Official Statistics

Annual Qualifications Market Report: 2020 to 2021 academic year

Updated 10 June 2022

Applies to England

This release provides information on the number and types of qualifications available for award and the number of certificates awarded by recognised awarding organisations in England during the 2020 to 2021 academic year. It also includes some statistics on regulated qualifications certified in international jurisdictions by recognised awarding organisations.

The release covers all regulated qualifications apart from apprenticeship end-point assessments (EPAs). Please note, where this release refers to ‘vocational and other’ qualifications, this means all qualifications other than GCSE, AS and A level.

Many assessments, predominantly occupational qualifications, were cancelled or delayed in spring and summer 2020 due to the measures put in place in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Alternative arrangements were also put in place in 2021. The trends seen in the 2020 to 2021 academic year, particularly when compared against the 2019 to 2020 academic year, may have been affected as a result.

1. Main trends

The main trends in the qualifications market for the 2020 to 2021 academic year in England were:

1. There were 11,700 active qualifications (available qualifications with certificates) in the academic year 2020 to 2021, a 0.7% increase on the previous year.

2. In total 10.8 million certificates were issued for GCSE, AS, A level and vocational and other qualifications available for award in England over the 2020 to 2021 academic year, up 4.3% compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

3. There were 6.1 million GCSE, AS and A level certificates awarded in the 2020 to 2021 academic year, up by 0.6% compared to the previous year.

4. There were 4.7 million certificates awarded for vocational and other qualifications in the 2020 to 2021 academic year, up by 9.6% compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

5. The awarding organisations with the largest market shares in the academic year 2020 to 2021 were AQA (35.0%), Pearson (21.9%), OCR (7.0%) and City & Guilds (5.1%); the rest of the 142 awarding organisations with active qualifications (excluding the ones offering EPAs only) accounted for 31.1% of the market.

2. Number of awarding organisations offering regulated qualifications

Any organisation that wants to offer regulated qualifications in England has to be recognised by Ofqual. Any new awarding organisation needs to meet Ofqual’s Criteria for Recognition and, once recognised, all awarding organisations need to continue to meet Ofqual’s General Conditions of Recognition.

Year	Number of organisations
2016 to 2017	155
2017 to 2018	154
2018 to 2019	160
2019 to 2020	164
2020 to 2021	178

There were 178 Ofqual recognised awarding organisations during the 2020 to 2021 academic year. This number includes 32 awarding organisations which had no active qualifications (available qualifications with certificates) or delivered EPAs for apprenticeship standards only during the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

Please note, that elsewhere in the report statistics on qualifications and certifications do not include apprenticeship EPAs.

3. Regulated qualifications

Information on qualifications including title, type, awarding organisation, sector subject area and level is taken from the Register of Regulated Qualifications.

3.1 Number of available qualifications

Year	Number of qualifications with certificates	Number of qualifications without certificates	Total number of qualifications
2016 to 2017	12,949	8,102	21,051
2017 to 2018	12,748	7,357	20,105
2018 to 2019	12,250	6,928	19,178
2019 to 2020	11,625	6,616	18,241
2020 to 2021	11,707	6,120	17,827

There were 17,827 qualifications available to certificate in the 2020 to 2021 academic year. This is a 2.3% decrease compared to the previous year. No certificates will have been issued for some qualifications because they are new and/or require a 1- or 2-year course of study before students can certificate.

3.2 Number of available qualifications by type

Qualification types are used to describe the nature of qualifications and are contained within the Register of Regulated Qualifications.

Qualification type	Number of qualifications available to certificate in 2019 to 2020	Number of qualifications available to certificate in 2020 to 2021	Number of qualifications with certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of qualifications with certificates in 2020 to 2021
GCSE (9 to 1)	143	143	143	139
A level	173	148	147	137
AS	161	136	131	109
Vocationally-Related Qualification	8,341	8,203	5,105	5,192
Occupational Qualification	5,138	4,979	3,080	3,038
Other Life Skills Qualification	1,810	1,758	1,234	1,302
Other Vocational Qualification	838	825	520	550
Performing Arts Graded Examination	513	575	394	439
Other General Qualification	540	483	422	385
English For Speakers of Other Languages	330	348	221	225
Functional Skills	226	205	215	180
Project	14	14	12	10
Advanced Extension Award	1	1	1	1
Total	18,228	17,818	11,625	11,707

Qualification type	Percentage change in the number of qualifications with certifications by qualification type between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
GCSE (9 to 1)	-2.8%
A level	-6.8%
AS	-16.8%
Vocationally-Related Qualification	1.7%
Occupational Qualification	-1.4%
Other Life Skills Qualification	5.5%
Other Vocational Qualification	5.8%
Performing Arts Graded Examination	11.4%
Other General Qualification	-8.8%
English For Speakers of Other Languages	1.8%
Functional Skills	-16.3%
Project	-16.7%
Advanced Extension Award	0.0%
Total	0.7%

The largest proportional increase in the number of qualifications with certificates was seen in Performing Arts Graded Examination qualifications (up by 11.4% this year). This increase can be attributed to the introduction of new Performing Arts Graded Examination qualifications offered by several awarding organisations including the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, GQA Qualifications Limited, LAMDA, RSL Awards Ltd and The Learning Machine.

The largest proportional decrease in the number of qualifications with certificates was seen in AS qualifications in the 2020 to 2021 academic year (down by 16.8%), compared to the previous year. Legacy AS qualifications were no longer available to certificate following reforms to AS qualifications.

