Examples of qualifications
- Entry-level awards, certificates and diplomas
- Essential skills at entry level
What they give you
- basic knowledge and skills
- ability to apply learning in everyday situations
- not geared towards specific occupations
Examples of qualifications
- GCSE grades D-G (and grades 3 to 1 in England)
- level one awards, diplomas and certificates
- Key Skills level 1
- NVQs
- Essential Skills
- Music grades 1 to 3
What they give you
- basic knowledge and skills
- ability to apply learning with guidance or supervision
- may be linked to job competence
Examples of qualifications
- GCSE grades A*- C (and grades 4 to 9 in England)
- intermediate apprenticeships
- Level 2 awards, diplomas and certificates
- OCR Nationals
- NVQs
- Essential Skills
- Music grades 4 and 5
- O level – grades A-C
What they give you
- good knowledge and understanding of a subject
- ability to do a variety of tasks with some guidance or supervision
- suitable for many job roles
Examples of qualifications
- AS, A levels and T levels
- Access to Higher Education diploma
- advanced apprenticeship
- International Baccalaureate
- NVQs
- BTEC diplomas, certificates and awards
- BTEC Nationals
- OCR Nationals
- Music grades 6 to 8
What they give you
- ability to gain or apply a range of knowledge, skills and understanding at a detailed level
- appropriate if you plan to go to university, work independently or (in some cases) supervise and train others in their field of work
Examples of qualifications
- NVQs
- BTEC Professional diplomas, certificates and awards
- HNCs
- Certificaties of Higher Education (CertHE)
- Higher apprenticeship
What they give you
- specialist learning, involving detailed analysis of a high level of information and knowledge in an area of work or study
- ​suitable for people working in technical and professional jobs, and/or managing and developing others
Examples of qualifications
- NVQs
- BTEC Professional diplomas, certificates and awards
- HNCs
- Certificaties of Higher Education (CertHE)
- Higher apprenticeship
What they give you
- ability to increase the depth of knowledge and understanding of an area of work or study, so you can respond to complex problems and situations
- involves high level of work expertise and competence in managing and training others
- suitable for people working as higher-grade technicians, professionals or managers
Examples of qualifications
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Professional Graduate Certificate in Education
- Graduate diplomas
- BTEC Advanced Professional diplomas, certificates and awards
- degree apprenticeship
What they give you
- a specialist, high-level knowledge of an area of work or study, to allow you to use your own ideas and research in response to complex problems and situations
- suitable for people working as knowledge-based professionals or in professional management positions
Examples of qualifications
- Master’s degrees
- Postgraduate Certificate in Education
- BTEC Advanced Professional diplomas, certificates and awards
What they give you
- highly developed and complex levels of knowledge, enabling you to develop original responses to complicated and unpredictable problems and situations
- suitable for senior professionals and managers
Examples of qualifications
- Doctoral degrees
- specialist awards, certificates and diplomas
What they give you
- opportunity to develop new and creative approaches that extend or redefine existing knowledge or professional practice
- suitable for leading experts or practitioners in a particular field
