Annual qualifications market report: academic year 2023 to 2024
Updated 15 May 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
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Revisions
On 15 May 2025, we published scheduled revisions to include some data that was unavailable at the time of original publication and to make some other minor corrections.
Specifically, Table 35 has been updated to include the number of certificates issued for Ofqual regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK during the 2019 to 2020, 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 academic years. Previously, only numbers for the 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 academic years were provided.
Additionally, very minor revisions were made to certain figures in Table 5 and Table 21. All changes were below 0.5% difference from what was originally published, applied only to academic years prior to 2022 to 2023, and did not affect the rows related to Level 1/Level 2 or Level 4 to 8 qualifications in Table 21 or rows relating to GCSE, AS or A level in Table 5.
Information on regulated qualifications (covering title, type, availability, awarding organisation, sector subject area and level) and recognised awarding organisations in England is taken from Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications, referred to as the Register in this release. This information is correct at the point in time in which the Register was extracted. The update published has used a more recent version of the Register (extracted 28 April 2025). Tables 2, 3 and 4 have been updated as a result.
The accompanying data tables have also been updated accordingly.
Key headlines
The main headlines in the regulated qualifications market in England for the 2023 to 2024 academic year were:
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There were 10,148 active qualifications (available qualifications with certificates) in the academic year 2023 to 2024, a 5.3% decrease from the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
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A total of 11.8 million certificates were issued for GCSE, AS, A level, vocational and other qualifications, up 3.7% from the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
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There were 6.5 million GCSE, AS and A level certificates issued in the 2023 to 2024 academic year, up 4.6% from the previous academic year.
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There were 5.2 million certificates issued for vocational and other qualifications in the 2023 to 2024 academic year, up 2.6% from the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
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The awarding organisations with the largest overall market shares (by number of certificates issued across all qualification types) were AQA (34.4%), Pearson (20.1%), OCR (6.5%) and City & Guilds (4.7%).
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This release covers regulated qualifications across GCSEs, AS, A levels, and vocational and other qualifications. Please note that where this release refers to ‘vocational and other’ qualifications, this means all qualifications other than GCSE, AS, A level, apprenticeship end-point assessments (EPAs) and T Level Technical Qualifications (TQs). EPAs and TQs are not included in the counts of qualifications and certificates within this report. Further information on the qualifications covered in this release can be found in the accompanying background notes.
Alternative arrangements for many assessments were in place in the 2020 to 2021 academic year in response to continuing disruption due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The 2021 to 2022 academic year saw the return of exams and other formal assessments, with some adaptations. In the 2022 to 2023 academic year, most exams and assessments returned to pre-pandemic arrangements. The figures reported for the 2023 to 2024 academic year, especially in comparison with the 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022 academic years, may have been influenced accordingly. Further details on these arrangements are available in the background notes.
Changes in cohort sizes can also affect the overall numbers of certifications within an academic year. Notably, there was a 5.2% increase in the 16-year-old population over the last year, from 670,982 in 2023 (according to ONS population estimates in 2022) to 706,006 in 2024 (according to ONS population estimates in 2023).
Awarding organisations offering regulated qualifications
Any organisation that wants to offer regulated qualifications in England has to be regulated (officially recognised) by Ofqual. Any new awarding organisation needs to meet Ofqual’s Criteria for Recognition and, once officially recognised, all awarding organisations must continue to meet Ofqual’s General Conditions of Recognition.
Table 1: Number of awarding organisations offering regulated qualifications
| 2019 to 2020 | 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of awarding organisations | 164 | 178 | 229 | 251 | 255 |
There were 255 Ofqual regulated awarding organisations during the 2023 to 2024 academic year. This number includes 85 awarding organisations which only delivered EPAs for apprenticeship standards during the 2023 to 2024 academic year and 20 awarding organisations that had no active qualifications (available qualifications with certificates). Please note that elsewhere in the report, statistics on qualifications and certifications do not include apprenticeship EPAs. We report on volumes and outcomes of regulated apprenticeship EPAs in a separate statistical publication.
Regulated qualifications
Information on qualifications including title, type, awarding organisation, sector subject area and level is taken from Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications. The availability of a particular qualification offered by an awarding organisation is determined according to whether certificates can be issued to candidates within the respective academic year. Awarding organisations self-report on when a particular qualification they are offering is ‘active’ or available to candidates for certification.
Available qualifications
Table 2: Number of available qualifications
| 2019 to 2020 | 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of qualifications with certificates | 11,613 | 11,716 | 11,360 | 10,715 | 10,148 |
| Number of qualifications without certificates | 6,476 | 6,321 | 6,289 | 6,531 | 6,261 |
| Total number of qualifications | 18,089 | 18,037 | 17,649 | 17,246 | 16,409 |
There were 16,409 qualifications available for certification in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. This is a 4.9% decrease from the 2022 to 2023 academic year, continuing the downward trend seen in previous years. No certificates will have been issued for some qualifications because they are new and require a 1- or 2-year course of study before students can certificate.
Of these available qualifications, 10,148 had certificates issued in the 2023 to 2024 academic year, a 5.3% decrease compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
Available qualifications by type
Qualification types are used to describe the nature of regulated qualifications. Information on qualification type is contained within Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications.
Table 3: Number of available qualifications by type in 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Qualification type | Number of qualifications available to certificate in 2022 to 2023 | Number of qualifications available to certificate in 2023 to 2024 | Number of qualifications available to certificate with certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of qualifications available to certificate with certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A level | 137 | 137 | 137 | 137 |
| GCSE (9 to 1) | 137 | 137 | 137 | 137 |
| AS | 96 | 96 | 95 | 95 |
| Vocationally-Related Qualification | 8,070 | 7,720 | 4,634 | 4,375 |
| Occupational Qualification | 4,502 | 4,194 | 2,615 | 2,392 |
| Other Life Skills Qualification | 1,715 | 1,492 | 1,230 | 1,101 |
| Other Vocational Qualification | 947 | 920 | 611 | 650 |
| Performing Arts Graded Examination | 663 | 731 | 524 | 546 |
| Other General Qualification | 463 | 451 | 363 | 349 |
| English for Speakers of Other Languages | 379 | 384 | 245 | 236 |
| Functional Skills | 96 | 100 | 96 | 89 |
| Essential Digital Skills | 16 | 20 | 16 | 16 |
| Digital Functional Skills Qualification | 12 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Project | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
| Advanced Extension Award | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 17,246 | 16,409 | 10,715 | 10,148 |
Table 4: Percentage change in the number of qualifications with certifications by type between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Qualification type | Percentage change in the number of qualifications with certifications between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| A level | 0.0% |
| GCSE (9 to 1) | 0.0% |
| AS | 0.0% |
| Vocationally-Related Qualification | -5.6% |
| Occupational Qualification | -8.5% |
| Other Life Skills Qualification | -10.5% |
| Other Vocational Qualification | 6.4% |
| Performing Arts Graded Examination | 4.2% |
| Other General Qualification | -3.9% |
| English for Speakers of Other Languages | -3.7% |
| Functional Skills | -7.3% |
| Essential Digital Skills | 0.0% |
| Digital Functional Skills Qualification | 0.0% |
| Project | -9.1% |
| Advanced Extension Award | 0.0% |
| Total | -5.3% |
Other Vocational qualifications saw the largest percentage and overall increase in the number of available qualifications with certificates, up by 39 qualifications since 2022 to 2023, equivalent to a percentage increase of 6.4%.
