Around 7,000 students in England may not receive their BTec Level 2 results as planned on Thursday, an exam board has said.
Pearson said it was trying to provide the missing results “as soon as possible” to affected students.
It comes after Pearson apologized last Thursday for BTec Level 3 students not receiving their grades as planned on the day A and T level exam results were released.
Pearson said issues related to “grading criteria” were behind the new delays. In a statement, it said the results of the 7,000 students who were at risk of not receiving their grades on time were delayed because they were “currently ineligible” and “did not meet the grading criteria”.
Regarding last week’s lockout, Pearson previously said the problem was not a “systemic problem” and that only a small percentage of students had been affected.
On Wednesday, a Pearson spokesman said: “Today we sent 235,000 BTec First, Technical and Tech Awards notes to schools and universities to share with students tomorrow.
“As of 9am today, there are 7,000 students who are currently ineligible to receive their grade as they do not meet the grading criteria at this time. We have a dedicated team working with schools and universities to obtain and validate any outstanding information.
“Our goal is to run these eligibility checks and provide the results as soon as possible to students. As always, we are grateful for the cooperation of schools and universities, which tirelessly support us in this work.”
The BBC reported that affected BTec students could be deemed “ineligible” because some of their grades were not recorded in the system.
Pearson previously said delays in last week’s BTec results were due to general grades not being able to be issued due to a lack of modules.
In a statement last week, Pearson said: “We are very sorry that some students are still waiting for their results. BTecs are a modular qualification and in order for us to award an overall result, we need grades to be submitted for each unit and that a claim is made to receive the qualification”.
Sarah Hannafin, senior policy adviser for the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said the delays were unacceptable.
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Hannafin said: “Despite the differences in arrangements for unit assessments due to the pandemic and the complexity this has created, exam boards have a responsibility to ensure that results are issued in time for to all students, whose next steps may depend on their result. .
“It is an unacceptable situation that potentially 7,000 students are without their BTec results this week. This will cause unnecessary anxiety and stress as young people seek to confirm their places with sixth forms, universities and training providers. And without no results, how can they celebrate their achievements with family and friends?
Ofqual, the exam regulator, said students had “shown great resilience in preparing for and taking their grades during the pandemic”, adding that they had “every sympathy” for those affected.
Parents and students affected by the delays have been advised to speak to their school or college, or contact Pearson on 0345 618 0440.