Please note, legacy GCSE qualifications, also known as GCSE (A* to G), as well as A levels were also no longer available to certificate in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

Please note, apprenticeship EPAs are not reported in this release. As noted in the Background notes accompanying this release, Ofqual collects data for the Annual Qualifications Market Report from awarding organisations. The awarding organisations that conduct EPAs do not issue certificates for the completion of EPAs and therefore do not provide us the data on certifications of EPAs.

4. Certificates awarded for regulated qualifications

4.1 Overall number of certificates

Year	A level	AS	GCSE	Vocational & other qualifications	Total
2016 to 2017	764,715	582,115	5,039,825	6,051,450	12,438,105
2017 to 2018	736,090	237,775	5,035,565	5,854,825	11,864,255
2018 to 2019	720,225	98,745	5,119,705	5,789,755	11,728,430
2019 to 2020	716,825	68,365	5,309,585	4,246,060	10,340,840
2020 to 2021	763,745	55,130	5,313,310	4,652,790	10,784,970

The total number of certificates awarded for all qualifications (A level, AS, GCSE and vocational and other qualifications) in the 2020 to 2021 academic year was 10.8 million, up 4.3% compared to the previous year.

The overall number of certificates for A level qualifications has increased by 6.5% compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. This is in line with an upward trend in the number of entries for A level qualifications taken in the 2020 to 2021 academic year. The trend is likely to partly reflect a change in the size of the 16 year old cohort.

AS qualifications saw a decrease in the number of certificates (down by 19.4% compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year). This is a continuation of the downward trend mainly attributable to the decoupling of AS from A levels as part of the government policy reforms.

The overall number of certificates for GCSE qualifications has increased, by less than 1%. This is in line with a slight increase in the number of entries for GCSEs in the 2020 to 2021 academic year. Please note, all GCSEs awarded in the 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 academic years were reformed qualifications also known as GCSE (9 to 1).

There has been an increase in the overall number of certificates in vocational and other qualifications (up by 9.6%) compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year, when many assessments were cancelled or delayed in spring and summer 2020 due to the measures put in place in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The numbers have not reached the pre-COVID-19 pandemic level though, partly due to exceptional arrangements still being in place in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

4.2 Number of certificates by qualification type

Qualification type	Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Share of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021	Share of certificates in 2020 to 2021
GCSE (9 to 1)	5,309,585	51.3%	5,313,310	49.3%
A level	716,825	6.9%	763,745	7.1%
AS	68,365	<1%	55,130	<1%
Vocationally-Related Qualification	1,778,795	17.2%	2,011,215	18.6%
Occupational Qualification	527,030	5.1%	574,710	5.3%
Other Vocational Qualification	327,890	3.2%	422,085	3.9%
Other General Qualification	396,815	3.8%	391,070	3.6%
Performing Arts Graded Examination	227,600	2.2%	374,970	3.5%
English For Speakers of Other Languages	273,610	2.6%	307,655	2.9%
Functional Skills	447,670	4.3%	302,150	2.8%
Other Life Skills Qualification	218,615	2.1%	216,680	2.0%
Project	47,640	<1%	52,100	<1%
Advanced Extension Award	170	<1%	85	<1%
QCF	220	<1%	75	<1%
Retired Qualifications	0\~	<1%	0	0%
Total	10,340,840	100.0%	10,784,970	100.0%

Qualification type	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
GCSE (9 to 1)	0.1%
A level	6.5%
AS	-19.4%
Vocationally-Related Qualification	13.1%
Occupational Qualification	9.0%
Other Vocational Qualification	28.7%
Other General Qualification	-1.4%
Performing Arts Graded Examination	64.8%
English For Speakers of Other Languages	12.4%
Functional Skills	-32.5%
Other Life Skills Qualification	-0.9%
Project	9.4%
Advanced Extension Award	-49.1%
QCF	-67.1%
Retired Qualifications	-100.0%
Total	4.3%

The largest proportional increase in the number of certificates in the 2020 to 2021 academic year among vocational and other qualifications was seen in Performing Arts Graded Examination qualifications (up by 64.8%, equivalent to an increase of 147,400 certificates). A large number of certificates issued for the new qualifications offered by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music is likely to be the main driver for the change.

The largest percentage decrease in the number of certificates among vocational and other qualifications has been in QCF qualifications (down by 67.1%, equivalent to 150) and Advanced Extension Award qualifications (down by 49.1%, equivalent to 85). The downward trend in QCF qualifications is likely due to Ofqual’s decision to revise the list of available qualification types and the removal of QCF design rules.

There were no certificates issued for Retired Qualifications.

4.3 Awarding organisations with the highest number of certificates

Awarding organisation	Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021
AQA Education	3,749,040	3,769,440
Pearson Education Ltd	2,372,260	2,361,855
OCR	767,075	751,680
City and Guilds of London Institute	602,400	551,055
WJEC-CBAC	427,100	444,375
NCFE	357,770	368,890
Highfield Qualifications	201,055	222,000
Trinity College London	140,015	196,205
Qualsafe Awards	145,055	180,400
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music	91,985	167,560
First Aid Awards Ltd	92,460	124,955
Training Qualifications UK Ltd	81,545	110,535
VTCT	41,590	92,160
NOCN	84,795	88,865
Ascentis	83,395	85,705
IQL	32,050	53,880
University of the Arts London	45,135	51,465
Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited	45,560	50,790
Gateway Qualifications Limited	40,490	46,305
Cambridge Assessment English	51,845	44,115
Other organisations	888,215	1,022,735
Total	10,340,840	10,784,970