Vocationally-Related and Occupational qualifications saw the largest decrease in the number of qualifications with certificates (down by 259 and 223 qualifications, respectively). The largest percentage decrease in the number of qualifications with certificates was seen in Other Life Skills Qualification, down 10.5% from the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
Certificates issued for regulated qualifications
Final certificates reflect the final outcome and are usually issued some time after the issuing of provisional results. Please note that combined science certificates have been double counted throughout the report and data tables to reflect the fact that they count as 2 GCSEs.
Please also note that where this release refers to ‘vocational and other’ qualifications, this means all qualifications other than GCSEs, AS, A levels, EPAs and T Levels TQs.
Overall certificates
Table 5: Number of certificates issued for regulated qualifications
| 2019 to 2020 | 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A level | 717,020 | 763,930 | 773,300 | 775,615 | 793,545 |
| AS | 68,380 | 55,150 | 55,445 | 50,940 | 48,520 |
| GCSE | 5,313,175 | 5,321,595 | 5,272,685 | 5,423,805 | 5,696,820 |
| Vocational & other qualifications | 4,251,225 | 4,665,960 | 4,937,550 | 5,096,500 | 5,230,980 |
| Total | 10,349,800 | 10,806,630 | 11,038,980 | 11,346,865 | 11,769,860 |
The total number of certificates issued for all qualifications (A level, AS, GCSE and vocational and other qualifications) in the 2023 to 2024 academic year was 11.8 million, up 3.7% compared with the previous year.
The overall number of certificates for A level qualifications in 2023 to 2024 has increased by 17,925 certificates (up 2.3%) from the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
AS qualifications saw a 4.8% decrease in the number of certificates (down by 2,420 certificates compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year). The decrease in AS certificates reflects a continuation of the downward trend seen in AS entries in previous years, following the decoupling of AS and A levels after qualification reforms.
The overall number of certificates for GCSE qualifications has increased by 5.0%, which may in part reflect the increase in GCSE entries. This is at least partially driven by changes in the 16-year-old cohort that increased by 5.2% in 2024 compared with the previous year, according to ONS population estimates in 2022 and 2023.
There was an increase in the overall number of certificates in vocational and other qualifications (up by 2.6%) in the 2023 to 2024 academic year compared with 2022 to 2023.
Certificates by qualification type
Table 6: Number of certificates issued by qualification type in 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Qualification type | Number of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Share of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of certificates in 2023 to 2024 | Share of certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCSE (9 to 1) | 5,423,805 | 47.8% | 5,696,820 | 48.4% |
| A level | 775,615 | 6.8% | 793,545 | 6.7% |
| AS | 50,940 | 0.4% | 48,520 | 0.4% |
| Vocationally-Related Qualification | 1,972,240 | 17.4% | 1,833,110 | 15.6% |
| Other Vocational Qualification | 557,805 | 4.9% | 733,600 | 6.2% |
| Occupational Qualification | 650,815 | 5.7% | 658,815 | 5.6% |
| Performing Arts Graded Examination | 470,145 | 4.1% | 542,950 | 4.6% |
| English for Speakers of Other Languages | 404,515 | 3.6% | 440,720 | 3.7% |
| Other General Qualification | 412,420 | 3.6% | 406,785 | 3.5% |
| Functional Skills | 351,895 | 3.1% | 335,130 | 2.8% |
| Other Life Skills Qualification | 210,100 | 1.9% | 210,035 | 1.8% |
| Project | 51,255 | 0.5% | 51,915 | 0.4% |
| Essential Digital Skills | 15,140 | 0.1% | 15,430 | 0.1% |
| Digital Functional Skills Qualification | 0 | 0.0% | 2,320 | Less than 0.1% |
| Advanced Extension Award | 150 | Less than 0.1% | 170 | Less than 0.1% |
| Retired Qualifications | 30 | Less than 0.1% | Fewer than 5 | Less than 0.1% |
| Total | 11,346,865 | 100.0% | 11,769,860 | 100.0% |
Table 7: Percentage change in the number of certificates issued by qualification type between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Qualification type | Percentage change in the number of certificates issued by qualification type between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| GCSE (9 to 1) | 5.0% |
| A level | 2.3% |
| AS | -4.8% |
| Vocationally-Related Qualification | -7.1% |
| Other Vocational Qualification | 31.5% |
| Occupational Qualification | 1.2% |
| Performing Arts Graded Examination | 15.5% |
| English for Speakers of Other Languages | 9.0% |
| Other General Qualification | -1.4% |
| Functional Skills | -4.8% |
| Other Life Skills Qualification | 0.0% |
| Project | 1.3% |
| Essential Digital Skills | 1.9% |
| Digital Functional Skills Qualification | 0.0% |
| Advanced Extension Award | 15.5% |
| Retired Qualifications | -96.7% |
| Total | 3.7% |
Among vocational and other qualifications in 2023 to 2024, the largest percentage increase in the number of certificates was seen in Other Vocational qualifications (up by 31.5%, equivalent to an increase of 175,800 certificates.
The largest percentage decrease in the number of certificates among vocational and other qualifications (other than for retired qualifications) was seen in Vocationally-Related qualifications, down by 7.1%, equivalent to 139,100 certificates).
Please note, even though there were no active (available to learners) retired qualifications at the time of reporting, some certificates would have been issued during the academic year to learners who started their qualifications earlier.
Certificates by awarding organisation
Table 8 shows the 20 awarding organisations with the greatest number of certificates in 2023 to 2024. Others are combined within the ‘other awarding organisations’ group. For a full breakdown of all awarding organisations, see Table 4 in the accompanying data tables.
