Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of university recognition of V Levels on access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds; and what measures they intend to use to monitor and report that effect during the transition from BTECs.

The government is working with higher education (HE) institutes, Universities UK and UCAS to ensure that V Levels are recognised as high-quality qualifications that support progression to HE, through the content development process and by establishing the Technical and Vocational Qualifications Higher Education Network.

UCAS confirmed in September 2026 that V Levels will attract the same tariff points as A Levels at grades A*–E. Our ambition is that once all V Levels are introduced and in steady delivery, a student will be as equally likely to progress into level 4+ study whether they take A Levels or V Levels. The post-16 pathways implementation plan sets out the timeline and information on progression pathways to HE. More information on the plan is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-16-pathways-implementation-plan/post-16-pathways-implementation-plan.

The department is working to ensure these reforms work for all students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. In March 2026, we published an equality impact assessment and we will continue to work with the sector to identify and address any barriers to progression into HE. More information on the assessment is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69aec7cd917847c0a4c899c3/Post-16_level_3_and_below_pathways_equality_impact_assessment.pdf.