AQA to develop and award new V Levels, Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates

AQA has set out its plans to develop and award new V Levels and Level 2 Certificates, supporting the next phase of post-16 education reform.

V Levels will be introduced in four tranches starting in September 2027 – the first tranche will have three subjects: Education, Accounting & Finance and Digital Systems & Data. They will sit alongside A-levels and T Levels and will be designed to give learners greater flexibility to combine academic and vocational study, helping them make informed choices about their future pathways, including progression to higher technical training, higher education, or apprenticeships.

Alongside V Levels, the Government has confirmed the introduction of new Level 2 qualifications. Foundation Certificates will prepare learners for Level 3 study, and Occupational Certificates will focus on supporting progression into employment in a relevant occupation. Like V levels, rollout will begin in 2027, starting with Digital Systems & Data, Education & Early Years and Catering & Hospitality.

These reforms represent a significant shift in vocational education, which will start reshaping opportunities for learners and providers from 2027 onwards. As an education charity, AQA intends to widen the scope of its vocational qualifications offer so that many more learners can benefit from the quality, experience and credibility that an AQA qualification brings. We will draw on expertise from TQUK, part of the wider AQA Group, to bring in their strong vocational experience and close engagement with colleges.

Colin Hughes, CEO of AQA Group, said:

“We are hugely excited by the opportunity to support the delivery of these vocational reforms. The changes over the coming years will not be easy, but the outcomes are profoundly important: a set of qualifications and pathways that engage and support young people who have not always been well-served by the system up to now. We need better to prepare the next generation for their future, in life and work.

“These qualifications will draw on the best of AQA Group – the assessment expertise and resources of AQA and the dynamic and responsive vocational knowledge of TQUK. AQA’s commitment to quality is absolute: we want our V Levels and Level 2 Certificates to be the best available, and we invite colleges, other providers and employers to work with us to help make sure that we collectively seize the great opportunity ahead.”

Learn more about our plans by visiting the V Levels, Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates webpage.