Table 8: Number of certificates issued by awarding organisation in 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Awarding organisation | Number of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| AQA Education | 3,900,640 | 4,044,660 |
| Pearson Education Ltd | 2,279,140 | 2,368,225 |
| OCR | 744,035 | 764,910 |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 555,355 | 555,200 |
| WJEC | 469,065 | 524,725 |
| Highfield Qualifications | 318,650 | 320,640 |
| NCFE | 347,230 | 314,530 |
| Trinity College London | 216,435 | 255,245 |
| Qualsafe Awards | 229,250 | 237,640 |
| First Aid Awards Ltd | 191,620 | 206,170 |
| Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music | 179,060 | 193,210 |
| Training Qualifications UK Ltd | 114,750 | 125,430 |
| Ascentis | 103,805 | 106,510 |
| NOCN | 86,955 | 97,120 |
| Gateway Qualifications Limited | 74,635 | 81,995 |
| LAMDA | 72,750 | 80,265 |
| Cambridge English | 67,580 | 74,345 |
| RLSS UK Qualifications | 70,230 | 69,190 |
| BIIAB | 67,530 | 67,805 |
| Qualifications Network | 66,605 | 64,240 |
| Other awarding organisations | 1,191,550 | 1,217,810 |
| Total | 11,346,865 | 11,769,860 |
Table 9: Percentage change in the number of certificates by awarding organisation between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Awarding organisation | Percentage change between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| AQA Education | 3.7% |
| Pearson Education Ltd | 3.9% |
| OCR | 2.8% |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 0.0% |
| WJEC | 11.9% |
| Highfield Qualifications | 0.6% |
| NCFE | -9.4% |
| Trinity College London | 17.9% |
| Qualsafe Awards | 3.7% |
| First Aid Awards Ltd | 7.6% |
| Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music | 7.9% |
| Training Qualifications UK Ltd | 9.3% |
| Ascentis | 2.6% |
| NOCN | 11.7% |
| Gateway Qualifications Limited | 9.9% |
| LAMDA | 10.3% |
| Cambridge English | 10.0% |
| RLSS UK Qualifications | -1.5% |
| BIIAB | 0.4% |
| Qualifications Network | -3.6% |
| Other awarding organisations | 2.2% |
| Total | 3.7% |
The 20 awarding organisations that reported the highest volume of certificates in the 2023 to 2024 academic year awarded 89.7% of all certificates. Trinity College London had the largest percentage increase in certificates (up by 17.9%, an increase of 38,800 certificates) since the 2022 to 2023 academic year. No new awarding organisations joined this list this year.
AQA Education had the largest increase in the raw number of certificates issued (up by 144,000) compared with the previous year.
GCSE, AS and A levels
Market share per awarding organisation: GCSE
Table 10: GCSE market share per awarding organisation
| Awarding organisation | 2019 to 2020 | 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 61.8% | 62.1% | 62.6% | 62.6% | 62.1% |
| OCR | 6.9% | 6.8% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 6.7% |
| Pearson | 25.4% | 25.2% | 24.8% | 24.6% | 24.8% |
| WJEC | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.1% | 6.4% |
GCSE certificates issued by awarding organisation for the 10 most certified subjects in 2023 to 2024
Table 11: GCSE certificates issued in 2023 to 2024 by awarding organisation for the 10 most certified subjects in 2023 to 2024
| Subject | AQA | OCR | Pearson | WJEC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combined science | 739,060 | 31,430 | 122,120 | 0 | 892,610 |
| Mathematics | 213,790 | 71,800 | 544,565 | 24,680 | 854,835 |
| English language | 622,995 | 8,080 | 98,780 | 93,085 | 822,940 |
| English literature | 489,870 | 7,210 | 46,955 | 57,440 | 601,475 |
| History | 97,520 | 20,405 | 167,950 | 9,815 | 295,685 |
| Geography | 191,745 | 24,800 | 46,995 | 14,655 | 278,195 |
| Religious studies | 138,830 | 5,680 | 41,215 | 52,435 | 238,160 |
| Art and design subjects | 125,580 | 21,350 | 30,550 | 15,430 | 192,910 |
| Biology | 146,990 | 9,955 | 22,585 | 0 | 179,525 |
| Chemistry | 140,570 | 9,340 | 21,625 | 0 | 171,540 |
Table 12: GCSE certificates issued in 2022 to 2023 by awarding organisation for the 10 most certified subjects in the academic year in 2023 to 2024
| Subject | AQA | OCR | Pearson | WJEC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combined science | 697,130 | 32,160 | 121,400 | 0 | 850,695 |
| Mathematics | 205,280 | 61,840 | 509,380 | 15,450 | 791,945 |
| English language | 589,790 | 8,895 | 74,840 | 81,370 | 754,895 |
| English literature | 474,895 | 7,655 | 47,705 | 52,815 | 583,075 |
| History | 94,650 | 19,490 | 159,225 | 10,155 | 283,520 |
| Geography | 185,140 | 25,680 | 48,030 | 14,940 | 273,795 |
| Religious studies | 136,225 | 6,265 | 43,000 | 51,380 | 236,875 |
| Art and design subjects | 119,900 | 20,905 | 29,925 | 13,130 | 183,860 |
| Biology | 143,230 | 10,335 | 23,060 | 0 | 176,620 |
| Chemistry | 137,800 | 9,925 | 22,570 | 0 | 170,295 |
The 10 highest volume subjects (with the highest number of certificates awarded this year) account for 79.5% of all GCSE certificates, 0.1 percentage points more than in 2022 to 2023.
AQA has the largest market share in 8 of the 10 highest volume subjects. Pearson has the largest share in the remaining 2 subjects: mathematics and history.
All of the 10 highest volume subjects saw an increase in the number of certificates issued compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year. The largest increases in the number of certificates were for English language and mathematics (up by 68,000 and 62,900 respectively), likely due to the increased 16-year-old cohort size. Among the 10 highest volume subjects, English language saw the largest percentage increase in the number of certificates (up by 9.0% from the 2022 to 2023 academic year).
The market share of awarding organisations in all GCSE subjects in the 2023 to 2024 academic year is given in the data tables accompanying this release (Table 8). Please note, combined science certificates have been double counted throughout the report and data tables to reflect the fact that they count as 2 GCSEs.
Market share per awarding organisation: AS
Table 13: AS market share per awarding organisation
| Awarding organisation | 2019 to 2020 | 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 43.5% | 43.9% | 40.2% | 38.7% | 37.5% |
| OCR | 22.8% | 22.4% | 23.4% | 23.5% | 24.3% |
| Pearson | 27.1% | 25.6% | 27.5% | 28.7% | 29.8% |
| WJEC | 6.6% | 8.1% | 8.9% | 9.2% | 8.4% |
The total number of certificates for AS qualifications has decreased by 4.8% between the 2022 to 2023 academic year and the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
AQA and WJEC saw a decrease (down by 1.2% and 0.7% respectively) in their share of the AS market. All other awarding organisations saw increases to their market share, with Pearson seeing the largest percentage increase in its market share (up by 1.1% in the 2023 to 2024 academic year).
AS certificates issued by awarding organisation for the 10 most certified subjects in the academic year 2023 to 2024
Table 14: AS certificates issued in 2023 to 2024 by awarding organisation for the 10 most certified subjects in the academic year 2023 to 2024
| Subject | AQA | OCR | Pearson | WJEC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 715 | 1,080 | 4,315 | 0 | 6,110 |
| Mathematics (further) | 715 | 830 | 3,125 | 0 | 4,670 |
| Psychology | 3,445 | 175 | 430 | 70 | 4,115 |
| Biology | 1,965 | 1,315 | 370 | 125 | 3,775 |
| Chemistry | 1,310 | 1,715 | 365 | 135 | 3,525 |
| Sociology | 2,820 | 465 | 0 | 200 | 3,485 |
| Physics | 1,305 | 965 | 335 | 30 | 2,630 |
| Business studies | 1,060 | 80 | 1,205 | 65 | 2,410 |
| Art and design subjects | 0 | 1,075 | 0 | 1,065 | 2,135 |
| Economics | 680 | 195 | 995 | 65 | 1,935 |
Table 15: AS certificates issued in 2022 to 2023 by awarding organisation for the 10 most certified subjects in the academic year in 2023 to 2024
| Subject | AQA | OCR | Pearson | WJEC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 805 | 1,240 | 4,200 | 0 | 6,240 |
| Psychology | 3,890 | 235 | 425 | 170 | 4,725 |
| Mathematics (further) | 695 | 780 | 2,830 | 0 | 4,300 |
| Biology | 2,255 | 1,425 | 380 | 125 | 4,185 |
| Sociology | 3,085 | 490 | 0 | 230 | 3,810 |
| Chemistry | 1,300 | 1,775 | 470 | 120 | 3,670 |
| Physics | 1,410 | 925 | 330 | 15 | 2,680 |
| Business studies | 1,160 | 45 | 1,245 | 100 | 2,555 |
| Art and design subjects | 0 | 845 | 0 | 1,210 | 2,060 |
| Economics | 675 | 210 | 1,090 | 70 | 2,050 |
Pearson and AQA each have the largest market share in 4 of the 10 highest volume subjects. AQA has the largest market share in psychology, sociology, biology and physics. Pearson has the largest market share in mathematics, further mathematics, business studies and economics. OCR has the largest share in chemistry and in art and design subjects.