Awarding organisation	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
AQA Education	0.5%
Pearson Education Ltd	-0.4%
OCR	-2.0%
City and Guilds of London Institute	-8.5%
WJEC-CBAC	4.0%
NCFE	3.1%
Highfield Qualifications	10.4%
Trinity College London	40.1%
Qualsafe Awards	24.4%
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music	82.2%
First Aid Awards Ltd	35.1%
Training Qualifications UK Ltd	35.6%
VTCT	121.6%
NOCN	4.8%
Ascentis	2.8%
IQL	68.1%
University of the Arts London	14.0%
Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited	11.5%
Gateway Qualifications Limited	14.4%
Cambridge Assessment English	-14.9%
Other organisations	15.1%
Total	4.3%

The 20 awarding organisations that reported the highest volume of all certificates in the 2020 to 2021 academic year awarded 90.5% of all certificates. IQL is new to the top 20 this year.

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music has had the largest increase (up by 75,600) in certificates compared with the previous year, largely due to increases in the number of certificates awarded for the new Performing Arts Graded Examination qualifications.

VTCT has had the largest percentage increase (up by 121.6%) in certificate numbers, largely due to increases in the number of certificates for Vocationally-Related Qualifications.

5. General qualifications

5.1 Market share: GCSE

Year	AQA	OCR	Pearson	WJEC
2016 to 2017	52.3%	13.5%	27.8%	6.4%
2017 to 2018	61.1%	7.6%	25.4%	5.9%
2018 to 2019	61.4%	7.2%	25.5%	5.9%
2019 to 2020	61.7%	6.9%	25.4%	6.0%
2020 to 2021	62.0%	6.8%	25.2%	6.0%

The GCSE market continued to be relatively stable in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

5.2 Number of certificates awarded in the top 10 GCSE subjects in the academic year 2020 to 2021

Year	Subject	AQA	OCR	Pearson	WJEC	Total
2020 to 2021	Combined science	667,420	36,360	127,050	0	830,830
2020 to 2021	Mathematics	203,680	60,090	520,890	9,700	794,360
2020 to 2021	English language	595,635	9,470	72,515	78,555	756,175
2020 to 2021	English literature	445,125	8,440	57,140	53,170	563,870
2020 to 2021	History	92,860	20,115	149,370	11,135	273,480
2020 to 2021	Geography	176,770	25,435	47,055	15,250	264,505
2020 to 2021	Religious studies	129,400	7,305	48,050	49,680	234,435
2020 to 2021	Art and design subjects	125,675	21,525	34,270	13,145	194,615
2020 to 2021	Biology	136,825	10,890	22,960	0	170,675
2020 to 2021	Chemistry	131,840	10,385	22,805	0	165,035
2019 to 2020	Combined science	649,085	37,920	128,490	150	815,645
2019 to 2020	Mathematics	210,610	58,865	518,325	8,705	796,505
2019 to 2020	English language	608,645	11,475	82,325	82,060	784,505
2019 to 2020	English literature	444,900	9,810	48,970	52,685	556,365
2019 to 2020	History	92,910	21,625	146,770	10,850	272,155
2019 to 2020	Geography	169,115	24,825	46,380	14,420	254,740
2019 to 2020	Religious studies	133,605	8,330	52,205	49,205	243,345
2019 to 2020	Art and design subjects	122,235	20,830	35,485	11,915	190,465
2019 to 2020	Biology	130,845	10,985	23,065	150	165,045
2019 to 2020	Chemistry	125,620	10,235	22,535	135	158,530

The total number of certificates for GCSEs has increased by 0.1% between the 2019 to 2020 academic year and the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

The top 10 highest volume subjects account for 79.9% of all GCSE certificates, 0.1 percentage point more than in the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

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.

Among the top 10 highest volume subjects, English language, religious studies and mathematics have seen a drop in the number of certificates issued (down by 28,300; 8,900 and 2,100 respectively compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year). The biggest increases in the number of certificates were for combined science, geography and English literature (up by 15,200; 9,800 and 7,500 respectively). Among the top 10 highest volume subjects, chemistry saw the largest proportional increase in the number of certificates (up by 4.1% from the 2019 to 2020 academic year).

The market share of awarding organisations in all GCSE subjects in the 2020 to 2021 is given in the data tables accompanying this release (Table 8).

Please note, combined science certificates have been doubled throughout the report and data tables to reflect the fact that it counts as two GCSEs.

5.3 Market share: AS

Year	AQA	OCR	Pearson	WJEC
2016 to 2017	42.5%	22.9%	27.8%	6.8%
2017 to 2018	39.2%	24.1%	31.0%	5.7%
2018 to 2019	43.0%	22.4%	27.9%	6.8%
2019 to 2020	43.4%	22.8%	27.1%	6.6%
2020 to 2021	43.9%	22.4%	25.6%	8.1%

The AS market is changing due to the overall decline in entries (rates of decline among different subjects vary) which reflects the phased AS and A level reforms. Pearson has seen the largest decrease (down by 1.5% in the 2020 to 2021 academic year) in its share of the AS market. WJEC has seen the largest increase (up by 1.5%) in its share of the AS market.

