Qualification Level

Examples of Qualifications

What They Give You

Entry Level Awards, Certificates and Diplomas.  Essential skills at entry level.  These aren't generally compulsory and are suitable for anyone looking to learn a new subject or language, as well as those looking to enter formal education. 

Basic knowledge and skills.

Ability to apply learning in everyday situations.

Not geared towards specific occupations.

GCSE grades 3-1, Level 1 Awards, Certifications and Diplomas, Key Skills Level 1, NVQ's, Essential skills and Music grades 3-1. 

Suitable for those aged 15-66, or anyone looking to further their education. You won’t necessarily have to complete an entry level qualification to move onto Level 1. 

Basic knowledge and skills.

Ability to apply learning with guidance or supervision.

May be linked to job competence.

GCSE grades 9-4, Intermediate Apprenticeships, Level 2 Awards, Certificates and Diplomas, OCR Nationals, NVQ's, Essential Skills, Music grades 4 & 5 and O Level grades A-C. 

Suitable for those aged 15-66, or anyone looking to further their education. Because of the high standard of their grades, Level 2 learners will usually progress to Level 3 qualifications.

Good knowledge and understanding of a subject.

Ability to do a variety of tasks with some guidance or supervision.

Suitable for many job roles.

AS and A Levels, Access to Higher Education Diploma, Advanced Apprenticeship, International Baccalaureate, NVQ's, BTEC Awards, Certificates and Diplomas, BTEC Nationals, OCR Nationals, Music grades 6 to 8.

Suitable for those who are looking to continue their education after the minimum school leaving age, or who want to specialise in a particular subject.

Ability to gain or appply 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 work.

NVQ's, BTEC Professional Awards, Certificates and Diplomas, Foundation Degrees, Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE).

Suitable for anyone who wants to extend their knowledge of a subject or to gain a degree of a higher level NVQ or certificate. 

Level 4 acts as the bridge between level 3 and 5, and can help people progress to the next stage of education when they might not have been able to with their previous qualifications.

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.

HND's, NVQ's, BTEC Professionals Awards, Certificates and Diplomas, Foundation Degrees, Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE).

Suitable for people working as higher grade technicians, professionals or managers or anyone looking to move on to university, or other forms of higher education.

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 or work expertise and competence in managing and training others.

Bachelors Degrees, Professional Graduate Certificate in Education, Graduate Diplomas, BTEC Advanced Awards, Certificates and Diplomas, Degree Apprenticeships.

Suitable for people working as knowledge-based professionals or in professional management positions, or those looking to pursue a master’s.

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.

Master's Degree, Postgraduate Certificate in Education, BTEC Advanced Awards, Certificates and Diplomas.

Suitable for senior professionals and managers, looking for a qualification which validates knowledge beyond degree level. After Level 7, there’s only one more level – a doctorate (PhD) or its equivalent.

Doctoral Degrees, Specialist Awards, Certificates and Diplomas.

Suitable for leading experts or practitioners in a particular field or anyone looking to achieve the highest formal level of education possible and/or become a fully qualified Doctor.