The 10 highest volume subjects account for 71.7% of all AS certificates, 0.4 percentage points more than in the 2022 to 2023 academic year. The 10 highest volume AS subjects changed slightly between the 2022 to 2023 academic year and the 2023 to 2024 academic year, with history leaving the 10 most certified subjects and economics entering.
There has been a decrease in the number of certificates for most of the highest volume AS subjects since the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Only art and design subjects and further mathematics saw an increase in the number of certificates, with an increase of 80 and 370 certificates between the 2022 to 2023 academic year and the 2023 to 2024 academic year respectively. The largest decrease in the number of certificates was seen for psychology, with 605 fewer certificates than in the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
The market share of awarding organisations in all AS subjects in the 2023 to 2024 academic year is given in the data tables accompanying this release (Table 9).
Market share by awarding organisation: A level
The A level market continued to be stable in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. The total number of certificates for A levels increased by 2.3% since the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
Table 16: A level market share by awarding organisation
| 2019 to 2020 | 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQA | 45.7% | 45.9% | 46.4% | 46.4% | 45.8% |
| OCR | 21.0% | 20.9% | 20.7% | 20.5% | 20.4% |
| Pearson | 26.7% | 27.0% | 26.5% | 26.7% | 27.6% |
| WJEC | 6.5% | 6.2% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.2% |
A level certificates issued by awarding organisation for the 10 most certified subjects in the academic year 2023 to 2024
Table 17: A level certificates issued in 2023 to 2024 by awarding organisation for the 10 most certified subjects in the academic year 2023 to 2024
| Subject | AQA | OCR | Pearson | WJEC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 14,015 | 13,430 | 68,570 | 0 | 96,020 |
| Psychology | 61,290 | 5,025 | 4,510 | 1,915 | 72,740 |
| Biology | 36,880 | 20,115 | 5,855 | 2,075 | 64,930 |
| Chemistry | 25,885 | 24,635 | 4,845 | 110 | 55,475 |
| History | 19,795 | 9,970 | 12,805 | 0 | 42,570 |
| Sociology | 36,215 | 3,390 | 0 | 1,570 | 41,175 |
| Art and design subjects | 20,925 | 5,750 | 7,040 | 6,695 | 40,410 |
| Business studies | 15,580 | 930 | 19,870 | 3,575 | 39,955 |
| Economics | 14,215 | 2,680 | 20,880 | 750 | 38,525 |
| Physics | 21,305 | 12,300 | 3,825 | 625 | 38,055 |
Table 18: A level certificates issued in 2022 to 2023 by awarding organisation for the 10 most certified subjects in the academic year in 2023 to 2024
| Subject | AQA | OCR | Pearson | WJEC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 12,435 | 13,100 | 61,135 | 0 | 86,670 |
| Psychology | 61,815 | 5,620 | 4,990 | 1,990 | 74,415 |
| Biology | 36,100 | 20,435 | 6,375 | 2,055 | 64,965 |
| Chemistry | 24,820 | 24,400 | 4,990 | 100 | 54,310 |
| Sociology | 38,545 | 3,820 | 0 | 1,725 | 44,085 |
| History | 20,430 | 10,160 | 13,000 | 0 | 43,590 |
| Art and design subjects | 20,665 | 5,595 | 7,185 | 6,750 | 40,200 |
| Business studies | 16,435 | 1,035 | 19,095 | 3,365 | 39,935 |
| Economics | 14,205 | 2,790 | 19,510 | 785 | 37,290 |
| Physics | 18,685 | 10,945 | 3,485 | 560 | 33,680 |
The 10 highest volume subjects account for 66.8% of all A level certificates, 0.2 percentage points less than in the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
In the 2023 to 2024 academic year, geography left whilst physics entered the 10 highest volume A level subjects. The only subjects in the top 10 to see a drop in the number of certificates issued since the 2022 to 2023 academic year were sociology, psychology and history (down by 2,900, 1,700 and 1,000 respectively). Mathematics saw the largest increase in the number of certificates issued (up by 9,300).
The market share of awarding organisations in all A level subjects in the 2023 to 2024 academic year is given in the data tables accompanying this release (Table 10).
Vocational and other qualifications
In this release, ‘vocational and other’ qualifications include all regulated qualifications other than GCSEs, AS, A levels, apprenticeship EPAs and T Level TQs. T Level TQs are not included in this section as certificates are issued for the overall T Level. Apprenticeship EPAs are not included in this section because the awarding organisations that conduct EPAs do not issue certificates for the completion of EPAs. Certificates for overall T Levels and apprenticeship EPAs are issued by the Department for Education. Please note that some changes in the market are likely to be driven by ongoing reform to these qualifications. For more detail please see the background notes.
Data for all awarding organisations offering the qualifications covered in this section is available in the Vocational and Other qualifications quarterly published by Ofqual.
Certificates in vocational and other qualifications by sector subject area
All levels and types of regulated qualifications may be assigned to a Sector Subject Area (SSA), which is a classification of qualifications into business sectors or subject areas maintained by Ofqual. There are 15 SSAs in total. Sector subject areas are self-assigned on Ofqual’s Register by the awarding organisation with reference to Ofqual’s published list of sector subject areas.
