Students who have yet to receive their BTec scores must wait nervously as the deadline to complete their university offers draws near.
According to the UCAS admissions office, most offers will expire next Wednesday.
The examination board responsible for the qualifications insists that it has now issued results to all “eligible” candidates.
BBC Newsbeat has been contacted by students saying they are still waiting and communication has been poor.
Results were expected on August 15 – the same day the A Level grades were released.
But some, like Estelle Harris, are still waiting — two weeks later.
“It’s frustrating, I feel so down. That should be a big moment for me,” the 18-year-old told Radio 1 Newsbeat.
Estelle from Croydon was due to start a social work course but has no idea what will happen now.
“Because this is a personal thing that I’ve been through and I want to help other young people out there. But I think that will be delayed.”
Pearson, the relevant examination board, says he has now issued “all results for eligible students”.
A spokesman said it needed additional information from schools and colleges to award those results, which caused some of the delay.
“We have contacted each school or college with ineligible students and are grateful for the information we received from the exam officers as our team worked to obtain and validate pending data,” they said.
Pearson said it will work with schools and colleges to “review requests” and “confirm if they are expecting learners who are not currently eligible to meet the qualifying criteria.”
However, Estelle says she hasn’t heard from Pearson, despite trying to contact her for answers, and says she has friends who are in “similar situations” whose findings need to be investigated.
“My family tries to keep me quiet with it,” she says. “You’re just trying not to worry and to make sure I don’t, but it’s a lot.”
- “Delay in BTec results cost my clearing seat”
- “Delaying results jeopardizes my future”
- “If it were the Abitur, it would be clarified faster”
Another student awaiting results is Morgan Lowman from Dorset.
The 19-year-old calls the situation “extremely disappointing” and says communication with the examination board was “poor”.
“They have provided minimal information as to why my results are being delayed and what needs to be done to claim them,” he says.
He was told by Pearson that his school has not yet “claimed” his results, but says his teachers have been trying to maintain his qualifications “since the day of the results”.
But Morgan is one of the lucky ones, he says, as he has an unconditional place to study law at the University of Portsmouth.
The same cannot be said for Charlotte Howard, as eviction did not get her a seat that she wanted.
The 19-year-old told Newsbeat last week she was “completely discouraged” when she was denied a place on a pediatric nursing course due to her late results.
She now has an update – and has let us know that she has accepted another clearing offer for student intake in March.
But it means that she will start university half a year later than planned.
“I think that’s better than nothing,” she says.
Delays in BTec results have been called “completely unacceptable” by a group representing schools and colleges.
“Of course that mustn’t happen again. There are lessons to be learned for the future,” said Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
UCAS advises students awaiting results to contact their university or college of choice to discuss their situation.
It says 23,000 courses are available through clearing, which will remain open through October.
Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and youtube.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 on weekdays – or listen back here.
Add Comment