The future of post-16 level 3 vocational qualifications in England

The reforms will affect level 3 qualifications taken by 16–19-year-olds, and 19+ year-olds funded under the Adult Education Budget, the European Social Fund (ESF) or accessing Advanced Learner Loans, on level 3 qualifications.

• Young people will choose either an ‘academic’ pathway or a ‘technical’ pathway.

• For adults, the same academic qualifications offer will be available as for 16–19-year-olds, but the DfE recognise that a greater choice of technical qualifications will be needed.

The reforms take place in phases:

• In 2024/25 and 2025/26 qualifications will no longer be eligible for funding if they overlap with T Levels.
• Alongside this, all level 3 qualifications will be redeveloped in two cycles in 1) 2025/26, and 2) 2026/27 & 2027/28. Qualifications that are not redeveloped in line with new DfE criteria will no longer be eligible for funding.
• New qualifications will be approved for funding for 3 years rather than the current 12 months.
• It is important to note that the DfE have prescribed the size of new qualifications, and the subjects and sectors in which they can be developed.

See ‘What is the reform timetable?’ below, and View or download your Quick guide to the future of post-16 level 3 vocational qualifications in England which provides an illustration of the landscape and a timeline of the reforms.

Download the guide

A levels will form the core of the academic offer at level 3. However, a limited range of other qualifications will also be available. In addition to A levels, the DfE plan to approve reformed academic qualifications to be taken instead of or alongside A levels, known as Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs).

These will be ‘small’ or ‘large’, and the subjects or sectors in which they can be developed have been determined by the DfE.

• Small alternative academic qualifications (AAQs) up to the size of an A level (between 150 and 420 glh). The DfE will only fund these qualifications in subjects that are:

- strategically important (such as STEM and those supporting the NHS)

- less well-served by A levels (including some subjects where there are A levels).

• Large alternative academic qualifications (AAQs) the size of 2 or 3 A levels (between 720 and 1080 glh). The DfE will only fund qualifications in subjects where:

- there are no T Levels

- there is a need for a large qualification enabling entry to more specialist areas of higher education

- there is a clear and direct progression link into higher education.

T Levels will form the core of the technical offer at level 3. However, a limited range of other qualifications will also be available for 16-19s and adults, or adults only.

• Technical additional specialist: small qualifications that allow a student to develop additional knowledge and competencies and specialise within a sector. These qualifications will build on knowledge covered by a T Level or other occupational entry qualification, e.g., low-carbon construction design, building on the Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T Level.

• Technical cross-cutting function: small qualifications that allow students to develop skills that are relevant across occupations.

• Technical occupational entry and technical occupational progression: large qualifications that aim to support a student to enter into, or to progress within a role. These qualifications will only be funded at 16-19 where they do not overlap with a T Level.

A broader range of technical qualifications will also be available for adults only:

• Technical occupational-entry qualifications in T Level areas: these qualifications will support entry to occupations that are served by T Levels for example, construction (as well as occupations that are not served by T Levels).

• Technical employer proposed qualifications: occupational entry qualifications where no standard currently exists for the aligned occupation, but where it may not be appropriate for an occupational standard to be developed.

• Technical additional specialist qualifications more appropriate for adults: these would include qualifications which may only be suitable for adults (such as those that are essential to certain safety critical industries).

• T Levels for adults: In September 2022, DfE commenced a two-year pilot to explore whether T Levels should be made available to adults. The findings will inform ministers' decision whether to offer T Levels to adults from September 2025 and would be subject to HM Treasury agreement.

The reforms will be implemented in a phased way, from 2024/25 through to 2027/28.

• Qualifications will be removed for funding where they overlap with T Levels in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
• New qualifications will be developed in two Cycles: in 1) 2025/26 and in 2) 2027/28.
• Funding eligibility will be removed for existing qualifications where they have not been redeveloped in line with new criteria.

For a detailed view download your Quick guide to the future of post-16 level 3 vocational qualifications in England which provided an illustration of the landscape and a timeline of the reforms.

Download the guide

Please be reassured that you can continue to teach your BTECs with confidence in 2022/23 and 2023/24. Very few qualifications will be affected in 2024/25.

We will update you as we know more about the removal of funding for qualifications, and new qualifications in development. Please also see the Quick guide to the reform of post-16 level 3 vocational qualifications in England which provides an illustration of the landscape and a timeline of the reforms, and the section further down the page, ‘Where can I find further information?’ for more details.

Download the guide

Removal of funding in 2024/25

In 2024/25: the following BTEC qualifications that overlap with T Levels in Waves 1 and 2 will no longer be eligible for funding.