Table 19: Number of certificates issued in vocational and other qualifications by sector subject area
| Sector subject area | Number of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Share of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of certificates in 2023 to 2024 | Share of certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health, Public Services and Care | 1,299,365 | 25.5% | 1,327,055 | 25.4% |
| Preparation for Life and Work | 919,105 | 18.0% | 919,775 | 17.6% |
| Arts, Media and Publishing | 698,175 | 13.7% | 756,705 | 14.5% |
| Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 340,905 | 6.7% | 357,225 | 6.8% |
| Business, Administration and Law | 349,660 | 6.9% | 352,775 | 6.7% |
| Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 297,500 | 5.8% | 291,970 | 5.6% |
| Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 276,755 | 5.4% | 266,730 | 5.1% |
| Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 245,475 | 4.8% | 243,700 | 4.7% |
| Languages, Literature and Culture | 201,420 | 4.0% | 219,650 | 4.2% |
| Science and Mathematics | 121,950 | 2.4% | 133,910 | 2.6% |
| Digital Technology | 117,805 | 2.3% | 115,935 | 2.2% |
| Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | 96,925 | 1.9% | 105,215 | 2.0% |
| Education and Training | 81,160 | 1.6% | 85,655 | 1.6% |
| Social Sciences | 41,625 | 0.8% | 45,280 | 0.9% |
| History, Philosophy and Theology | 8,675 | 0.2% | 9,395 | 0.2% |
| Total | 5,096,500 | 100.0% | 5,230,980 | 100.0% |
Table 20: Percentage change in certificates issued by sector subject area between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Sector subject area | Percentage change in certificates issued between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| Health, Public Services and Care | 2.1% |
| Preparation for Life and Work | 0.1% |
| Arts, Media and Publishing | 8.4% |
| Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 4.8% |
| Business, Administration and Law | 0.9% |
| Leisure, Travel and Tourism | -1.9% |
| Retail and Commercial Enterprise | -3.6% |
| Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | -0.7% |
| Languages, Literature and Culture | 9.1% |
| Science and Mathematics | 9.8% |
| Digital Technology | -1.6% |
| Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | 8.5% |
| Education and Training | 5.5% |
| Social Sciences | 8.8% |
| History, Philosophy and Theology | 8.3% |
| Total | 2.6% |
There were 5.2 million certificates awarded in vocational and other qualifications in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. This is up 2.6% compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
Although Science and Mathematics saw the largest proportional increase, the largest increase in the absolute number of certificates issued in vocational and other qualifications was seen in Arts, Media and Publishing (up by 58,500 certificates). Retail and Commercial Enterprise saw the most substantial decline in the number of certificates issued (down by 10,000 certificates). The number of certificates issued for vocational and other qualifications for all Sector Subject Areas in the 2023 to 2024 academic year and previous 4 academic years is given in the data tables accompanying this release (Table 4).
Certificates in vocational and other qualifications by level
Regulated qualifications are assigned a level from entry level through to level 8. Qualification level indicates the relative level of demand of the qualification, with higher levels being more demanding. Levels are assigned on Ofqual’s Register by the awarding organisation with reference to Ofqual’s published level descriptors.
Table 21: Number of certificates in vocational and other qualifications by level
| Qualification level | Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020 | Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021 | Number of certificates in 2021 to 2022 | Number of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level | 504,790 | 506,540 | 589,205 | 650,195 | 708,765 |
| Level 1 | 807,700 | 835,070 | 899,530 | 964,055 | 986,095 |
| Level 1/Level 2 | 389,175 | 412,845 | 398,420 | 382,100 | 377,565 |
| Level 2 | 1,257,855 | 1,354,020 | 1,389,460 | 1,434,665 | 1,395,275 |
| Level 3 | 1,160,160 | 1,394,755 | 1,511,205 | 1,510,435 | 1,598,640 |
| Level 4 to 8 | 131,545 | 162,730 | 149,730 | 155,050 | 164,640 |
Numbers of Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 3 certificates continued to increase in the 2023 to 2024 academic year, with the greatest increase in numbers seen in Level 3 (up by 88,200 certificates since 2022 to 2023).
The trend of decreases for Level 1/Level 2 certificate numbers continued in the 2023 to 2024 academic year, with a decrease of 39,400 certificates compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year. The number of Level 1/Level 2 certificates (377,600) remains lower than that observed before the 2020 to 2021 academic year.
The number of certificates in Levels 4 to 8 increased this year, up by 6.2% from the 2022 to 2023 academic year to 164,600 certificates in 2023 to 2024. Following a period of increasing certification numbers, the number of certificates in Level 2 decreased this year, down by 2.7% from the 2022 to 2023 academic year to 1.4 million certificates in 2023 to 2024.
Awarding organisations with the highest number of certificates issued in vocational and other qualifications
Table 22 shows the 20 awarding organisations with the greatest number of certificates issued in vocational and other qualifications in 2023 to 2024. Others are combined within the ‘other awarding organisations’ group.
Table 22: Awarding organisations with the highest number of certificates issued in vocational and other qualifications in 2023 to 2024
| Awarding organisation | Number of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Pearson Education Ltd | 725,575 | 723,820 |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 555,355 | 555,200 |
| Highfield Qualifications | 318,650 | 320,640 |
| NCFE | 347,230 | 314,530 |
| Trinity College London | 216,435 | 255,245 |
| Qualsafe Awards | 229,250 | 237,640 |
| OCR | 208,115 | 209,235 |
| First Aid Awards Ltd | 191,620 | 206,170 |
| Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music | 179,060 | 193,210 |
| AQA Education | 125,675 | 126,075 |
| Training Qualifications UK Ltd | 114,750 | 125,430 |
| Ascentis | 103,805 | 106,510 |
| WJEC | 83,145 | 104,505 |
| NOCN | 86,955 | 97,120 |
| Gateway Qualifications Limited | 74,635 | 81,995 |
| LAMDA | 72,750 | 80,265 |
| Cambridge English | 67,580 | 74,345 |
| RLSS UK Qualifications | 70,230 | 69,190 |
| BIIAB | 67,530 | 67,805 |
| Qualifications Network | 66,605 | 64,240 |
| Other awarding organisations | 1,191,550 | 1,217,810 |
| Total | 5,096,500 | 5,230,980 |
Table 23: Percentage change in the number of certificates issued by awarding organisation between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Awarding organisation | Percentage change in the number of certificates between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| Pearson Education Ltd | -0.2% |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 0.0% |
| Highfield Qualifications | 0.6% |
| NCFE | -9.4% |
| Trinity College London | 17.9% |
| Qualsafe Awards | 3.7% |
| OCR | 0.5% |
| First Aid Awards Ltd | 7.6% |
| Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music | 7.9% |
| AQA Education | 0.3% |
| Training Qualifications UK Ltd | 9.3% |
| Ascentis | 2.6% |
| WJEC | 25.7% |
| NOCN | 11.7% |
| Gateway Qualifications Limited | 9.9% |
| LAMDA | 10.3% |
| Cambridge English | 10.0% |
| RLSS UK Qualifications | -1.5% |
| BIIAB | 0.4% |
| Qualifications Network | -3.6% |
| Other awarding organisations | 2.2% |
| Total | 2.6% |
The 20 awarding organisations that reported the highest volume of certificates issued in vocational and other qualifications in the 2023 to 2024 academic year awarded 76.7% of all vocational and other qualifications certificates. No new awarding organisations joined this list this year.
Trinity College London had the largest increase (up by 38,800) in certificates compared with the previous year. WJEC showed the largest percentage increase in certificate numbers (up by 25.7%, an increase of 21,400 certificates compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year).
In focus: technical qualifications and applied generals
Technical and Applied General qualifications are vocational qualifications designated as such according to Department for Education criteria and can count towards school and college performance tables. Please note that the list of qualifications that count towards performance tables can change every year. The figures in this section relate only to technical and Applied General qualifications that were included in the respective year’s performance tables.
