The BTEC International Level 3 in Business is assessed through coursework that is completed throughout the year. In your BTEC class, you will move through two clear and distinct 'phases' - a teaching and learning phase, and an assessment phase. The assessment phase commences at the end of the teaching and learning phase, when your teacher believes that you are ready to undertake the assessment. The start of the assessment phase is signalled by the issue of an assessment brief and concludes with the receipt of the final assessment decision from your teacher. 

In comparison with the IB Diploma Program (DP) subjects that you might be studying, you will note that there are no examinations that need to be undertaken at the conclusion of the program. Instead, the assessment in BTEC more closely matches a series of IA's or Internal Assessments.

There are two types of IA's in the BTEC International Level 3 in Business:

• Internal Assessments: These are designed by ICS teachers, using the guidelines and exemplars provided by Pearson, to take advantage of the opportunities to engage with for-profit and not-for-profit businesses as well as NGO's operating in Addis Ababa. The design of Internal Assessments are subject to a rigorous approval process that includes an independent review of the task design to ensure that it meets the requirements outlined in the course specification.

• Pearson Set Assignments: These are 'common assessments' that are designed and set by Pearson. ICS teachers administer these assessments in accordance with the guidelines outlined by Pearson. The Pearson set assignments are assessed by your teacher, and their assessment decisions are validated accordance with the internal verification guidelines.

As part of the course, students must complete the authorised Pearson Set Assignment for the units listed below. 

Each Pearson Assignement has specific task requirements which may include the requirement for an assignment to be taken in controlled conditions. Students will be advised of the requirements for the Pearson set assignment in the Assignment Brief that will be issued prior to the commencement of the assessment.

Internal  assessments are set and marked, and internally verified by approved, trained assessors (teachers) at ICS in accordance with the policies and procedures outlined in this handbook.

Internal assessment in the BTEC International Level 3 in Business is designed to be undertaken in the form of an assignment taken after the content of the unit, or part of the unit if several assignments are used, has been delivered. Students will clearly identify when we move from the Teaching and Learning phase to the Assessment phase through the issue of an Assignment Brief and Task Sheet. This will include the following:

• Assignment Brief and Task Sheet: An assignment is issued to learners as an assignment brief with:

  •  a defined start date, 

  • a completion date, and 

  • clear requirements for the evidence that they need to provide.

  • If there may be specific observed practical components during the assignment period, this must be specified in the Assignment brief and on the task sheet. 

  • The assignment may be divided into separate  tasks, steps or stages and may require several forms of evidence.

The assessment decisions for all assessments within BTEC International Level 3 in Business at ICS are determined in the first instance by the teacher delivering the course. This assessment decision is based on the specific assessment criteria and grade level descriptors within the unit specification and outlined in the task sheet. 

 When a learner has completed all the assessment for a unit, then the teacher will review the student submission and will award a grade for the unit. Note: This grade is given according to the highest level for which the learner is judged to have met all the criteria. Therefore:

• to achieve a Distinction, a learner must have satisfied all the Distinction criteria (and therefore the Pass and Merit criteria); these define outstanding performance across the unit as a whole

• to achieve a Merit, a learner must have satisfied all the Merit criteria (and therefore the Pass criteria) through high performance in each learning aim

• to achieve a Pass, a learner must have satisfied all the Pass criteria for the learning aims, showing coverage of the unit content and therefore attainment at Level 3 of the qualification.

The award of a Pass is a defined level of performance and cannot be given solely on the basis of a learner completing assignments. Learners who do not satisfy the Pass criteria should be reported as Unclassified.

Internal Verification

Assessment decisions will not be released to students until the internal verification process has been completed in the accordance with the internal verification policy and proceedures. 

Appeals against assessment decisions and requests to resubmit completed assessments.

Students who wish to appeal against the published assessment decisions and/or submit a request to resubmit completed assessments must do so in accordance with the appeals and resubmission policy.