How to Grade BTEC PSA Assignments Against Assessment Criteria

BTEC Pearson Set Assignments (PSA) are graded against published assessment criteria, not a percentage mark. The assessor’s job is to decide whether the learner’s evidence meets each criterion at Pass, Merit, or Distinction.

Start with the assessment criteria, not the essay

Open the unit specification and list every criterion the PSA covers. For each one, ask: does the evidence show that skill or knowledge explicitly? Implied understanding is not enough for BTEC. Highlight quotes, screenshots, or calculations in the learner’s work that map to a specific criterion code (for example P2 or M1).

Use a criteria grid before you write comments

A simple grid with columns for criterion, evidence location, met/not yet, and a short assessor note keeps grading consistent across a cohort. This is the same structure professional Assessment Records expect: criterion-referenced comments, not a general “good work” paragraph.

Distinguish task completion from criterion achievement

A learner can submit every task and still miss a Merit or Distinction criterion. Grade the evidence against the command verbs in the spec (explain, analyse, evaluate). If the work describes but does not analyse, award the Pass and record a clear action for the higher grade.

Keep the teacher in control of the final record

AI tools can speed up first-pass mapping of evidence to PSA criteria. The Internal Assessor remains responsible for the judgement, the wording on the Assessment Record, and any resubmission decision.