The National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) were practical work-based awards in England that were achieved through assessment and training. The regulatory framework supporting NVQs was withdrawn in 2015 and replaced with the Regulated Qualifications Framework. Work based qualifications were classified and defined on the basis of the NVQ level, but other school, college and university examination based qualifications can also be assigned to an NVQ category so as a result NVQs are often used to classify the highest educational attainment.
Broadly speaking, NVQ1 relates to GCSEs at grades 3-1 or grades D-G, NVQ2 relates to GCSEs at grades 9-4 or A*, A, B or C and O levels at grades A-C, NVQ3 relates to A levels, higher education diplomas, AS levels and T level qualifications, and NVQ4 or higher relates to diplomas of higher education, foundation degrees, higher national diplomas, degree apprenticeships, degrees with honours, masters degrees, postgraduate certificates and diplomas, and doctorates.
Further information on different levels of educational attainment can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
The different levels of educational attainment are as follows:
Entry level
- Entry level awards, certificates and diplomas
- Skills for Life
Level 1
- First certificate
- GCSE grades 3-1 or grades D-G
- NVQ level 1 qualifications
- Music grades 1-3
Level 2
- CSE grade 1
- GCSE grades 9-4 or grades A*, A, B or C
- Intermediate apprenticeship
- NVQ level 2 qualifications
- Music grades 4-5
- O levels grades A-C
Level 3
- A level
- Access to higher education diploma
- Advanced apprenticeship
- Applied general
- AS level
- International Baccalaureate diploma
- NVQ level 3 qualifications
- Music grades 6-8
- T level
- Tech level
Level 4
- Certificate of higher education
- Higher apprenticeship
- Higher national certificate (HNC)
- NVQ level 4 qualifications
Level 5
- Diploma of higher education
- Foundation degree
- Higher national diploma (HND)
- NVQ level 5 qualifications
Level 6
- Degree apprenticeship
- Degree with honours
- Graduate certificate
- Graduate diploma
- NVQ level 6 qualifications
- Ordinary degree without honours
Level 7
- Integrated master’s degree
- NVQ level 7 qualifications
- Master’s degree
- Postgraduate certificate
- Postgraduate certificate in education
- Postgraduate diploma
Level 8
- Doctorate
- NVQ level 8 qualifications
2021 Census
All individuals who were 16 years and older were asked in the 2021 Census were asked about apprenticeship and qualifications and asked to record any qualifications they had ever achieved in England, Wales or worldwide, including equivalents, and they were told to record qualifications even if they were not using them now.
They were asked if they had ever completed an apprenticeship (with responses yes and no), if they had achieved a qualification at degree level or above (with responses yes and no), and if they had received any other qualification (and asked to tick all that applied with the following 10 response options given):
GCSEs or equivalent
- 5 or more GCSEs (A*-C, 9-4), O levels (passes) or CSEs (grade 1)
- Any other GCSEs, O levels or CSEs (any grades) or Basic Skills course
AS, A level or equivalent
- 2 or more A levels, 4 or more AS levels
- 1 A level, 2-3 AS levels
- 1 AS level
NVQ or equivalent
- NVQ level 3, BTEC National, OND or ONC, City and Guilds Advanced Craft
- NVQ level 2, BTEC General, City and Guilds Craft
- NVQ level 1
Or other or no qualifications
- Any other qualifications, equivalent unknown
- No qualifications
Output from the Census was given in relation to the numbers and percentages of residents that had no qualifications, level 1, level 2, apprenticeship, level 3, level 4 or more, and other qualifications.