These qualifications meet the interim-reformed requirements for 2016 and 2017 performance tables.
- England
- Northern Ireland
- Wales
The Department for Education (DfE) describe Tech level qualifications as follows:
Tech levels are rigorous advanced (Level 3) technical qualifications on a par with A Levels and recognised by employers. They are for students aged 16 plus who want to specialise in a specific industry or prepare for a particular job. They cover jobs and careers where employers recruit people at this level or where a level 3 qualification is needed before students can progress to a related higher education course. Tech levels give students an opportunity to develop specialist knowledge and skills to help them get an apprenticeship or job, for example in engineering, IT, accounting or professional cookery, or progress to a higher level qualification. In some cases, a tech level qualification is a ‘licence to practise’ or can exempt someone holding the qualification from a professional exam. Tech levels are recognised by trade or professional bodies or at least five employers. Alternatively, the qualification may be accepted by a national licensed professional registration scheme.
Some vocational qualifications offered at Level 3 have been reformed as a result of changes to school performance tables. Vocational qualifications must meet the criteria set by the Department for Education (DfE) in order to count towards school performance tables. These reforms mean that 91% of the Level 3 qualifications that previously counted towards school performance tables were removed from performance tables in 2016.
For accountability purposes, vocational qualifications are now be classified as:
- Tech level qualifications: The purpose of these qualifications is to lead to a ‘recognised occupation’. Examples provided by the DfE include engineering, accounting, construction, manufacturing, agriculture and IT. These qualifications must meet a number of criteria, including the endorsement of five employers registered at Companies House.
- Applied General qualifications: The purpose of these qualifications is to provide a broader vocational education. They ‘are designed for students wanting to continue their education through applied learning.’ These qualifications must meet a number of criteria, including endorsement by at least three universities and colleges.
The reform to vocational qualifications is being conducted in two stages: an interim stage and full stage. Each of these stages introduced new criteria for vocational qualifications to meet in order to count towards school performance tables.
The first teaching of the qualifications reformed on an interim basis was from 2014 and these counted towards school performance tables in 2016. Only qualifications that meet the full criteria count towards performance tables from 2018. The qualifications listed in this QIP are classified as Tech level qualifications however do not meet the full criteria to count towards performance tables from 2018 in respect of content, assessment and grading. Schools and colleges may offer qualifications that are not included in the performance tables, if the qualifications are approved for teaching by the Secretary of State under Section 96.
The 2016 and 2017 OCR Cambridge Technical Tech levels meet the interim requirements set by the DfE and therefore may be offered in schools and colleges alongside the 2018 fully reformed versions:
|
|
Interim Requirement (for qualifications counting in 2016 performance tables) |
Full Requirement (for qualifications counting in 2018 performance tables) |
|
A. Declared Purpose |
X |
X |
|
B. Size |
X |
X |
|
C. Recognition |
X |
X |
|
D. Synoptic Assessment |
|
X |
|
E. External Assessment |
|
X |
|
F. Grading |
|
X |
|
G. Employer involvement (Technical Level Qualifications only) |
|
X |
|
H. Progression |
|
X |
|
I. Proven Track Record |
|
X |
As noted in the table above, the 2016/17 and 2018 versions of Tech level qualifications are fundamentally different.
For more information on the specific changes to 2018 Tech levels, please refer to a reformed QIP. Please also see ‘Key issues for UK HE admissions’ for some additional considerations when assessing these qualifications.
Further information about Tech level qualifications, and the range of qualifications that meet the 2018 requirements, can be found on the DfE website.
Regulation of Tech level and Applied General qualifications
The regulation of Tech level and Applied General qualifications delivered in England is the responsibility of Ofqual.
The regulatory approach undertaken for Tech level and Applied General qualifications differs to A levels. This is because there are no specific qualification-level criteria for Tech levels, as there are for GCSEs, AS and A levels currently. Applied Generals is a category introduced by the Department for Education for accountability purposes rather than a specific type of regulated qualification. To be included in the Tech level category, qualifications have to demonstrate particular features outlined in the table above.
Tech levels must comply with Ofqual’s general rules, as is the case with all regulated qualification.
- OCR
There are four different sizes of qualification in the family:
- Introductory Diploma: 360 hours
- Subsidiary Diploma: 540 hours
- Diploma: 720 hours
- Extended Diploma: 1,080 hours
Not all subjects have qualifications at each size.
The specifications are modular in structure and are made up of a series of units. Each unit has a credit value based on its size. One credit is equal to learning outcomes achievable in 10 hours of learning. The rules of combination for each qualification size specify the minimum number of units to be achieved through mandatory and optional units.
For more detailed information on the units/structure of an OCR Cambridge Technical, you should review the specification of the individual qualification you are interested in on the OCR website.
- Art and design
- Media
- Information technology
Art and Design are only available as Tech levels interim-reformed qualifications as there are no reformed successor qualifications.
- Level 3
These are Level 3 qualifications regulated to the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).¹
Level 3 is broadly aligned to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 6 / 7.
¹ The QCF was a credit-based transfer system which recognised qualifications and units by awarding credits. It has now been withdrawn for all new qualifications and replaced by the RQF. The RQF is the new system for cataloguing all qualifications regulated by Ofqual, indexing them by level and size.
