Qualifications

Everyone needs qualifications these days. It's important that your teenager works towards a qualification as it means they will be more likely to get a job and improve their long term employability. Get the low down on the main qualifications with our quick guide.

A levels and AS levels

  • Available in academic and vocational subjects.
  • An AS level is awarded for each subject after one year of study and exams.
  • After a second year of study and exams full A levels are awarded– called ‘A2’.

GCSE

  • After Year 11 your teenager may be able to resit a GCSE or start a new subject.
  • GCSEs usually last one year if your teenager is over 16.
  • Available in academic and vocational subjects.
  • One vocational or ‘applied’ GCSE is equal to two GCSEs.
  • Short course GCSE's are worth half GCSE

BTEC awards, diplomas and certificates

  • Available in work related areas - for example, engineering, childcare or business.
  • There are four levels – Introductory, First, National and Higher National.
  • Firsts and Nationals are typically studied at 14 to 18.

NVQ

  • Provide skills for a job such as hairdressing, car mechanics, computing or sales.
  • There are five levels, 1 to 5.

OCR and City and Guilds courses

  • Provide skills for a job such as computing, sales or plumbing.
  • There are courses at different levels from 1 to 5.

Key Skills qualifications

  • These show your teenager can communicate, use numbers and use computers.
  • Your teenager can take these with another course such as BTEC, A levels or an apprenticeship.

Foundation Learning

  • Programmes for teenagers who, for any reason, are not ready to go straight into full-time training, education or employment.
  • It can help your teenager to move on to the next step.
  • They will get support to help them to get a Level 1 qualification. Visit our Foundation Learning page to find out more.

National Qualifications Framework 

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) shows how the different qualifications relate to each other. There are eight levels as well as Entry Level qualifications. The table below shows how the main qualifications relate to each other.

 
Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4 to 8
GCSEs at grades D 
to G		 GCSEs at grades A* to C A Level 
AS Level		 Degree
BTEC Introductory Certificate or Diploma   BTEC First Diploma BTEC National Diploma Foundation Degree
Higher National Diploma (HND)
NVQ Level 1 NVQ Level 2 NVQ Level 3 NVQ Levels 4 and 5
  Apprenticeship Advanced Apprenticeship  
The Foundation Diploma The Higher Diploma The Advanced and Progression Diploma  

 

You can find out more about qualifications on our young people's site

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