Vocational qualifications are work-related qualifications available in most career areas. Known as National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) in England and Wales and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in Scotland, they measure your work performance, not through exams but by you demonstrating your ability to do the job while being observed by an assessor. Made up of units covering different parts of a specific job, they are flexible enough to allow you to use some units gained for one job to count towards qualifying for another if you decide to change careers. NVQs and SVQs are available in five levels, beginning with Level 1. Entry to higher education is possible with a vocational qualification at Level 3.