The overall qualifications are graded as follows:
- Introductory Diploma: P, M, D, D*
- Subsidiary Diploma: PP, MP, MM, DM, DD, D*D, D*D*
- Diploma: PP, MP, MM, DM, DD, D*D, D*D*
- Extended Diploma: PPP, MPP, MMP, MMM, DMM, DDM, DDD, D*DD, D*D*D, D*D*D*
Individual units are graded P, M, D. The grades for each unit attract points, which are added together to identify the final overarching qualification grade.
All units are centre-assessed and externally moderated by OCR. Assessment of units is by centre-set assignments. Assessment of all units can take place at a time to suit students and centres. There are no timetabled exams required.
Tutors and assessors may draw on real work-based opportunities for the content of each assessment.
Students who achieve the minimum eligible credit value specified by the rules of combination for a qualification will achieve the qualification at Pass grade. The credit values for each qualification size are:
- Introductory Diploma: 60
- Subsidiary Diploma: 90
- Diploma: 120
- Extended Diploma: 180
Students will be awarded Merit and Distinction grades above this level by the aggregation of points gained through the successful achievement of individual units.
For each Level 3 credit students will achieve the following number of points:
| Pass | Merit | Distinction |
| 7 | 8 | 9 |
For example, a unit with a credit value of 10, a student achieving Merit will achieve 80 points (8 x 10).
The grade ranges for each qualification are as follows:
OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma
420-459 Pass P
460-499 Merit M
500-519 Distinction D
520 and above Distinction* D*
OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Subsidiary Diploma
630-659 PP
660-689 MP
690-719 MM
720-749 DM
750-769 DD
770-789 D*D
790 and above D*D*
OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Diploma
840-879 PP
880-919 MP
920-959 MM
960-999 DM
1,000-1,029 DD
1,030-1,059 D*D
1,060 and above D*D*
OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
1,260-1,299 PPP
1,300-1,339 MPP
1,340-1,379 MMP
1,380-1,419 MMM
1,420-1,459 DMM
1,460-1,499 DDM
1,500-1,529 DDD
1,530-1,559 D*DD
1,560-1,589 D*D*D
1,590 and above D*D*D*
For specific unit information, you should review the specification of the individual qualification you are interested in on the OCR website.
The units are internally assessed and students may resit elements of assessment to improve their level of achievement prior to submission to OCR.
OCR automatically calculates the qualification grade for students when unit grades are submitted.
OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D* | 56 |
| D | 48 |
| M | 32 |
| P | 16 |
OCR Cambridge Technical Subsidiary Diploma
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D*D* | 84 |
| D*D | 78 |
| DD | 72 |
| DM | 60 |
| MM | 48 |
| MP | 36 |
| PP | 24 |
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D*D* | 112 |
| D*D | 104 |
| DD | 96 |
| DM | 80 |
| MM | 64 |
| MP | 48 |
| PP | 32 |
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
| Grade | Points |
|---|---|
| D*D*D* | 168 |
| D*D*D | 160 |
| D*DD | 152 |
| DDD | 144 |
| DDM | 128 |
| DMM | 112 |
| MMM | 96 |
| MMP | 80 |
| MPP | 64 |
| PPP | 48 |
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Tech level qualifications are advanced (Level 3) qualifications, mainly taken by 16-19 year old students who want to develop transferable knowledge and skillsspecialise in a specific industry, occupation, or occupational group. They equip students with specialist knowledge and skills.
There are a number of key considerations for HEPs when reviewing Tech level qualifications that do not meet the full DfE criteria from 2018:
- Applicants holding interim-reformed Tech level qualifications may not have had experience of external or synoptic assessment.
- The reformed and interim-reformed qualifications will be delivered by schools and colleges at the same time (see ‘Education context’). Therefore, HEPs may wish to consider their approach to setting and listing entry requirements for the specific qualifications.
- The dual running of the qualification may result in applicants declaring the incorrect version within their application. UCAS will be working to support applicants and advisers in this area.
- These qualifications are fundamentally different to the reformed versions and likely to result in students developing different skills and aptitudes. HEPs should review their understanding of these qualifications to ensure it remains up to date. HEPs may also wish to consider their approach to setting and listing entry requirements for the specific qualifications, and any differences should be clearly articulated.
Tech levels are designed to support progression to employment, an apprenticeship, or to higher education.
Progression to higher education is generally within the vocational area of the Tech level, and may be to a foundation degree.
The exact curriculum studied may depend on the choice of optional units taken.
Students are assessed throughout their programme of learning and may submit units for qualification award at any point.
Results are provided on a rolling basis. Students submitting units for calculation of their qualification grade by the deadline for the summer will receive results in July.
These qualifications are current.
The results of OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications are reported to UCAS through Awarding Body Linkage (ABL).
Read the full list of results available through ABL
Results will be made available by OCR through its website after first results are issued in August and then annually.
Tech level qualifications differ in size; some may meet the entry requirements for higher education in their own right in a related area and some may need to be offered in conjunction with other Level 3 qualifications, for instance A levels. In addition, some higher education courses may require specific levels of achievement in particular units or ask for additional qualifications to satisfy subject knowledge requirements.
These qualifications offer progression to higher education, an apprenticeship, or employment.
Progression to HE will probably be in the vocational area of the qualification, and may be to a foundation degree or a Higher National qualification (HNC/HND).
Tech level qualifications are supported by at least five employers from the job sector the qualification is related to. All students have to take part in meaningful activity involving employers in the course of their study. Examples are work placements, taking part in projects, or some of the course being taught by someone who works in the industry.