5.4 Number of certificates awarded in the top 10 AS subjects in the academic year 2020 to 2021

Year	Subject	AQA	OCR	Pearson	WJEC	Total
2020 to 2021	Mathematics	905	1,165	4,290	0	6,360
2020 to 2021	Psychology	4,245	465	580	155	5,450
2020 to 2021	Biology	2,235	1,470	565	140	4,415
2020 to 2021	Sociology	3,435	640	0	130	4,210
2020 to 2021	Mathematics (further)	720	820	2,620	0	4,155
2020 to 2021	Chemistry	1,285	1,965	380	145	3,775
2020 to 2021	Physics	1,450	960	290	10	2,715
2020 to 2021	Business studies	1,265	80	1,095	185	2,620
2020 to 2021	Art and design subjects	930	730	0	830	2,485
2020 to 2021	History	915	360	1,075	0	2,350
2019 to 2020	Mathematics	1,090	1,710	5,910	0	8,710
2019 to 2020	Psychology	5,220	565	565	80	6,430
2019 to 2020	Biology	2,830	1,960	550	115	5,455
2019 to 2020	Sociology	4,005	670	0	140	4,815
2019 to 2020	Chemistry	1,740	2,520	485	70	4,815
2019 to 2020	Mathematics (further)	710	915	2,805	0	4,435
2019 to 2020	Physics	2,125	1,155	385	0\~	3,675
2019 to 2020	Business studies	1,380	135	1,390	210	3,115
2019 to 2020	History	1,225	510	1,220	0	2,950
2019 to 2020	Art and design subjects	1,050	635	350	875	2,910

The total number of certificates for AS qualifications has decreased by 19.4% between the 2019 to 2020 academic year and the 2020 to 2021 academic year, continuing the trend seen from 2016 due to the qualification reforms.

The top 10 highest volume subjects account for 69.9% of all AS certificates, 0.7 percentage point more than in the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

AQA has the largest market share in 6 of the 10 highest volume subjects. Pearson and OCR have the largest share in the remaining 4 subjects; mathematics, mathematics (further), history and chemistry.

There has been a decrease in the number of certificates across all top 10 highest volume AS subjects in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. This is particularly noticeable for AS mathematics, chemistry and biology where certificate numbers dropped by 2,300; 1,000 and 1,000 respectively compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

The market share of awarding organisations in all AS subjects in the 2020 to 2021 academic year is given in the data tables accompanying this release (Table 9).

5.5 Market share: A level

Year	AQA	OCR	Pearson	WJEC
2016 to 2017	46.6%	22.4%	24.8%	6.2%
2017 to 2018	46.3%	22.7%	24.7%	6.3%
2018 to 2019	45.4%	21.6%	26.7%	6.3%
2019 to 2020	45.7%	21.0%	26.7%	6.5%
2020 to 2021	45.9%	20.9%	27.0%	6.2%

The A level market continued to be relatively stable in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

5.6 Number of certificates awarded in the top 10 A level subjects in the academic year 2020 to 2021

Year	Subject	AQA	OCR	Pearson	WJEC	Total
2020 to 2021	Mathematics	13,820	14,305	64,290	0	92,420
2020 to 2021	Psychology	56,425	5,265	4,755	1,950	68,390
2020 to 2021	Biology	35,335	21,085	6,765	2,210	65,390
2020 to 2021	Chemistry	25,420	26,160	5,640	130	57,355
2020 to 2021	History	19,700	9,455	12,765	0	41,920
2020 to 2021	Sociology	34,285	3,690	0	1,635	39,615
2020 to 2021	Art and design subjects	19,950	5,570	7,810	5,915	39,245
2020 to 2021	Physics	21,405	12,040	4,180	595	38,220
2020 to 2021	English literature	15,130	9,480	9,200	2,505	36,315
2020 to 2021	Business studies	15,230	1,070	15,790	3,165	35,255
2019 to 2020	Mathematics	13,015	13,580	60,250	0	86,845
2019 to 2020	Psychology	51,165	5,185	4,325	1,670	62,340
2019 to 2020	Biology	31,055	19,735	6,230	2,300	59,320
2019 to 2020	Chemistry	22,685	23,825	5,085	125	51,725
2019 to 2020	History	19,065	9,330	12,430	0	40,825
2019 to 2020	Art and design subjects	19,845	5,575	7,795	5,655	38,870
2019 to 2020	English literature	16,225	9,890	9,160	2,685	37,960
2019 to 2020	Sociology	31,620	3,430	0	1,655	36,705
2019 to 2020	Physics	19,350	10,995	3,920	605	34,870
2019 to 2020	Business studies	15,160	1,010	13,795	2,750	32,715

The total number of certificates for A levels has increased by 6.5% between the 2019 to 2020 academic year and the 2020 to 2021 academic year. This is in line with the change in the overall number of entries for A level qualifications taken in the 2020 to 2021 academic year. The change is likely to partly reflect an increase in the size of the 16 year old cohort.

The top 10 highest volume subjects account for 67.3% of all A level certificates, the same as in the 2019 to 2020 academic year. Among the top 10 highest volume subjects English literature has seen a drop in the number of certificates issued (down by 1,600 compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year). Among the top 10 highest volume subjects, biology, psychology and chemistry have seen the largest increase in the number of certificates (up by 6,100; 6,100 and 5,600 respectively).

The market share of awarding organisations in all A level subjects in the 2020 to 2021 academic year is given in the data tables accompanying this release (Table 10).

6. Vocational and other qualifications

6.1 Number of certificates in vocational and other qualifications by sector subject area

Sector subject areas (SSAs) is a classification of qualifications into business sectors or subject areas maintained by Ofqual. There are 15 SSAs in total.