Notes:

Funding will, be removed for 16-19 stand-alone learners only. Funding will not be removed for adult learners, or for 16-19 and adult learners taking these qualifications as part of an apprenticeship.

We do not yet know if funding for the Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Health and Social Care (601/7194/7) will also be removed in 2024/25. We are expecting the decision from the DfE imminently and will update this page as soon as we know more.

• 50091499 Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in IT (QCF)
• 50091505 Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in IT (QCF)
• 50112089 Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Diploma in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools
• 50112910 Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Professional Competence for IT and Telecoms Professionals
• 50114359 Pearson BTEC Level 3 Diploma in ICT Systems and Principles
• 50114360 Pearson BTEC Level 3 Certificate in ICT Systems and Principles
• 60125007 Pearson Edexcel Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Construction Contracting Operations
• 60129633 Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Diploma in Children's Learning and Development (Early Years Educator)
• 60173373 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Business Information Systems
• 60173385 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Computer Science
• 60173397 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Computer Systems and Network Support
• 60173403 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Computing for Creative Industries
• 60175709 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma in Children's Play, Learning and Development
• 60175710 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Children's Play, Learning and Development (Early Years Educator)
• 60175722 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Children's Play, Learning and Development (Early Years Educator)
• 60175862 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Computer Engineering
• 60308618 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment
• 60308643 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment
• 60312166 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Civil Engineering
• 60312178 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Civil Engineering
• 60312191 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Building Services Engineering
• 60335725 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Children's Play, Learning and Development
• 60335737 Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Children's Play, Learning and Development
• 60338209 Pearson BTEC Level 3 Award in Networking and Architecture
• 6030862X Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Construction and the Built Environment
• 6031218X Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Building Services Engineering

New qualifications in 2025/26

Academic
We are planning to submit new small Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs) to DfE, to be available for first teach in 2025/26, in line with the DfE timeline for reforms above.

• Applied Science
• Health and Social Care
• Applied Human Biology
• Information Technology
• Computing
• CPLD
• Construction
• Applied Psychology
• Sustainability
• Engineering

We will share as soon as possible the list of technical qualifications we are planning to submit to IfATE, to be available for first teach in 2025/26, in line with the DfE timeline for reforms above.

Funding guides for BTEC Level 3 qualifications

These guides offer a comprehensive picture of funding in the academic years 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25. We will update these to include 2025/26 funding as soon as possible.

• BTEC Level 3 Funding Guide for England | Nationals (PDF 357.42 KB)
• BTEC Level 3 Funding Guide for England | Other qualifications (PDF 193.24 KB)

• These pages will be updated with further details as soon as we have them. Do bookmark this page to keep up to date with developments.
  
  
• View or download your Quick guide to the future of post-16 level 3 vocational qualifications in England which provides an illustration of the landscape and a timeline of the reforms.

Download the guide

• Join us at one of the events we are running to explain the reforms. The ‘Post-16 Level 3 Reform – What does it mean for BTEC?’ events will provide you with the latest information on developments around the reforms at Level 3. Some are sector specific and will provide an opportunity to get your views and insight to help us shape our qualification(s) and support offer in ways that best meet you and your learners’ needs. Others will not be linked to a sector and will explain the reforms as a whole.

Book now using the links below (England only):

Further training events in 2023, and in 2024, to be confirmed.

Over the coming months we will provide you with all the support you need to make any changes necessary to your curriculum in the future as the result of these reforms.

If you have any questions about the reforms and how this will impact the qualifications you deliver do get in touch.

• If you are a college or a work-based learning provider, please contact us at FEandWBLcentresupport@pearson.com

• If you are a school please contact us to ask a question or book a meeting using the lnk below:

>Talk to us

or email us at vqmanchester@pearson.com

The reforms do not affect Wales and Northern Ireland. However, any changes we make to BTECs in England may affect the qualifications you offer in Wales and Northern Ireland. See our funding guides for BTEC Level 3 qualifications in Wales and Northern Ireland which offer a comprehensive picture of funding in the academic years 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25. 

We will update these to include 2025/26 funding as soon as possible.

>BTEC Level 3 Funding Guide for Wales | Nationals (PDF|336.11 KB)

>BTEC Level 3 Funding Guide for Wales | Other qualifications (PDF|167.28 KB)

>BTEC Level 3 Funding Guide for Northern Ireland | Nationals (PDF|334.37 KB)

>BTEC Level 3 Funding Guide for Northern Ireland | Other qualifications (PDF|167.70 KB)