Ofqual - Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation

Ofqual

Information for:

Vocational dataset

All recognised awarding organisations submit data to Ofqual each quarter on the number of achievements for regulated qualifications (excluding GCSE and GCE) during the quarter. This dataset contains the raw data since 1988.

All regulated qualifications are included, regardless of age of learner, centre type (school or otherwise) and funding status of the qualification.

The following datasets are available to download:

Regulated Qualifications Activity dataset - July 1988 to present (CSV)

Regulated Qualifications Activity, five year dataset - 2007/08 to present (XLS, 14MB)

PLEASE NOTE: these datasets present figures for each individual qualification. The information about each qualification reflects the current situation. However qualifications may at times be re-categorised, for example to different types, levels, SSAC codes or awarding organisations. If you look at figures for groupings for previous quarters, the figures will change if some qualifications have been re-categorised. The data summaries published in our bulletins present a more accurate picture of previous achievements as they record data for qualifications according to the classification at the time when the qualification was awarded.

Notes about the dataset

Geographical coverage: This data covers the regulated qualifications of all recognised awarding organisations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Currently only one figure for the total number of achievements for each qualification is presented as we do not hold data at country level. We have now started collecting more comprehensive data and expect to be able to present data at country level from late 2011.

Qualification type: At the point of accreditation, regulated qualifications are allocated to one of 18 qualification types; please see the glossary below for further details. It is recognised that this is not currently an ideal classification system, as very similar qualifications may appear under different types. We are investigating how this situation might be resolved in the future.

Revisions: Once released, data on the number of achievements for any qualification are not usually subject to revision. Data may be revised in subsequent bulletins due to late-received data or if an error is identified. Qualifications may however be re-categorised to another type or level. In this case, previous data in this dataset will be amended to reflect the new categorisation.

Completeness of the data: Data is sent to Ofqual each quarter by every awarding organisation. Any awarding organisation that does not return a complete set of data within the collection period is contacted to ensure the data is as complete as possible.

Registration data: The long-term dataset also contains quarterly registration data for qualifications. However submission of registration data is not currently a standard requirement for awarding organisations, so this data is incomplete.