Statistical data set

Vocational qualifications dataset

Certificates issued for vocational and other qualifications (excluding GCSEs, AS and A levels, Advanced Extension Awards, apprenticeship end-point assessments, Extended Project Qualifications and T Level Technical Qualifications).

From:
Ofqual
Published
4 December 2014
Last updated
18 September 2025 — See all updates

This dataset covers vocational qualifications starting 2012 to present for England.

The dataset is updated every quarter. Data for previous quarters may be revised to insert late data or to correct an error. Updates also reflect where qualifications were re-categorised to a different type, level, sector subject area or awarding organisation. Where a quarterly update includes revisions to data for previous quarters, a table of revisions is published in the vocational and other qualifications quarterly release

In the dataset, the number of certificates issued are rounded to the nearest 5 and values less than 5 appear as ‘Fewer than 5’ to preserve confidentiality (and a 0 represents no certificates).

Where a qualification has been owned by more than one awarding organisation at different points in time, a separate row is given for each organisation.

Background information and key headlines for every quarter are published in in the vocational and other qualifications quarterly release.

For any queries contact us at data.analytics@ofqual.gov.uk.

Dataset 2012 to present - England

CSV, 20.2 MB

View online

Updates to this page

Published 4 December 2014
Last updated 18 September 2025 show all updates

  1. Added the April to June 2025 release to the collection. Added explanation about revisions.

  2. Added the January to March 2025 release to the collection.

  3. Added the October to December 2024 release to the collection.

  4. Added the July to September 2024 release to the collection.

  5. Added the April to June 2024 release to the collection.

  6. Added the January to March 2024 release to the collection.

  7. Added the October to December 2023 release to the collection.

  8. Added the July to September 2023 release to the collection.

  9. Added the April to June 2023 release to the collection.

  10. Added the January to March 2023 release to the collection.

  11. Added the October to December 2022 release to the collection.

  12. Updated the quarter 3 2022 values after an awarding organisation noticed an error in their data and resubmitted figures. A total of 179,285 (rounded) certifications were added.

  13. Added the July to September 2022 release to the collection.

  14. Added the April to June 2022 release to the collection.

  15. Added the January to March 2022 release to the collection.

  16. Latest dataset (Q4 - October to December 2021) uploaded

  17. Latest dataset (Q3 - July to September 2021) uploaded

  18. Latest dataset (Q2 - April to June 2021) uploaded

  19. Latest dataset (Q1 - January to March 2021) uploaded

  20. Latest dataset (Q4 - October to December 2020) uploaded

  21. Latest dataset (Q3 - July to September 2020) uploaded

  22. Latest dataset (Q2 - April to June 2020) uploaded

  23. Latest dataset (Q1 - January to March 2020) uploaded

  24. Latest dataset (Q4 - October to December 2019) uploaded

  25. Latest dataset (Q3 - July to September 2019) uploaded

  26. Republished the dataset because one of the awarding organisations (Pearson) has resubmitted their data which has increased the number of certificates awarded by them in Q2 2019 by nearly 150K.

  27. Added a user note on resubmission of data by Pearson.

  28. Latest dataset (Q2 - April to June 2019) uploaded

  29. Latest dataset (Q1 - January to March 2019) uploaded

  30. Latest dataset (Q4 - October to December 2018) uploaded

  31. Latest dataset (Q3 - July to September 2018) uploaded

  32. Latest dataset (Q2 - April to June 2018) uploaded

  33. Latest dataset (Q1 - January to March 2018) uploaded

  34. Latest dataset (Q4 - October to December 2017) uploaded. Removed datasets for Wales and Northern Ireland following an agreement with Qualification Wales and CCEA.

  35. Updated with data for July to September 2017.

  36. Latest datasets (Q2 - April to June 2017) uploaded

  37. Latest datasets (Q1 - January to March 2017) uploaded

  38. Latest datasets (Q4 2016 - October to December 2016) uploaded

  39. Latest datasets (Q3 - July to September 2016) uploaded

  40. Corrected data supplied by one awarding organisation.

  41. Latest (Q2 2016) data released

  42. Latest data (Q1 2016) uploaded

  43. All files were replaced because some data from Gateway Qualifications as well as a few other awarding organisations were missing.

  44. Latest datasets for October to December 2015 uploaded.

  45. After data quality checks, it was decided that the separate datasets for England, Wales and Northern Ireland would only go back to 2012 as this is when the data started being collected by country and that the dataset for all 3 countries would cover 10 years.

  46. Updated to include data for Q2 2015.

  47. The latest dataset includes data from the latest published quarter (January to March 2015)

  48. The previous version was missing data from a number of qualifications

  49. The following 3 files were revised as they contained errors: Dataset 1988 to present - England, Wales and Northern Ireland; Dataset 1988 to present - England only; and Dataset 2009 to present - England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

  50. Added the latest version of the data files for quarter 4 2014.

  51. First published.