Guidance

Assessment only route to QTS: criteria and supporting advice

Criteria and supporting advice for accredited providers wishing to offer the assessment only route to qualified teacher status (QTS).

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 8 August 2013
• Last updated: 1 September 2023 — See all updates

Documents

Assessment only route to qualified teacher status: criteria and supporting advice

PDF, 257 KB, 25 pages

Details

The assessment only route to qualified teacher status (QTS) allows teachers to demonstrate that they already meet all the QTS standards, without the need for any further training.

Teachers need to present detailed evidence and their teaching is assessed in a school by an accredited and approved provider.

This guidance is for:

• accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers and their partner schools
• Ofsted

Contact us

Initial teacher training market regulation team

Email [email protected]

This email address is for potential new and accredited ITT providers.

If you’re a potential candidate, wishing to gain QTS, visit Get Into Teaching: https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/explore-my-options/teacher-training-routes/specialist-training-options.

Published 8 August 2013
Last updated 1 September 2023 + show all updates

1. 1 September 2023

   Published updated criteria and supporting advice for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

2. 1 September 2022

   Updated criterion C1.3 and information about the professional skills test has been removed.

3. 1 September 2021

   Updated to revert to pre-COVID-19 advice.

4. 22 January 2021

   Removed references to being prohibited to teach in another country of the European Economic Area (EEA) and the Teacher Services System. Added links to Changes to checks for EU sanctions on EEA teachers and Recruit teachers from overseas.

5. 22 May 2020

   We have updated the ‘candidate assessment’ advice to explain what should happen when candidates’ progress on the Assessment Only (AO) route to QTS is interrupted as a consequence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

6. 3 October 2019

   Changes to reflect the change in rules on skills tests.

7. 12 October 2018

   Updated criteria and supporting advice.

8. 7 September 2016

   Updated assessment only criteria supporting advice document

9. 7 March 2016

   Updated supporting advice.

10. 7 January 2016

    Updated assessment only criteria and supporting advice.

11. 15 July 2015

    Updated contact information

12. 8 August 2013

    First published.