Applied General qualifications are for students who want to continue their education through applied learning and offer a progression route to employment or higher education. Applied General qualifications are all Level 3 qualifications aimed at post-16 students.
Technical qualifications comprise Tech Levels, Technical Certificates and Technical Awards. The purpose of technical qualifications is to equip students with applied knowledge and associated practical skills not usually associated with GCSE, AS and A levels. They are Level 1, 1/2, 2 and 3 qualifications.
New Technical Awards were awarded for the first time in 2023 to 2024. From the 2023 to 2024 academic year, there were new rules introduced about the design and structure of the qualifications. In many cases, the changes led to substantial differences in the design and delivery of the qualifications. For more information on these changes please see the background notes.
Please note, figures reported below may differ slightly from those published by the Department for Education for a number of reasons, including differences in data processing and rounding. There may also be slight differences in the timing of when data was collected from awarding organisations.
Technical qualifications and applied generals by qualification category
Table 24: Share of technical qualifications and applied generals in the 2023 to 2024 academic year by qualification category
| Qualification category | Number of available qualifications | Number of certificates | Share of vocational and other qualifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Generals | 134 | 238,590 | 4.6% |
| Tech Levels | 148 | 38,195 | 0.7% |
| Technical Awards | 72 | 350,835 | 6.7% |
| Technical Certificates | 80 | 13,275 | 0.3% |
| Remaining vocational and other qualifications | 16,039 | 4,590,085 | 87.7% |
Applied General qualifications saw 238,600 certificates issued, making up 4.6% of vocational and other certificates in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
The 402,300 technical qualifications certificates issued in the 2023 to 2024 academic year can be further broken down into:
-
350,800 Technical Awards, which are Level 1, Level 2 or Level 1/ Level 2 qualifications and designed for study at key stage 4 (14- to 16-year olds). They require the same or more guided learning hours as a GCSE.
-
13,300 Technical Certificates, which are Level 2 qualifications designed for study at key stage 5 (16- to 19-year olds) and are intended for students who wish to specialise in a specific industry or prepare for a particular job.
-
38,200 Tech Levels, which are also designed for study at key stage 5. These are Level 3 qualifications.
Technical and Applied General qualifications certificates by sector subject area
Table 25: Number of technical qualifications and applied generals in the 2023 to 2024 academic year by sector subject area
| Sector subject area | Applied Generals | Technical Awards | Technical Certificates | Tech Levels | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 28,000 | 79,175 | 190 | 1,690 | 109,060 |
| Business, Administration and Law | 65,695 | 39,345 | 1,090 | 820 | 106,950 |
| Health, Public Services and Care | 31,845 | 66,285 | 585 | 6,175 | 104,890 |
| Arts, Media and Publishing | 13,270 | 73,350 | 35 | 4,020 | 90,675 |
| Digital Technology | 19,065 | 23,660 | 600 | 3,985 | 47,310 |
| Social Sciences | 40,155 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40,155 |
| Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 1,345 | 34,155 | 1,515 | 665 | 37,675 |
| Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 5,905 | 23,670 | 455 | 4,890 | 34,925 |
| Science and Mathematics | 33,275 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33,275 |
| Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 35 | 9,370 | 5,240 | 4,815 | 19,460 |
| Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | 0 | 1,825 | 3,570 | 11,130 | 16,520 |
| Total | 238,590 | 350,835 | 13,275 | 38,195 | 640,895 |
Table 26: Percentage change in the number of certificates issued by sector subject area between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Sector subject area | Percentage change in the number of certificates issued between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| Leisure, Travel and Tourism | -7.6% |
| Business, Administration and Law | -7.9% |
| Health, Public Services and Care | -7.0% |
| Arts, Media and Publishing | -14.7% |
| Digital Technology | 5.4% |
| Social Sciences | 9.0% |
| Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 15.7% |
| Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 6.5% |
| Science and Mathematics | 16.4% |
| Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 20.4% |
| Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | -2.4% |
| Total | -3.2% |
The sector subject area with the largest decrease in number of certificates was Arts, Media and Publishing with a decrease of 15,585 certificates between the 2022 to 2023 academic year and 2023 to 2024 academic year.
Retail and Commercial Enterprise saw the largest increase in the number of certificates issued in the 2023 to 2024 academic year compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year (up by 5,100 certificates).
Technical Certificates in Health, Public Services and Care saw the largest proportional increase (up by 44.3%) in the number of certificates compared with other qualification categories and SSAs in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. The number of certificates increased from 405 certificates in 2022 to 2023 to 585 certificates in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
Table 27: Distribution of Technical and Applied General certificates by sector subject area
| Sector subject area | Applied Generals | Technical Awards | Technical Certificates | Tech Levels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | 0.0% | 11.0% | 21.6% | 67.4% |
| Arts, Media and Publishing | 14.6% | 80.9% | 0.0% | 4.4% |
| Business, Administration and Law | 61.4% | 36.8% | 1.0% | 0.8% |
| Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 0.2% | 48.2% | 26.9% | 24.7% |
| Digital Technology | 40.3% | 50.0% | 1.3% | 8.4% |
| Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 16.9% | 67.8% | 1.3% | 14.0% |
| Health, Public Services and Care | 30.4% | 63.2% | 0.6% | 5.9% |
| Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 25.7% | 72.6% | 0.2% | 1.6% |
| Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 3.6% | 90.7% | 4.0% | 1.8% |
| Science and Mathematics | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Social Sciences | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Total | 37.2% | 54.7% | 2.1% | 6.0% |
Different SSAs have a different mix of technical and Applied General qualifications. For instance, the Arts, Media and Publishing sector is dominated by Technical Awards and the Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care sector is dominated by Tech Levels. The Science and Mathematics and Social Sciences SSAs consist entirely of Applied General qualifications. Some other SSAs contain more of a mixture of different qualification types.
Technical and Applied General qualifications certificates by awarding organisation
Table 28: Number of technical and Applied General qualifications certificates by awarding organisation
| Awarding organisation | Applied Generals | Technical Awards | Technical Certificates | Tech Levels | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearson Education Ltd | 153,425 | 154,640 | 1,790 | 13,050 | 322,905 |
| OCR | 25,580 | 138,485 | 1,085 | 6,795 | 171,945 |
| WJEC | 42,725 | 54,435 | 0 | 0 | 97,165 |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 0 | 935 | 9,040 | 9,455 | 19,430 |
| The London Institute of Banking & Finance | 11,330 | 1,015 | 0 | 0 | 12,345 |
| NCFE | 135 | 0 | 0 | 5,755 | 5,890 |
| University of the Arts London | 2,720 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,720 |
| AQA Education | 2,670 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,670 |
| VTCT Skills | 0 | 1,325 | 500 | 250 | 2,075 |
| Association of Accounting Technicians | 0 | 0 | 495 | 820 | 1,310 |
| Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited | 0 | 0 | 245 | 680 | 925 |
| RSL Awards Ltd | 0 | 0 | 5 | 915 | 920 |
| AIM Qualifications | 0 | 0 | 0 | 370 | 370 |
| Active IQ | 0 | 0 | 55 | 65 | 120 |
| The Institute of the Motor Industry | 0 | 0 | 60 | 35 | 95 |
| 1st4sport | Fewer than 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fewer than 5 |
| Skills and Education Group Awards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 238,590 | 350,835 | 13,275 | 38,195 | 640,895 |
Pearson was the largest provider of Applied Generals. Pearson and OCR were the largest providers of Technical Awards. City & Guilds and Pearson were the largest providers of Technical Certificates, and Pearson, City & Guilds and OCR were the largest providers of Tech Levels.
