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Check a qualification number

A regulated qualification has a number on the Ofqual register. No number means no regulation, and what you are buying is a certificate of completion rather than a qualification. Paste a number below.

What this checks, and what it does not

It checks the number is shaped like a real one, and it tells you definitively whether it is a qualification this school delivers, because that is read from our own records.

It does not tell you whether somebody else's qualification is live, withdrawn or real. Ofqual publishes no interface that would let us answer that reliably, and a tool that guessed at it would be worse than no tool. The register is the authority, and every result above links straight into it.

Why the number matters

Anyone may print a certificate. A regulated qualification is different: an awarding organisation is accountable for it, Ofqual regulates that organisation, and the qualification sits on a public register at a level that means the same thing everywhere.

That applies to us as much as to anyone. Every qualification on this site carries its number, and you are welcome to check ours before you believe a word of it.

Common questions

What is an Ofqual qualification number?

It is the reference a regulated qualification carries on the Ofqual register, written as three digits, four digits and a final character, for example 603/7619/3. It is often called a QAN, short for Qualification Accreditation Number, or an RQF number. If a course has no such number, it is not a regulated qualification.

Is a qualification number the same as my learner number?

No. A qualification number identifies the qualification and is the same for everyone who takes it. A Unique Learner Number, or ULN, is a ten digit number that identifies you, and follows you between centres. You do not need a ULN to enrol with us.

What does it mean if a number is not on the register?

That the qualification is not regulated by Ofqual. It may still be worth studying, but it is a certificate of completion issued by whoever sold it rather than a qualification an employer or a university can look up. Ask the provider for the number before you pay, and check it yourself.

Can you tell me whether somebody else's qualification is genuine?

Not reliably, and this page will not pretend otherwise. Ofqual publishes no interface that would let us confirm a third party number, so this tool checks the shape of the number, tells you definitively whether it is one of ours, and links you into the register, which is the only authority that matters.

What do the parts of the number mean?

The first three digits identify the awarding organisation, the middle four identify the qualification, and the last character is a check character. Two qualifications from the same awarding organisation therefore share their first three digits, which is why many of ours begin 603 or 601.

Which qualifications does this school hold numbers for?

All of them, and each course page shows its number. They include the Level 3 Award in Education and Training, the CACHE Level 3 Award in Supporting Teaching and Learning, the Level 3 Diploma for Business Administrators and the Level 3 Diploma in Skills for Business: Human Resources, alongside qualifications in data, cyber security, coding, cloud, UX and UI design and Functional Skills. The catalogue lists every one, and says which are open for enrolment.

What is an RQF level, and how do the levels compare?

The Regulated Qualifications Framework places every regulated qualification at a level so that qualifications from different awarding organisations can be compared. Level 2 sits alongside GCSE grades 9 to 4, Level 3 alongside A levels, and Levels 4 and 5 sit at the first and second years of a degree. The level is part of what the register records.

Does a regulated qualification mean the course is funded?

No. Regulation is about the qualification, not about how it is paid for. Whether any public funding is available depends on the centre, the qualification and your circumstances, and it is a separate question from whether the number is real.

Every qualification we deliver is listed with its number in the course catalogue, and the words on those pages (RQF, guided learning hours, HTQ, IQA) are defined in the qualification glossary.