Qualification Price Statistics: 2024
Ofqual's analysis of the changes in pricing of regulated qualifications in England between February 2022 and February 2024.
Applies to England
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Details
Ofqual produces the annual Qualification Price Statistics (QPS) report as part of its work in ensuring that qualification prices represent value for money. The QPS supports qualification purchasers – typically schools, colleges and training providers – in being able to make informed decisions about the prices of their qualifications relative to similar qualifications in the market.
Key findings
In February 2024, the average price of a GQ (GCSEs, AS and A levels) was £60.66 and the average price of a VTQ was £69.39.
Average qualification price rises were generally above consumer price inflation (3.8%) in the year 2023 to 2024. However, price rises were notably below inflation in 2022 to 2023, meaning that they were broadly in-line with or below inflation when considered over a 2-year horizon. This suggests that qualification price movements lagged broader inflation indicators.
The finding that cumulative price inflation over the past 2 years has been broadly in-line with inflation suggests that qualifications likely represent similar value for money to 2 years ago. In this context, it is worth noting that Ofqual’s perception survey found that public opinion on the value for money of GCSEs, A Levels and Applied Generals has increased slightly.
GQ prices rose by 6.4% between February 2023 and February 2024.
VTQ prices rose by 5.5% between February 2023 and February 2024.