What is Further Education?

By far the most common form of further education, A (Advanced) levels are level 3 qualifications offered by nearly all schools with sixth forms, as well as sixth form colleges.

Once upon a time, these were considered half an A level. Pupils studied for AS levels in the first year of sixth form and, should they decide to continue with the subject into a second year, the grades would contribute to their overall A level grade.

While that is partially still the case in Wales and Northern Ireland (where AS levels are now only worth 40 per cent of the total A level grade) they have been losing popularity in England since the grade stopped contributing to A level grades altogether. However, standalone AS levels are still an option and are worth up to 20 UCAS tariff points.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is generally seen as an alternative to A levels in the UK and there are a number of well-regarded, highly-academic schools which choose to offer the IB instead of the more traditional A levels. The IB involves studying of six different subjects – three higher level, three standard level. Assessment comes in the form of examinations and essays. The core programme also requires students to take part in a range of non-academic activities, such as sport, creative arts and service to the community, for around 150 hours through the Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) component.

Alongside A levels, BTECs are the most widely recognised level 3 qualification for admission to higher education. Providing specialist, work-related learning across a range of sectors, BTECs are best suited to students who want to hone practical skills and theory simultaneously while being tested, largely, by continuous assessment. In other words, there is not just an exam – as with most A levels. Some schools, and many colleges, offer BTECs.

NVQs are hands-on qualifications available in more than 1,000 different subjects ranging from plumbing to hairdressing. Best suited to people who know what job they want to do, they can be taken in a college, school or workplace. There are five NVQ levels, so you can start at a level to suit you and work your way up. It is a flexible route to becoming qualified in the workplace with little or no formal examination and while there’s no time limit to taking them, level 1, 2 or 3 courses usually takes about a year to complete. 

T levels (Technical Level Qualification) are two-year technical further education courses available at selected schools and colleges across England, with each one designed to be equivalent to three A levels.

They combine classroom study with a substantial industry placement of at least 45 days, making them a popular option for students who want a more vocational route after GCSEs.

Offered at levels 3 and 4, this one-year further education vocational course is aimed at either school leavers who want to test the water to see if they like studying art or students who know they want to study art at university (most students wanting to study an art degree will need an art foundation diploma). Assessment is usually carried out internally by the course provider. Each unit needs to be passed to qualify for the final diploma which will be graded pass, merit or distinction.

The table below shows some of the most common Further Education qualifications and the UCAS points they are worth.