Sector subject area	Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Share of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021	Share of certificates in 2020 to 2021
Health, Public Services and Care	911,060	21.5%	1,079,475	23.2%
Preparation for Life and Work	989,165	23.3%	869,805	18.7%
Arts, Media and Publishing	458,825	10.8%	619,485	13.3%
Business, Administration and Law	334,470	7.9%	383,295	8.2%
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment	271,360	6.4%	323,800	7.0%
Leisure, Travel and Tourism	276,830	6.5%	301,020	6.5%
Retail and Commercial Enterprise	259,720	6.1%	295,355	6.3%
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies	218,590	5.1%	238,910	5.1%
Information and Communication Technology	146,380	3.4%	149,945	3.2%
Science and Mathematics	114,870	2.7%	106,520	2.3%
Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care	70,870	1.7%	87,850	1.9%
Education and Training	77,095	1.8%	81,675	1.8%
Languages, Literature and Culture	83,360	2.0%	73,960	1.6%
Social Sciences	22,530	<1%	31,930	<1%
History, Philosophy and Theology	10,935	<1%	9,760	<1%
Total	4,246,060	100.0%	4,652,790	100.0%

Sector subject area	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
Health, Public Services and Care	18.5%
Preparation for Life and Work	-12.1%
Arts, Media and Publishing	35.0%
Business, Administration and Law	14.6%
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment	19.3%
Leisure, Travel and Tourism	8.7%
Retail and Commercial Enterprise	13.7%
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies	9.3%
Information and Communication Technology	2.4%
Science and Mathematics	-7.3%
Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care	24.0%
Education and Training	5.9%
Languages, Literature and Culture	-11.3%
Social Sciences	41.7%
History, Philosophy and Theology	-10.7%
Total	9.6%

There were 4.7 million certificates awarded in vocational and other qualifications in the 2020 to 2021 academic year. This is up 9.6% compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year, when many assessments were cancelled or delayed in spring and summer 2020 due to the measures put in place in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Consistent with the overall increase in the volume of certificates, most SSAs have seen an increase in the number of certificates. The largest increase in the number of certificates awarded in vocational and other qualifications was seen in Health, Public Services and Care as well as Arts, Media and Publishing SSAs (up by 168,400 and 160,700 respectively). Preparation for Life and Work; Languages, Literature and Culture as well as Science and Mathematics SSAs have had the most substantial declines in the number of certificates awarded (down by 119,400; 9,400 and 8,300 respectively).

6.2 Number of certificates in vocational and other qualifications by level

Qualification level gives an indication of the difficulty of the qualification, with higher levels being more difficult. The content and number of study hours, however, can vary significantly within a qualification level.

Qualification level	Number of certificates in 2016 to 2017	Number of certificates in 2017 to 2018	Number of certificates in 2018 to 2019	Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021
Entry Level	723,015	708,380	696,805	502,485	503,530
Level 1	1,323,125	1,317,525	1,253,300	798,565	825,630
Level 1/Level 2	328,710	272,605	315,400	397,705	421,770
Level 2	2,317,880	1,913,910	1,803,310	1,254,470	1,347,460
Level 3	1,219,100	1,490,205	1,565,095	1,161,275	1,391,950
Level 4 to 8	139,620	152,195	155,850	131,555	162,450

The 4-year trend in declining numbers of Level 1 and Level 2 certificates has reversed this academic year. The number of Level 1 certificates has increased by 27,100 and Level 2 certificates were up by 93,000 in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

The number of Level 3 certificates has increased in the 2020 to 2021 academic year (up by 230,700), reaching numbers slightly lower than those observed before the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

The number of certificates for Entry Level qualifications has increased slightly (up by 1,000) compared to the 2019 to 2020.

The numbers of certificates for Level 1/Level 2 qualifications continue to increase. There has been a 24,100 increase in the number of certificates in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

The number of certificates in Levels 4 to 8 has also increased this year, up by 30,900, reaching the highest number of certificates over the last 5 years.

6.3 Awarding organisations with the highest number of certificates awarded in vocational and other qualifications

Awarding organisation	Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021
Pearson Education Ltd	815,190	802,585
City and Guilds of London Institute	602,400	551,055
NCFE	357,770	368,890
Highfield Qualifications	201,055	222,000
OCR	236,120	220,390
Trinity College London	140,015	196,205
Qualsafe Awards	145,055	180,400
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music	91,985	167,560
First Aid Awards Ltd	92,460	124,955
Training Qualifications UK Ltd	81,545	110,535
AQA Education	113,240	100,345
VTCT	41,590	92,160
NOCN	84,795	88,865
Ascentis	83,395	85,705
WJEC-CBAC	56,145	71,845
IQL	32,050	53,880
University of the Arts London	45,135	51,465
Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited	45,560	50,790
Gateway Qualifications Limited	40,490	46,305
Cambridge Assessment English	51,845	44,115
Other organisations	888,215	1,022,735
Total	4,246,060	4,652,790

Awarding organisation	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
Pearson Education Ltd	-1.5%
City and Guilds of London Institute	-8.5%
NCFE	3.1%
Highfield Qualifications	10.4%
OCR	-6.7%
Trinity College London	40.1%
Qualsafe Awards	24.4%
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music	82.2%
First Aid Awards Ltd	35.1%
Training Qualifications UK Ltd	35.6%
AQA Education	-11.4%
VTCT	121.6%
NOCN	4.8%
Ascentis	2.8%
WJEC-CBAC	28.0%
IQL	68.1%
University of the Arts London	14.0%
Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited	11.5%
Gateway Qualifications Limited	14.4%
Cambridge Assessment English	-14.9%
Other organisations	15.1%
Total	9.6%

The 20 awarding organisations that reported the highest volume of certificates awarded in vocational and other qualifications in the 2020 to 2021 academic year awarded 78.0% of all certificates awarded in vocational and other qualifications. IQL is new to the top 20 this year.

