NVQ

NVQ stands for National Vocational Qualification. It is a United Kingdom work-based qualification designed to recognise a person’s competence to perform job tasks to defined standards. Introduced during the 1990s as part of reform of vocational qualifications, NVQs are built around real work activities and are awarded only after evidence of competence across defined units and levels.

Structure and assessment: An NVQ is structured into levels 1–5 (and in some cases Level 6 at higher managerial levels). Each level comprises units describing the outcomes and performance criteria for a particular occupation. Candidates provide workplace evidence—such as completed work products, records of tasks performed, witness statements, and professional discussions—that demonstrates ability to carry out tasks to the required standard. Assessors observe performance and decide whether the candidate meets the standard for each unit; the overall NVQ is awarded when all required units are passed.

Delivery and scope: NVQs are aimed at employed and unemployed learners and are commonly used in apprenticeships, on-job training, and career development. They are occupation- and sector-specific and align with national occupational standards set by sector skills councils. They have been delivered by various awarding bodies, including City & Guilds and Edexcel, among others. NVQs were originally part of the National Qualifications Framework in England and Wales, later integrated into the Qualifications and Credit Framework and then the Regulated Qualifications Framework; in Scotland, the analogous system is the Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ).

Status: Although the NVQ brand has largely been superseded by newer frameworks, the underlying standards continue to influence recognition of work-based competence and many NVQ-style qualifications remain available under current frameworks.