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.

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.

Number of awarding organisations offering regulated qualifications from 2016 to 2017 to 2020 to 2021
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

Number of available qualifications from 2016 to 2017 to 2020 to 2021
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
Percentage change in the number of qualifications with certifications by qualification type between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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

Number of certificates awarded from 2016 to 2017 to 2020 to 2021
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%
Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by qualification type etween 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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
Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by awarding organisation between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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

GCSE market share of awarding organisation
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

Number of certificates awarded in the 10 most popular GCSE subjects in 2019 to 2020 and 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

AS market share of awarding organisation
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

Number of certificates awarded in the 10 most popular AS subjects in 2019 to 2020 and 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

A level market share of awarding organisation
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

Number of certificates awarded in the 10 most popular A level subjects in 2019 to 2020 and 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%
Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by sector subject area between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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.

Number of certificates in vocational and other qualifications by level from 2016 to 2017 to 2020 to 2021
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
Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by awarding organisation between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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
Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by sector subject area between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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

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.

Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by awarding organisation between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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

Number of certificates in functional skills qualifications from 2016 to 2017 to 2020 to 2021
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

Number of certificates in functional skills qualifications by subject from 2016 to 2017 to 2020 to 2021
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

Number of certificates in functional skills qualifications by level from 2016 to 2017 to 2020 to 2021
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
Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by awarding organisation between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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%
Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by qualification type between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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%
Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by qualification level between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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
Percentage change in the number of certificates awarded by awarding organisation between 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021
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

We welcome your feedback on our publications. Should you have any comments on this statistical release and how to improve it to meet your needs please contact us at data.analytics@ofqual.gov.uk.

Head of profession: Nadir Zanini