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music has had the largest increase (up by 75,600) in certificates compared with the previous year, largely due to increases in the number of certificates awarded for the new Performing Arts Graded Examination qualifications.

VTCT has had the largest percentage increase (up by 121.6%) in certificate numbers, largely due to increases in the number of certificates for Vocationally-Related Qualifications.

Please note data for all awarding organisations is available in the Vocational and Other qualifications quarterly published by Ofqual.

7. In focus: technical and applied qualifications

Technical and applied qualifications are vocational qualifications designated as such according to Department for Education criteria and can count towards school and college performance tables. Applied qualifications which are known as 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. They are all Level 3 qualifications aimed at post-16 students. The purpose of technical qualifications is to equip students with applied knowledge and associated practical skills not usually associated with general qualifications. They are Level 1, 1/2, 2 and 3 qualifications.

7.1 Market share of technical and applied qualifications in the 2020 to 2021 academic year

Qualification category	Number of certificates	Market share
Applied Generals	209,165	4.5%
Technical qualifications	495,820	10.7%
Remaining vocational and other qualifications	3,947,805	84.8%

7.2 Market share of technical qualifications in the 2020 to 2021 academic year

Qualification category	Number of certificates	Market share
Technical Awards	415,200	83.7%
Technical Certificates	24,430	4.9%
Tech Levels	56,190	11.3%

The 495,800 technical qualifications certificates awarded in the 2020 to 2021 academic year can be further broken down into:

• 415,200 Technical Awards, these 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.

• 24,400 Technical Certificates, these are 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. They are Level 2 qualifications.

• 56,200 Tech Levels, which are also designed for study at key stage 5. They are Level 3 qualifications.

7.3 Number of technical and applied qualifications certificates by sector subject area

Sector subject area	Applied Generals	Technical Awards	Technical Certificates	Tech Levels	Total
Leisure, Travel and Tourism	23,845	99,090	470	2,020	125,420
Business, Administration and Law	57,685	47,095	11,540	8,505	124,825
Arts, Media and Publishing	13,950	106,150	205	4,135	124,440
Health, Public Services and Care	33,530	66,200	910	13,275	113,915
Information and Communication Technology	16,630	28,740	830	4,455	50,655
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies	6,385	27,845	825	4,190	39,250
Retail and Commercial Enterprise	1,280	29,480	3,445	1,610	35,815
Science and Mathematics	28,635	0	0	0	28,635
Social Sciences	27,130	0	0	0	27,130
Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care	0	1,940	3,460	12,795	18,195
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment	90	8,655	2,750	5,205	16,700
Total	209,165	415,200	24,430	56,190	704,985

Sector subject area	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
Leisure, Travel and Tourism	18.3%
Business, Administration and Law	27.7%
Arts, Media and Publishing	5.4%
Health, Public Services and Care	18.9%
Information and Communication Technology	5.4%
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies	20.5%
Retail and Commercial Enterprise	5.1%
Science and Mathematics	45.2%
Social Sciences	54.9%
Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care	36.7%
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment	134.4%
Total	19.5%

There was an increase in the number of certificates in technical and applied qualifications across all SSAs in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. Business, Administration and Law; Leisure, Travel and Tourism as well as Health, Public Services and Care saw the largest increase (up by 27,100; 19,400 and 18,100 respectively) in the number of certificates awarded in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

Applied Generals in the Business, Administration and Law saw the largest increase in the number of certificates compared to other qualification categories and SSAs, up by 16,600. Tech Levels in Construction, Planning and the Built Environment saw the largest proportional increase (up by 305.2%) in the number of certificates compared to other qualification categories and SSAs in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

7.4 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%	10.7%	19.0%	70.3%
Arts, Media and Publishing	11.2%	85.3%	0.2%	3.3%
Business, Administration and Law	46.2%	37.7%	9.2%	6.8%
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment	0.6%	51.8%	16.5%	31.2%
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies	16.3%	70.9%	2.1%	10.7%
Health, Public Services and Care	29.4%	58.1%	0.8%	11.7%
Information and Communication Technology	32.8%	56.7%	1.6%	8.8%
Leisure, Travel and Tourism	19.0%	79.0%	0.4%	1.6%
Retail and Commercial Enterprise	3.6%	82.3%	9.6%	4.5%
Science and Mathematics	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Social Sciences	100.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Total	29.7%	58.9%	3.5%	8.0%

Different SSAs have a different mix of technical and applied qualifications. For instance, the Arts, Media and Publishing sector is dominated by Technical Awards and Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care sector is dominated by Tech Levels. Whereas Science and Mathematics as well as Social Sciences SSAs comprise entirely of Applied General qualifications.

7.5 Number of technical and applied qualifications certificates by awarding organisation

Awarding organisation	Applied Generals	Technical Awards	Technical Certificates	Tech Levels	Total
Pearson Education Ltd	142,485	205,080	3,220	13,820	364,605
OCR	20,500	136,735	1,135	6,645	165,020
WJEC-CBAC	29,775	36,205	0	0	65,985
NCFE	270	23,380	0	11,800	35,450
City and Guilds of London Institute	0	1,235	8,020	11,770	21,025
Association of Accounting Technicians	0	0	10,630	8,440	19,065
The London Institute of Banking & Finance	10,145	0	0	0	10,145
RSL Awards Ltd	0	7,690	0	1,260	8,950
AQA Education	4,000	1,260	0	875	6,140
VTCT	55	1,870	875	540	3,340
University of the Arts London	1,925	0	0	0	1,925
Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited	0	625	240	310	1,175
The Institute of the Motor Industry	0	595	235	30	860
AIM Qualifications	0	0	0	490	490
1st4sport Qualifications	5	370	15	0	390
Active IQ	0	0	55	205	260
Skills and Education Group Awards	0	155	0	0	155
Total	209,165	415,200	24,430	56,190	704,985

Pearson was the single largest provider of Applied Generals and Technical Awards due to its Level 3 Applied General and Level 1/Level 2 Technical BTEC qualifications. The Association of Accounting Technicians, City and Guilds and Pearson dominated the Technical Certificates market. Pearson and NCFE were the largest providers of Tech Levels.