Table 29: Percentage change in the number of certificates issued between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Awarding organisation | Percentage change in the number of certificates issued between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| Pearson Education Ltd | -2.6% |
| OCR | 3.6% |
| WJEC | 27.7% |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 8.0% |
| The London Institute of Banking & Finance | 14.6% |
| NCFE | -80.1% |
| University of the Arts London | -9.3% |
| AQA Education | -26.7% |
| VTCT Skills | -19.7% |
| Association of Accounting Technicians | -84.8% |
| Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited | -31.0% |
| RSL Awards Ltd | -90.0% |
| AIM Qualifications | -19.2% |
| Active IQ | -9.0% |
| The Institute of the Motor Industry | -82.1% |
| 1st4sport | -99.5% |
| Skills and Education Group Awards | -100.0% |
| Total | -3.2% |
Most awarding organisations saw a decrease in certificate numbers for technical and Applied General qualifications in the 2023 to 2024 academic year. OCR, WJEC, City & Guilds and The London Institute of Banking & Finance saw increases in the number of certificates issued.
WJEC and OCR saw the largest increase in the number of certificates issued (up by 21,100 and 6,000 respectively) compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year. The largest percentage increase in certificates issued (27.7%) was seen by WJEC, up from 76,100 certificates in 2022 to 2023 to 97,200 in 2023 to 2024.
NCFE saw the largest overall drop in the number of technical and Applied General qualification certificates, down from 29,600 certificates in the 2022 to 2023 academic year to 5,900 in the 2023 to 2024 academic year (down by 23,700 certificates).
In focus: Functional Skills Qualifications
Functional Skills are qualifications that cover the fundamental and applied skills that help people to get the most from everyday life, education and work. Functional Skills qualifications are available in English, mathematics and, until recently, ICT at the following levels: Entry Level, Level 1 and Level 2.
Whilst some Functional Skills qualifications in ICT were still certificating in 2023 to 2024, they are no longer available to new learners and have been replaced by Digital Functional Skills qualifications (DFSQs). DFSQs were first certificated in 2023 to 2024 and are a separate qualification type only available at Entry Level and Level 1. DFSQs place greater emphasis on the use of digital devices and developing digital skills to use in daily life as well as in the workplace or education setting. As DFSQs are considered a separate qualification type, they are not included in this section but overall volumes are reported in Table 6: Number of certificates issued by qualification type.
Certificates in Functional Skills qualifications
Table 30: Number of certificates in Functional Skills qualifications over time
| 2019 to 2020 | 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of certificates | 447,670 | 302,275 | 324,230 | 351,895 | 337,450 |
The overall number of certificates issued in Functional Skills qualifications has reduced by 4% (equivalent to 14,400 certificates) in the 2023 to 2024 academic year compared to the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
Certificates in Functional Skills qualifications by subject
Table 31: Number of certificates in Functional Skills qualifications by subject
| Subject | 2019 to 2020 | 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 205,710 | 138,265 | 158,365 | 177,960 | 175,830 |
| English | 189,345 | 131,930 | 143,915 | 155,700 | 157,640 |
| ICT | 52,610 | 32,080 | 21,950 | 18,235 | 1,655 |
There was an increase in the number of certificates in English in the 2023 to 2024 academic year compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year (up by 1,900 certificates). The number of certificates in Functional Skills qualifications in mathematics decreased (down by 2,100) compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
The decrease in ICT Functional Skills certificates is due to them no longer being available and being replaced by new DFSQs.
Certificates in Functional Skills by level
Table 32: Number of certificates in Functional Skills by level
| Qualification level | 2019 to 2020 | 2020 to 2021 | 2021 to 2022 | 2022 to 2023 | 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level | 136,600 | 110,465 | 129,450 | 150,740 | 140,515 |
| Level 1 | 132,505 | 78,245 | 79,810 | 85,960 | 82,500 |
| Level 2 | 178,560 | 113,560 | 114,970 | 115,190 | 114,435 |
There was a decrease in the number of certificates in Functional Skills qualifications across all levels in the 2023 to 2024 academic year compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year. The largest decrease in the number of certificates was in Entry Level qualifications, down by 10,200 certificates.
Certificates in Functional Skills qualifications by awarding organisation
Table 33: Number of certificates in Functional Skills qualifications by awarding organisation in 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Awarding organisation | Number of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Pearson Education Ltd | 163,410 | 156,620 |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 119,405 | 111,175 |
| NCFE | 23,080 | 24,480 |
| AQA Education | 19,215 | 18,965 |
| Highfield Qualifications | 8,850 | 9,635 |
| NOCN | 6,330 | 6,035 |
| Open Awards | 5,315 | 5,250 |
| VTCT Skills | 3,940 | 3,820 |
| Training Qualifications UK Ltd | 0 | 875 |
| Gateway Qualifications Limited | 0 | 275 |
| Future (Awards and Qualifications) Ltd | 285 | 200 |
| OCN London | 0 | 70 |
| The Learning Machine | 0 | 50 |
| OCR | 2,065 | 0 |
| SFJ Awards | Fewer than 5 | 0 |
| Total | 351,895 | 337,450 |
Table 34: Percentage change in the number of certificates issued by awarding organisations between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Awarding organisation | Percentage change in the number of certificates issued between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| Pearson Education Ltd | -4.2% |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | -6.9% |
| NCFE | 6.1% |
| AQA Education | -1.3% |
| Highfield Qualifications | 8.9% |
| NOCN | -4.7% |
| Open Awards | -1.2% |
| VTCT Skills | -3.0% |
| Training Qualifications UK Ltd | 0.0% |
| Gateway Qualifications Limited | 0.0% |
| Future (Awards and Qualifications) Ltd | -29.8% |
| OCN London | 0.0% |
| The Learning Machine | 0.0% |
| OCR | -100.0% |
| SFJ Awards | -100.0% |
| Total | -4.1% |
There were 13 awarding organisation issuing certificates in Functional Skills qualifications in the 2023 to 2024 academic year, up from 11 in the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
Most awarding organisations awarded fewer certificates in Functional Skills qualifications in the 2023 to 2024 academic year in comparison with the 2022 to 2023 academic year. Of those with a decrease in the number of certificates issued, City and Guilds of London Institute saw the largest decline in the number of certificates in the 2023 to 2024 academic year compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year (down by 8,200).
In focus: International market
Ofqual regulated awarding organisations offer a wide selection of regulated qualifications outside the UK. These qualifications, offered internationally, are protected by Ofqual regulation so long as they are also taken by learners in England.
