Qualification levels

So that people know how advanced our qualifications are, we design most of them to fit into national frameworks. Here’s a brief explanation of what each level means and who it’s appropriate for:

Entry-level

qualifications are the real basics, for absolute beginners.

Level 1

qualifications are introductory awards, ideal if you’re new to the area. They’ll just cover basics tasks and knowledge.

Level 2

is slightly more advanced and you’ll need to have some knowledge of the subject area.

Level 3

qualifications cover more complex tasks and also start to develop your supervisory skills. In many professions, level 3 is the benchmark at which you can consider yourself competent.

Level 4

qualifications need you to have specialist or technical expertise.

Level 5

you need to have a grasp of the most complex principles of your area. By now, you’ll also be expected to manage people and resources.

Level 6

is for senior managers.

Level 7

you would be the King or Queen of your castle!

Now you know what levels are actually on offer and what they actually mean, why not check out our comparison guide? This will show you what each level means in relation to not just City & Guilds qualifications, but also other vocational qualifications and academic ones too. More about our qualification comparisons >