There are basically three types of qualifications:

• Academic Qualifications
GCSEs, AS/A Levels, International Baccalaureate, Applied A Levels, Degrees. You can use these to go up the education ladder or to get onto a vocational or occupational qualification course

• Vocational Qualifications
Like the academic qualification you can go right up the education and training ladder with these. They teach you about a particular sector of the working world, e.g. construction or business, for example BTECs in Health and Social Care.

• Occupational Qualifications
Like the academic qualification you can go right up the education and training ladder with these. They teach you the skills linked to specific jobs like Accountancy, for example the AAT range of qualifications.

What you can do with your school qualifications:

Several further education colleges and providers offer entry level courses for young people without formal qualifications. Talk to your Connexions adviser about your options. Some further education colleges also offer a one year very limited GCSE programme if you want to have another go at them somewhere new.

• GCSE Grades D-G You can go on to level 2 vocational qualifications, e.g. a BTEC First Diploma or similar or an Apprenticeship (where you work and learn).

• GCSEs grades A* - C
You can go on to AS/A levels, BTEC Nationals, other level 3 vocational or occupational qualifications or an Advanced Apprenticeship.

• Diplomas
These are new and only being run in a limited number of schools this year. They will offer the same pathways into further and higher education as GCSE/A levels and will eventually be offered in all schools.

• GCE AS/A Levels
You can go on to higher education qualifications of all types

• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB)
This is internationally recognised for entry on to higher education qualification courses and offered in a growing number of schools.

• BTEC Nationals and other level 3 vocational and occupation qualifications
You can use these to go on to higher education or to gain the professional level occupational qualifications which are the equivalent of academic higher education qualifications

Higher Education Qualifications

There are lots of different Level 4 qualifications; they include HNDs, Higher National Diplomas, Foundation Degrees, Degrees and Honours Degrees - you really are spoilt for choice.

Although traditionally GCSEs and A Levels were the way into higher education, more and more places are more concerned with the number of points you have for your level 3 qualification rather than the type.

Some courses will accept an Advanced Apprenticeship as entry to a Degree in the same subject e.g. Business Studies and you could use a BTEC National Diploma for entry to a Higher National Diploma or Foundation Degree.

Every higher education provider decides their own entry rules so have a good look at their prospectus or use Move Up to click through and look at their website.

Over 19 without any formal qualifications?

You can catch up through part time vocational courses or, if you are in a hurry to get into higher education, some further education colleges offer one year Access to Higher Education courses which give you practice in essay writing, study and research, keys skills in maths, information and communication technology etc to equip you for higher level study.

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