Certificates for Ofqual regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK
Table 35: Number of certificates for Ofqual regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK
| Year | Number of certificates |
|---|---|
| 2019 to 2020 | 5,444,130 |
| 2020 to 2021 | 6,365,655 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 7,478,255 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 8,408,285 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 8,522,925 |
In total, 8.5 million certificates were awarded for 2,613 different regulated qualifications to students outside the UK over the 2023 to 2024 academic year, up by 1.4% compared with the previous year.
Certificates for regulated qualifications issued outside the UK by type
Table 36: Number of certificates for Ofqual regulated qualifications issued outside the UK by type
| Qualification type | Number of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of certificates in 2023 to 2024 | Share of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Share of certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English for Speakers of Other Languages | 6,426,075 | 6,391,030 | 76.4% | 75.0% |
| Other General Qualification | 1,155,860 | 1,254,960 | 13.7% | 14.7% |
| Performing Arts Graded Examination | 502,060 | 545,375 | 6.0% | 6.4% |
| Vocationally-Related Qualification | 219,290 | 222,255 | 2.6% | 2.6% |
| GCSE (9 to 1) | 40,095 | 42,010 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Other qualifications | 64,905 | 67,295 | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Total | 8,408,285 | 8,522,925 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Table 37: Percentage change in the number of certificates issued by qualification type between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Qualification type | Percentage change in the number of certificates issued between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| English for Speakers of Other Languages | -0.5% |
| Other General Qualification | 8.6% |
| Performing Arts Graded Examination | 8.6% |
| Vocationally-Related Qualification | 1.4% |
| GCSE (9 to 1) | 4.8% |
| Other qualifications | 3.7% |
| Total | 1.4% |
The 5 highest volume qualification types accounted for 99.2% of all certificates issued outside the UK. English for Speakers of Other Languages had the highest number of certificates issued, followed by Other General Qualifications and Performing Arts Graded Examinations.
The largest increase in the number of certificates issued outside the UK was among Other General Qualification regulated qualifications, up by 99,100 compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
Certificates for regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK by level
Table 38: Number of certificates for regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK by level
| Qualification level | Number of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of certificates in 2023 to 2024 | Share of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Share of certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level | 1,946,335 | 2,143,710 | 23.1% | 25.2% |
| Level 1 | 3,254,560 | 3,121,105 | 38.7% | 36.6% |
| Level 1/Level 2 | 180,060 | 193,890 | 2.1% | 2.3% |
| Level 2 | 1,517,065 | 1,474,995 | 18.0% | 17.3% |
| Level 3 | 1,427,905 | 1,491,300 | 17.0% | 17.5% |
| Level 4 to 8 | 82,355 | 97,925 | 1.0% | 1.1% |
| Total | 8,408,285 | 8,522,925 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Table 38: Percentage change in the number of certificates issued outside the UK by qualification level between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Qualification level | Percentage change in the number of certificates between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| Entry Level | 10.1% |
| Level 1 | -4.1% |
| Level 1/Level 2 | 7.7% |
| Level 2 | -2.8% |
| Level 3 | 4.4% |
| Level 4 to 8 | 18.9% |
| Total | 1.4% |
Level 1 regulated qualifications had the highest number of certificates issued outside the UK in the 2023 to 2024 academic year, accounting for 36.6% of the non-UK total.
Level 4 to 8 regulated qualifications saw the largest proportional increase in the number of certificates issued outside the UK in the 2023 to 2024 academic year compared with the 2022 to 2023 academic year, up by 18.9%. Entry Level saw the largest increase in the raw number of certificates issued outside the UK certificates compared with the previous year (an increase of 197,400).
Level 1 regulated qualifications saw the largest proportional decrease in the number of certificates issued outside the UK, down by 4.1%, equivalent to a decrease of 133,500 certificates compared with the previous year.
Awarding organisations with the highest number of certificates for regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK
Table 39 shows the 20 awarding organisations with the greatest number of certificates issued outside the UK in 2023 to 2024. Others are combined within the ‘other awarding organisations’ group. For a full breakdown of all awarding organisations, see Table 22 in the accompanying data tables.
Table 39: Awarding organisations with the highest number of certificates for regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK in 2023 to 2024
| Awarding organisation | Number of certificates in 2022 to 2023 | Number of certificates in 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge English | 4,986,030 | 4,923,545 |
| International Baccalaureate Organisation | 1,151,235 | 1,247,820 |
| Pearson Education Ltd | 1,042,760 | 1,113,825 |
| Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music | 218,630 | 232,510 |
| Trinity College London | 209,560 | 215,460 |
| LanguageCert | 171,280 | 111,830 |
| The British Council | 76,180 | 102,800 |
| Royal Academy of Dance | 102,185 | 100,000 |
| WSET Awards | 85,610 | 85,220 |
| Learning Resource Network | 48,735 | 49,360 |
| RSL Awards Ltd | 35,730 | 46,245 |
| NOCN | 24,230 | 26,275 |
| Highfield Qualifications | 26,680 | 25,995 |
| AQA Education | 23,610 | 23,550 |
| University of West London | 14,520 | 20,185 |
| English Speaking Board (International) Ltd | 18,460 | 17,840 |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | 17,645 | 17,580 |
| VTCT Skills | 18,080 | 17,480 |
| Qualifi Ltd | 16,190 | 15,130 |
| Association of Chartered Certified Accountants | 7,355 | 14,015 |
| Other awarding organisations | 113,580 | 116,255 |
| Total | 8,408,285 | 8,522,925 |
Table 40: Percentage change in the number of certificates issued by awarding organisation between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024
| Awarding organisation | Percentage change in the number of certificates issued between 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 |
|---|---|
| Cambridge English | -1.3% |
| International Baccalaureate Organisation | 8.4% |
| Pearson Education Ltd | 6.8% |
| Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music | 6.3% |
| Trinity College London | 2.8% |
| LanguageCert | -34.7% |
| The British Council | 34.9% |
| Royal Academy of Dance | -2.1% |
| WSET Awards | -0.5% |
| Learning Resource Network | 1.3% |
| RSL Awards Ltd | 29.4% |
| NOCN | 8.4% |
| Highfield Qualifications | -2.6% |
| AQA Education | -0.2% |
| University of West London | 39.0% |
| English Speaking Board (International) Ltd | -3.4% |
| City and Guilds of London Institute | -0.4% |
| VTCT Skills | -3.3% |
| Qualifi Ltd | -6.6% |
| Association of Chartered Certified Accountants | 90.6% |
| Other awarding organisations | 2.4% |
| Total | 1.4% |
The 20 awarding organisations that reported the highest volume of non-UK certificates of regulated qualifications in the 2023 to 2024 academic year awarded 98.6% of all regulated qualifications certificates issued outside the UK. Association of Chartered Certified Accountants is new to the top 20 this year.
International Baccalaureate Organisation and Pearson Education Ltd saw the largest increases in certificates compared with the previous year (up by 96,600 and 71,100 certificates respectively).
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has had the largest percentage increase (up by 90.6%) in certificate numbers compared with 2022 to 2023.
Data for all awarding organisations is available in the accompanying data tables (Table 22).
Head of profession: Ben Cuff