Vocational and other qualifications quarterly: April to June 2022
Statistics on vocational and other qualifications (excluding GCSEs, AS levels and A levels).
Applies to England
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Details
Context
In quarter 2 2022 (April to June) there were no COVID-19 restrictions in place in England. Adaptations to vocational and other qualifications continued to be permitted, in line with our regulatory arrangements (please see the background notes for more information). The trends seen in this quarter may have been affected as a result.
Main trends for quarter 2 (April to June) 2022
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The number of certificates awarded in 2022 quarter 2 was 979,370, a 1% increase from quarter 2 of 2021. The number of certificates issued between July 2021 and June 2022 (4,855,430) increased by 11% relative to the number of certificates issued between July 2020 and June 2021 (4,362,660). Despite this increase, the number of certificates issued in July 2021 to June 2022 is still below pre-pandemic levels, with 959,195 fewer certificates issued than between July 2018 and June 2019 (5,814,625).
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Most qualification types saw an increase in the number of certificates issued in quarter 2 2022 compared to quarter 2 2021. The largest increase in numbers was seen for Performing Arts Graded Examinations (from 95,400 certificates in quarter 2 2021 to 117,085 certificates in quarter 2 2022, an increase of 23%). Other General Qualifications showed the largest decrease in certificates (from 45,795 in quarter 2 2021 to 16,350 in quarter 2 2022, a decrease of 64%).
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Most qualification levels saw a decrease in the numbers of certificates issued compared to quarter 2 2021. The largest decrease in numbers was seen in Level 3 qualifications (from 279,590 certificates in quarter 2 of 2021 to 272,905 certificates in quarter 2 of 2022, a decrease of 2%). The largest increases in numbers were seen for Entry Level qualifications (from 110,585 in quarter 2 2021 to 123,965 in quarter 2 2022, an increase of 12%) and Level 1 qualifications (from 214,585 to 226,800 certificates).
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Quarter 2 of 2022 saw increases in the number of certificates awarded for most sector subject areas. Health, Public Services and Care showed the largest increase in number of certificates compared to quarter 2 of 2021 (from 265,030 certificates to 283,855 certificates, an increase of 7%). The largest decrease in the number of certificates was seen in Arts, Media and Publishing, decreasing by 12% from 147,180 in quarter 2 of 2021 to 129,885 in quarter 2 of 2022.
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The 3 qualifications with the highest number of certificates awarded in quarter 2 2022 were the QA Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (RQF), FAA’s Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work, and TCL’s Entry Level Certificate in ESOL International Speaking and Listening, respectively. These qualifications also had the highest number of certificates in quarter 2 2021.
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The awarding organisation with the highest number of certificates issued in this quarter was City and Guilds, followed by Highfield, then Pearson. In quarter 2 2022, City and Guilds and Pearson saw decreases of 3% (from 130,825 to 126,260) and 6% (from 76,360 to 71,635), respectively, in the number of certificates awarded compared to quarter 2 2021. Highfield showed an increase of 36% from 59,585 in quarter 2 2021 to 80,830 in quarter 2 2022.
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The top 3 awarding organisations in terms of certificates issued between July 2021 and June 2022 did not change in their rank order from those issued between July 2020 and June 2021. In both years, Pearson had the highest number of certificates issued, followed by City and Guilds and NCFE.
Datasets
The dataset used to produce this release is available separately.
Statistics collection
All our published vocational and other qualifications publications are available as part of the collection for vocational qualifications statistics.
User feedback
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