Qualifications – A Quick Guide

Entry level qualifications are:

·       entry level award

·       entry level certificate (ELC)

·       entry level diploma

·       entry level English for speakers of other languages (ESOL)

·       entry level essential skills

·       entry level functional skills

·       Skills for Life 

·       first certificate

·       GCSE – grades 3, 2, 1 or grades D, E, F, G

·       level 1 award

·       level 1 certificate

·       level 1 diploma

·       level 1 ESOL

·       level 1 essential skills

·       level 1 functional skills

·       level 1 national vocational qualification (NVQ)

·       music grades 1, 2 and 3 

·       GCSE – grades 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 or grades A*, A, B, C

·       intermediate apprenticeship

·       level 2 award

·       level 2 certificate

·       level 2 diploma

·       level 2 ESOL

·       level 2 essential skills

·       level 2 functional skills

·       level 2 national certificate

·       level 2 national diploma

·       level 2 NVQ

·       music grades 4 and 5 

·       A level

·       access to higher education diploma

·       advanced apprenticeship

·       applied general

·       AS level

·       international Baccalaureate diploma

·       level 3 award

·       level 3 certificate

·       level 3 diploma

·       level 3 ESOL

·       level 3 national certificate

·       level 3 national diploma

·       level 3 NVQ

·       music grades 6, 7 and 8

·       T-levels

Level 4 qualifications are:

·       certificate of higher education (CertHE)

·       higher apprenticeship

·       higher national certificate (HNC)

·       level 4 award

·       level 4 certificate

·       level 4 diploma

·       level 4 NVQ 

·       diploma of higher education (DipHE)

·       foundation degree

·       higher national diploma (HND)

·       level 5 award

·       level 5 certificate

·       level 5 diploma

·       level 5 NVQ 

·       degree apprenticeship

·       degree with honours – for example (BA) hons & (BSc)

·       graduate certificate

·       graduate diploma

·       level 6 award

·       level 6 certificate

·       level 6 diploma

·       level 6 NVQ

·       ordinary degree without honours 

·       integrated master’s degree, for example master of engineering (MEng)

·       level 7 award

·       level 7 certificate

·       level 7 diploma

·       level 7 NVQ

·       master’s degree, for example master of arts (MA), master of science (MSc)

·       postgraduate certificate

·       postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE)

·       postgraduate diploma 

·       doctorate, for example doctor of philosophy (PhD or DPhil)

·       level 8 award

·       level 8 certificate

·       level 8 diploma