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Qualifications - general information
Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Language qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are offered by several different awarding bodies and vary in size, scope and level. This means there is considerable flexibility over how individuals can have their skills recognised.
Some qualifications focus on single skills (eg speaking) or a specific combination of skills (eg reading and writing); others cover all four language skills. Some are 'general' or academic qualifications and cover general topics such as travel, shopping, hobbies and so on, others are particularly suitable for those learning languages for work. Some qualifications are assessed by external exams at the end of the course, some by external exams at different times during the course and others are assignments set and assessed internally.
Below you will find a list of all of the most common qualifications used for the 14 to 19 age-group together with detailed FAQs for each one. It is important to understand how the levels of the National Qualifications Framework correspond with the Languages Ladder and the Common European Framework, so refer to the mapping table whenever you are looking at different qualification types.
The section on alternative accreditations gives further information on some of the alternative routes to language learning.
Entry level
Entry Level general language qualifications are for beginners or for those who are not yet working at GCSE standard. Take a look at some of the most common entry level qualifications.
Level 1
Level 1 general language qualifications can offer progression from Entry Level Qualifications or can be an alternative to GCSE for candidates aiming at Level 1. Take a look at some of the most common Level 1 qualifications.
Level 1/2
GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) is the language qualification most commonly delivered for pupils aged 14-16. GCSE is graded from A* to G, so learners may achieve either a Level 1 or Level 2 qualification. Take a look at details of GCSEs offered by a variety of awarding bodies.
Level 2
Level 2 general language qualifications offer a progression route from Level 1 qualifications or an alternative point of entry for more able learners. Take a look at some of the most common level 2 qualifications for 14-plus in addition to GCSEs.
Level 3
Level 3 general language qualifications offer a progression route from Level 2 qualifications and, for the post-16 age group consist mainly of Advanced Supplementary (AS) and Advanced Level (A2). Take a look at details of AS and A2 courses offered by a number of awarding bodies plus other Level 3 qualifications.
Qualifications at several levels
Foreign Languages at Work (FLAW)
Spreadsheet of post-14 qualifications
For a spreadsheet of all qualifications for post 14 learners including the number of points awarded:
Post-14 qualifications (xl 2.4 MB)
This spreadsheet can be edited. To perform a keyword search use the Find function (on the menu bar, click on Edit and then Find from the drop-down menu OR press Ctrl + F). To speed up download time you may wish to save the spreadsheet onto your computer before opening it.
NB Every effort is made to ensure that the information on the qualifications spreadsheet is up-to-date, but before deciding on a qualification, it is important to look at the latest Section 96 (for pre-16 and 16 to 18) or Section 97 (for 19 and over) listings.
Other sources of information
Alternatively, consult the National database of accredited qualifications, which is searchable by subject and keyword.
CILT's qualifications web pages list contact details for the awarding bodies.
For background information about types of language qualification and the National Qualifications Framework, go to QCA's languages web pages.
Find out about CILT's work in setting National Occupational Standards for languages.
Qualifications in Scotland
Details of language qualifications available in Scotland are available from the Scottish Qualifications Authority.
MFL Requirements for Higher Education
For non-language degrees, there is no blanket requirement by universities for applicants to have a language qualification, nor is there expected to be.
In December 2006 the Academic Committee at University College London voted in favour of introducing a requirement for all applicants to include a GCSE in MFL or its equivalent. However, this has not as yet been implemented and the planned implementation date is set for 2012. Please see the following articles for further information:
• "Some HE views on Dearing" (pdf, 174KB) in CILT's Higher Education Bulletin
• Guardian
Some individual courses, such as History at the University of Warwick require a good MFL GCSE (or equivalent).
At the University of Edinburgh, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences does require a language GCSE or SG grade C/3 or better, but the other colleges don’t. Read more here.
However, it is difficult to keep track of such course requirements as they can change quite frequently.
Free Languages Work resources are available to encourage uptake of MFL at KS4. These can be ordered through the CILT online shop.
