Policy paper

Ofqual’s action plan for the prevention of qualification fraud

Published 18 November 2024

Applies to England

Qualifications do not just have a purchase price, they have an associated value – they are a passport to employment, relocation or further education. Everyone should be able to trust that a certificate proves that the holder has undertaken specific training and demonstrated the appropriate level of competence. Employers want to trust that people are properly and legitimately qualified to do their job. 

Sometimes people try to get a certificate without doing the work to demonstrate they have necessary skills and knowledge. Organisations sometimes profit by helping people to cheat. Falsifying qualification certificates can also be a gateway to facilitate wider criminal activity.  

Ofqual regulates the qualifications, examinations and assessments of over 200 awarding organisations (AOs) in England. We set rules about how they should safely design, deliver and award qualifications. This includes rules about how they should prevent, detect and deal with malpractice and qualification fraud.

Ofqual’s plan for the prevention of qualification fraud 

We are setting out a package of measures that we consider necessary to strengthen steps to find, tackle and prevent qualification fraud.  

Ofqual will:  

1) work with other industry licensing organisations, sector regulators and government agencies to tackle qualification fraud and, where necessary, work with appropriate enforcement agencies to deal with associated criminal activity 

2) issue a Fraud Prevention Advice Note to AOs so that they can better address the risk of fraud in accordance with their conditions of recognition 

3) explore methods for intelligence sharing and collaborative use of data between awarding organisations  

4) help people spot qualification fraud and deter fraud from happening by making clear the consequences 

5) make it easier to report suspicious activity and concerns

1. Work with other sector regulators and agencies to jointly tackle qualification fraud

Ofqual has been working with the Security Industry Authority (SIA), Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) to tackle qualification fraud in the security and construction sectors. We are formalising our arrangements for information and data sharing so that we have a richer picture of the scale and likelihood of issues. Ofqual is also looking across government to identify other sectors with regulated qualifications that are at increased risk of qualification fraud.

2. Fraud Prevention Advice Note

We have issued a Fraud Prevention Advice Note to awarding organisations that sets out steps they could take to develop a more strategic and comprehensive approach for fraud prevention for certain qualifications.  

Ofqual requires awarding organisations to take all reasonable steps to: 

• identify the risk of fraud and malpractice  

• prevent the occurrence of fraud and malpractice  

• investigate and establish whether malpractice has occurred  

• mitigate any adverse effects where fraud or malpractice has occurred

We require awarding organisations to keep their approach under review and update it as necessary so that they can respond to emerging risks and prevent any future malpractice or qualification fraud. Ofqual’s Advice Note builds on these requirements and promotes a holistic and agile approach to tackling qualification fraud.  

The Advice Note covers how awarding organisations could: 

• design out opportunities for qualification fraud where possible 

• introduce tighter controls for how assessments are delivered 

• proactively detect and swiftly act on fraudulent activity  

• keep their approach under review and adapt to changing circumstances 

• provide evidence of their approach upon request  

We will issue this Advice Note to awarding organisations offering qualifications that are mandatory for the workplace (for example, door supervisor or in construction) or that are used to demonstrate a certain level of English Language proficiency.

3. Explore methods for intelligence sharing and collaborative use of data between awarding organisations 

Where an awarding organisation confirms that malpractice or qualification fraud has occurred at a training provider, Ofqual requires awarding organisations to notify other awarding organisations which might be affected.  

Ofqual has worked with awarding organisations to develop a structured format for this requirement. We will now explore the ways in which these notifications and related data might be shared more easily.

4. Help people spot qualification fraud and deter fraud from happening by making clear the consequences

We will improve awareness of fraud – where risks exist, how to prevent it and the consequences of committing  fraud with relevant sectors, employers, awarding organisations and the public. Qualification fraud is one of the most serious forms of malpractice.

Qualification fraud can also be linked to other forms of illegal activity such as: 

• modern slavery 
• bribery and corruption 
• illegal immigration 

There can be very serious consequences for organisations that are complicit in qualification fraud or do not do enough to prevent, detect and act on it. 

Ofqual will ensure awarding organisations understand the implications of permitting or failing to prevent qualification fraud. We will also explore all avenues to tackle organisations committing qualification fraud. This includes working with government agencies to assess whether existing legislation can be used to prosecute organisations committing this type of fraud.

5. Make it easier to report suspicious activity and concerns

Learners, employers, those work in training centres or awarding organisations may become aware of or suspect instances of qualification fraud.

It can be difficult to know who to report concerns to and staff or members of the public are often worried about reporting suspicious activity. However, public reporting is a powerful tool in preventing and detecting malpractice and qualification fraud. 

Therefore, we are working with other government agencies to:

• highlight possible indicators of fraud or malpractice 
• clearly signpost to whom concerns should be reported 
• support whistleblowers to come forward 
• make it easier for anyone to report concerns. 

Taken together, these actions are an important step in the prevention and detection of fraud.