Awarding organisation	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
Pearson Education Ltd	20.8%
OCR	9.7%
WJEC-CBAC	34.3%
NCFE	5.1%
City and Guilds of London Institute	31.6%
Association of Accounting Technicians	70.2%
The London Institute of Banking & Finance	13.1%
RSL Awards Ltd	40.4%
AQA Education	-5.2%
VTCT	9.0%
University of the Arts London	476.6%
Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited	46.9%
The Institute of the Motor Industry	48.1%
AIM Qualifications	-7.4%
1st4sport Qualifications	3 445.5%
Active IQ	-9.1%
Skills and Education Group Awards	-24.5%
Total	19.5%

Skills and Education Group Awards saw the largest proportional drop (down by 24.5%) in the number of certificates, as they awarded fewer certificates in Technical Awards and no certificates in Tech Levels in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the previous year.

1st4sport Qualifications and University of the Arts London saw the largest proportional increase (up by 3,445.5% and 476.6% respectively) in the number of certificates in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. 1st4sport Qualifications began awarding certificates in Technical Award qualifications and Technical Certificates in the 2020 to 2021 academic year. University of the Arts London began awarding certificates in Applied General qualifications in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

8. In focus: Functional Skills qualifications

Functional Skills are 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 ICT at the following levels: Entry level, Level 1 and Level 2.

8.1 Number of certificates in Functional Skills qualifications

Academic year	Number of certificates
2016 to 2017	754,475
2017 to 2018	705,610
2018 to 2019	614,290
2019 to 2020	447,670
2020 to 2021	302,150

The overall number of certificates awarded in Functional Skills qualifications has reduced by 33% (145,500) in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year, continuing the downward trend seen over the last 5 years. There are a number of factors that may have influenced the trend, to a greater or lesser extent. These are discussed in the Background notes accompanying this release.

8.2 Number of certificates of Functional Skills qualifications by subject

Subject	2016 to 2017	2017 to 2018	2018 to 2019	2019 to 2020	2020 to 2021
Mathematics	333,905	320,450	287,945	205,710	138,170
English	284,795	278,385	243,605	189,345	131,900
ICT	135,770	106,775	82,740	52,610	32,080

There was a decline in the number of certificates across all subjects in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. The number of certificates in Functional Skills qualifications in mathematics decreased the most (down by 67,500) compared to the remaining subjects.

8.3 Number of certificates of Functional Skills by level

Qualification level	2016 to 2017	2017 to 2018	2018 to 2019	2019 to 2020	2020 to 2021
Entry Level	207,900	216,480	208,250	136,600	110,465
Level 1	272,670	230,270	171,455	132,505	78,230
Level 2	273,900	258,860	234,585	178,560	113,455

There was a decline in the number of certificates in Functional Skills qualifications across all levels in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. The largest decrease in the number of certificates was in Level 2 qualifications, down by 65,100.

8.4 Number of certificates of Functional Skills qualifications by awarding organisation

Awarding organisation	Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021
Pearson Education Ltd	190,995	144,205
City and Guilds of London Institute	165,770	104,185
NCFE	36,585	25,500
AQA Education	15,785	8,510
NOCN	5,970	5,500
Highfield Qualifications	6,370	3,850
Skillsfirst Awards Ltd	6,825	3,825
OCR	14,620	3,220
Open Awards	1,425	2,645
SFJ Awards	1,200	330
Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited	1,870	280
Future (Awards and Qualifications) Ltd	135	105
Gateway Qualifications Limited	120	0
Total	447,670	302,150

Awarding organisation	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
Pearson Education Ltd	-24.5%
City and Guilds of London Institute	-37.2%
NCFE	-30.3%
AQA Education	-46.1%
NOCN	-7.9%
Highfield Qualifications	-39.6%
Skillsfirst Awards Ltd	-43.9%
OCR	-78.0%
Open Awards	85.5%
SFJ Awards	-72.3%
Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited	-84.9%
Future (Awards and Qualifications) Ltd	-23.1%
Gateway Qualifications Limited	-100.0%
Total	-32.5%

There were 12 awarding organisation issuing certificates in Functional Skills qualifications in the 2020 to 2021 academic year, down from 13 in the previous year.

Most awarding organisations awarded fewer certificates in Functional Skills qualifications in comparison to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. Only Open Awards saw an increase in the number of certificates awarded (up by 1,200) in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year.

City and Guilds of London Institute, Pearson Education Ltd and OCR saw the largest decrease in the number of certificates awarded for Functional Skill qualifications (down by 61,600, 46,800 and 11,400 respectively).

Gateway Qualifications Limited issued no certificates for Functional Skills qualifications this year.

9. 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. The certification data for delivery of regulated qualifications outside the UK was collected for the second time in the 2020 to 2021 academic year.

9.1 Number of certificates of regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK

Year	Number of certificates
2019 to 2020	4,885,670
2020 to 2021	5,775,140

In total 5.8 million certificates were awarded for 2,600 different regulated qualifications to students outside the UK over the 2020 to 2021 academic year, up by 18% compared to the previous year.

