skills assessments, and SLC assessment across all levels. Full details of this can be found on our website.
We recently held a number of webinar to outline these changes. For any of you who hold open awards entry level assessments and didn’t attend the webinar held earlier this month please watch this recording via your Open Awards Learn account.
Paper Based (Level 1 and Level 2) assessments 2022
The calendar for Level 1 and Level 2 paper-based functional skills is now live on our website. Please ensure you note the “scheduling deadline” for each assessment window.
As with previous year’s level 1 and level 2 paper based assessments will take place on a Monday and a Tuesday, but you will now have the freedom to sit the assessments on either of those days, however the same subject must all take place on the same day. For example, you can sit mathematics on Monday, or Tuesday, but not across both days. The calendar will be published on our website and we will alert you when this is available.
E-learning
As you will be aware our new E-learning shopfront launched at the start of September. You will have received your access, or PLUC code to enable you to access our course, without charge. If you do have any queries regarding the codes or the new shopfront, please call the Customer Service Team on 0151-494-2072 for support.
Christmas/New Year Scheduling Break for Open Awards Invigilated assessments
Our proposal at this time is that we operate as normal up to and including the 23rd of December and then from the 4th of January, with regards to the functional skills assessment which we, as Open Awards invigilate. We propose to not offer any Open Awards invigilated assessments between these dates (24 December-02 January). However, if this will cause a particular issue for you then please email [email protected] to discuss further.
Registration of learners
When registering units across any qualification, including Access to Higher Education, please ensure that the relevant units are selected at the time of registration. This helps to ensure clarity and makes the results submission process simpler.
Please ensure you a registering your learners within the prescribed timescales. All Access to Higher Education learners must be registered within six weeks of their individual start date.
Our registration system is designed to automatically process registrations where all mandatory data is entered and the correct format is used. Please ensure you are always using the current version of the relevant learner registration form (LRF) from the “Registration Submission” page of the Secure Portal, as opposed to any copies you may have saved locally.
Results submission
We are no longer accepting submission of results via ERAC’s. All results submission must now take place via the “Your Course Runs” page of the Open Awards Secure Portal and DER, or Direct Entry of results.
You can locate guidance on how to do this on our website. Should you require any further guidance or support on this, please contact our Customer Service Team on 0151-494-2072 who will be happy to assist you and organize training sessions.
It is essential that all learners you register with us are accounted for when the course reaches its end (i.e. the course run end date). Please ensure that when a course has ended, that either results are entered for the learner or they are withdrawn from the course.
Contact Details
As we reach the end of the first term, please take this opportunity to review your registered “contacts” with us. Administration contacts, can amend, remove and additional contact via the “Contact Manager” screen of the Secure Portal. It is vital that we have current contacts for the positions of Administration, Quality Assurance, Finance, and safeguarding contacts. If you wish to change your Administration Contact, please submit this request via the Changes to Centre Details from, to be found and uploaded via the Secure Portal.