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Guidance

Assessment only route to QTS: criteria and supporting advice

Criteria and supporting advice for accredited providers wishing to offer the assessment only route to qualified teacher status (QTS).

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education
Published:
8 August 2013
Last updated:
13 October 2026
Show all updates

  1. 2026 to 2027 academic year updates to: eligibility criteria in A1.4 as applicant's need at least 2 years' teaching experience in 2 schools or 5 years' experience in a single school; criteria A1.3, A2.2 and A2.3 covering headteacher recommendations for applicants, making phase decisions for applicants in special schools and alternative provision settings; and appropriate adaptations to assessment procedures for applicants working in those settings.

  2. Updated the 'contact us' details.

  3. Updated to reflect changes that have been made to the main initial teacher training criteria.

  4. Published updated criteria and supporting advice for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

  5. Updated criterion C1.3 and information about the professional skills test has been removed.

  6. Updated to revert to pre-COVID-19 advice.

  7. Removed references to being prohibited to teach in another country of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Teacher Services System. Added links to Changes to checks for EU sanctions on EEA teachers and Recruit teachers from overseas.

  8. We have updated the ‘candidate assessment’ advice to explain what should happen when candidates’ progress on the Assessment Only (AO) route to QTS is interrupted as a consequence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

  9. Changes to reflect the change in rules on skills tests.

  10. Updated criteria and supporting advice.

  11. Updated assessment only criteria supporting advice document

  12. Updated supporting advice.

  13. Updated assessment only criteria and supporting advice.

  14. Updated contact information

  15. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Assessment only route to qualified teacher status: criteria and supporting advice

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Details

This guidance is for:

The assessment only route to qualified teacher status (QTS) allows teachers to demonstrate that they already meet all the QTS standards, without the need for any further training.

Teachers need to present detailed evidence and their teaching is assessed in a school by an accredited and approved provider.

Contact us

For further information on the assessment only route, providers should email becomingateacher@digital.education.gov.uk.

If you’re a potential candidate, wishing to gain QTS, visit Get Into Teaching: what is QTS.

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