9.2 Number of certificates of regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK by type

Qualification type	Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021	Share of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Share of certificates in 2020 to 2021
English for Speakers of Other Languages	3,201,570	4,010,380	65.5%	69.4%
Other General Qualification	1,171,205	1,079,285	24.0%	18.7%
Performing Arts Graded Examination	279,085	392,600	5.7%	6.8%
Vocationally-Related Qualification	148,570	200,885	3.0%	3.5%
GCSE (9 to 1)	33,795	36,260	0.7%	0.6%
Other qualifications	51,440	55,725	1.1%	1.0%
Total	4,885,670	5,775,140	100.0%	100.0%

Qualification type	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
English for Speakers of Other Languages	25.3%
Other General Qualification	-7.8%
Performing Arts Graded Examination	40.7%
Vocationally-Related Qualification	35.2%
GCSE (9 to 1)	7.3%
Other qualifications	8.3%
Total	18.2%

The top 5 highest volume qualification types accounted for 99.0% of all certificates issued outside the UK. English for Speakers of Other Languages had the highest number of certificates issued, followed by Other General Qualification and Performing Arts Graded Examination.

Only Other General Qualification saw a decrease (down by 91,900) in the number of certificates awarded outside the UK in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the previous year. The largest increase in the number of certificates awarded outside the UK was among English for Speakers of Other Languages regulated qualifications, up by 808,800.

9.3 Number of certificates of regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK by level

Qualification level	Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021	Share of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Share of certificates in 2020 to 2021
Entry Level	824,190	916,990	16.9%	15.9%
Level 1	1,665,620	2,138,115	34.1%	37.0%
Level 1/Level 2	209,930	152,315	4.3%	2.6%
Level 2	943,430	1,243,995	19.3%	21.5%
Level 3	1,185,435	1,246,575	24.3%	21.6%
Level 4 to 8	57,065	77,145	1.2%	1.3%
Total	4,885,670	5,775,140	100.0%	100.0%

Qualification level	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
Entry Level	11.3%
Level 1	28.4%
Level 1/Level 2	-27.4%
Level 2	31.9%
Level 3	5.2%
Level 4 to 8	35.2%
Total	18.2%

Level 1 regulated qualifications had the highest number of certificates issued outside the UK in the 2020 to 2021 academic year, accounting for 37.0% of the non-UK total.

Only Level 1/Level 2 regulated qualifications saw a decline (down by 57,600) in the number of certificates issued outside the UK in the 2020 to 2021 academic year compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. The highest rise in the number of non-UK certificates was among Level 1 regulated qualifications, up by 472,500, compared to the 2019 to 2020 academic year. The Level 4 to 8 regulated qualifications saw the highest proportional increase in the number of certificates issued outside the UK, up by 35.2%, compared to the previous year.

9.4 Awarding organisations with the highest number of certificates of regulated qualifications awarded outside the UK

Awarding organisation	Number of certificates in 2019 to 2020	Number of certificates in 2020 to 2021
Cambridge Assessment English	2,674,620	3,364,140
International Baccalaureate Organisation	1,069,895	1,076,275
Pearson Education Ltd	435,935	434,330
Trinity College London	137,635	175,025
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music	101,660	174,260
Royal Academy of Dance	38,510	76,685
WSET Awards	52,105	68,150
LanguageCert	21,075	61,970
Learning Resource Network	11,795	56,035
NOCN	6,095	26,135
RSL Awards Ltd	17,480	24,975
VTCT	13,345	24,465
City and Guilds of London Institute	21,615	22,115
English Speaking Board (International) Ltd	44,010	21,980
AQA Education	19,395	21,215
Qualifi Ltd	5,330	16,695
Highfield Qualifications	13,570	13,770
University of West London	8,035	13,595
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants	7,545	10,025
AIM Qualifications	11,945	8,085
Other organisations	174,060	85,215
Total	4,885,670	5,775,140

Awarding organisation	Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
Cambridge Assessment English	25.8%
International Baccalaureate Organisation	0.6%
Pearson Education Ltd	-0.4%
Trinity College London	27.2%
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music	71.4%
Royal Academy of Dance	99.1%
WSET Awards	30.8%
LanguageCert	194.0%
Learning Resource Network	375.1%
NOCN	328.7%
RSL Awards Ltd	42.9%
VTCT	83.3%
City and Guilds of London Institute	2.3%
English Speaking Board (International) Ltd	-50.1%
AQA Education	9.4%
Qualifi Ltd	213.1%
Highfield Qualifications	1.4%
University of West London	69.2%
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants	32.9%
AIM Qualifications	-32.3%
Other organisations	-51.0%
Total	18.2%

The 20 awarding organisations that reported the highest volume of non-UK certificates of regulated qualifications in the 2020 to 2021 academic year awarded 98.5% of all regulated qualifications certificates issued outside the UK. NOCN and Qualifi Ltd are new to the top 20 this year.

Cambridge Assessment English has had the largest increase (up by 689,500) in certificates compared with the previous year, mainly due to increases in the number of certificates awarded for English for Speakers of Other Languages qualifications.

Learning Resource Network has had the largest percentage increase (up by 375.1%) in certificate numbers. The increase in the certificate numbers was also mainly due to increases in the number of certificates for English for Speakers of Other Languages qualifications.

Please note data for all awarding organisations is available in the accompanying data tables (Table 22).

10. User feedback

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Head of profession: Nadir Zanini