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Introduction
Ofqual is the expert, independent qualifications regulator for England, regulating
255 awarding organisations and more than 10,100 active qualifications for which
11.8 million certificates were issued to students in the 2023 to 2024 academic
year. These include vocational and technical qualifications, apprenticeship end-
point assessments (EPAs), GCSEs, AS and A levels. We estimate that the
market value of regulated qualifications in England, as represented by the revenue
awarding organisations receive through standard qualification fees, is more than
£900 million. The strong international reputation of our regulated qualifications
underpins an extensive export market, with more than 8.5 million certificates being
awarded to students outside of the UK in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
We have an objective to ensure that regulated qualifications offer value for money.
When considered as a whole, regulated qualifications provide significant value to
students, apprentices and the broader economy as a result of being trusted
indicators of an individual’s capability. By accurately recording an individual’s skills,
they serve a crucial role in translating the significant investment that both
individuals and society commit to education into a form that employers and
educational institutions can meaningfully engage with.
By helping individuals to communicate their skills effectively, regulated
Research and analysis
Qualification price statistics report:
2025
Published 25 June 2025
Applies to England
Menu
Home Education, training and skills School curriculum Exam regulation and administration
Qualification price statistics: 2025
Contents
Introduction
Methodology
Key findings
Qualification prices over the
reporting period
Context
Annex: Revisions
qualifications can reduce or remove the need for additional recruitment
assessment processes by employers and higher education institutions, and they
support individuals to find appropriate employment and education that matches
their skills.
Decisions about value for money at a qualification level are ultimately in the hands
of the schools, colleges and training providers who typically purchase
qualifications, as they take into account a range of contextual factors including the
needs of their students and their community. We are aware that education
providers have been, and continue to be, deeply affected by an array of
multifaceted challenges. This includes challenging macroeconomic headwinds
and multiple, changing demands on school and college budgets.
We are aware that qualification fee rises contribute to challenging decisions,
especially where finances are tight. We support qualification purchasers in making
informed decisions about value for money by making a range of information
available. We require awarding organisations to be transparent and publish their
prices, and we also publish the Qualification Price Statistics reports which can be
used to help purchasers better understand how their fees compare against market
averages.
Methodology
Ofqual published its first qualifications price index in 2019. In 2023, the QPS
underwent a methodological improvement by basing price statistics on a census
of qualification prices. Two types of price statistics are presented: year-on-year
qualification price inflation over both calendar years 2023 (February 2023 to
February 2024) and 2024 (February 2024 to February 2025), and the average
qualification price weighted by certificate volumes.
These statistics are presented for a range of qualification sectors and sub-
sectors. The average is weighted to make it more representative of the prices that
qualification purchasers actually paid over the reporting period. This is achieved
by calculating the average in such a way that more popular qualifications, as
measured by certificate volumes, have a greater influence over the average price
than less popular qualifications. To prevent misinterpretation of average price
statistics, only the average price for the most recent collection is reported.
Ofqual collects current qualification prices for all qualifications on its Register of
regulated qualifications that are available to new learners in England. Each
collection is run in the first quarter of each calendar year. To be concise, the
period February 2024 to February 2025 is referred to as the ‘reporting period’ for
this release. Revisions to previously published data can be found in the annex.
Consistent with prior releases, price statistics are split between general
qualifications (GQs), and vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs). GQs
consist of GCSEs, AS and A levels, while VTQs are all qualifications other than
GQs and apprenticeship EPAs. Examples of VTQs include, but are not limited to,
BTECs, Cambridge Nationals, and Functional Skills qualifications. Due to data
availability, Project and T Level Technical Qualifications are not represented in the
statistics presented in this report.  
Price statistics for apprenticeship EPAs are included in the report for the first time.
Apprenticeship EPAs have been weighted by completions data, as published in
Ofqual’s annual Apprenticeship end-point assessments statistical report.
However, the volume data for EPAs is not directly comparable to the volume data
used for the other qualifications and completion volumes also cover a different
time period – March to February. Additionally, EPAs are inherently different to
most of the other types of qualifications that are captured within GQ and VTQs,
including the way in which they are funded and the costs that awarding
organisations are permitted to charge for through their fees. Care should therefore
be taken in interpreting the price statistics for EPAs in relation to those of other
qualification sectors.
Later in the year Ofqual will publish standard qualification fee data that contributes
towards this publication.
Key findings
In February 2025:
the mean price of a GCSE was
£57
the mean price of an A level was
£128
the mean price of VTQs overall was
£72
This ranged from £43 for entry level VTQs through to £269 for level 4 and
above VTQs
Average qualification price inflation was lower in
2024 than in 2023:
GQ inflation fell from 6.2% to
4.8%
and VTQ inflation fell from 5.3% to
4.1%
Apprenticeship end-point assessment inflation over 2024 was
1.8%
Between February 2024 and February 2025 qualification price inflation
remained slightly above consumer price inflation (3.7%) but below wage
inflation (5.8%).
To account for substantial macroeconomic and sectoral change, we also
consider total price changes between February 2021 and February 2025.
Over this period GQ and VTQ prices have increased by less than either
consumer prices or wages.
Qualification prices over the reporting
period
Consumer inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index including owner-
occupier’s housing costs (CPIH) is referred to in this report to support
interpretation of the findings, as are other relevant contextual reference data
points. There is not a requirement that qualification prices inflation matches
consumer price inflation.
Overall
Weighted average price
2024
Inflation
2024
Inflation 2023
(revised)
GQ £65.44 4.8% 6.2%
VTQ £72.40 4.1% 5.3%
Apprenticeship
EPAs
£1,004.21 (11.4% of
funding band)
1.8% No data
CPIH Not applicable 3.7% 3.8%
GQ and VTQ prices in the 2024 reporting period were £65 and £72 respectively.
Both GQ and VTQ inflation rates fell in the 2024 reporting period compared with
the 2023 reporting period, with GQ inflation falling by 1.4 percentage points to
4.8% and VTQ inflation falling by 1.2 percentage points to 4.1%. CPIH fell, only
marginally, between the 2 reporting periods, by 0.1 percentage points, meaning
that while qualification price rises remained above consumer price rises, the gap
narrowed significantly.
The average EPA fee was £1,004 in the 2024 reporting period and
apprenticeship EPA inflation was 1.8% over the 2024 reporting period,
significantly below consumer price inflation. Care should be taken in comparing
the high-level average price of EPAs with GQ or VTQs due to structural
differences in their design, cost drivers and market structures. There is a
maximum level of funding available for apprenticeships and the Department for
Education (DfE) expects that EPA costs should not exceed 20% of this funding.
The average weighted EPA fee as a proportion of its respective maximum funding
is 11.4%.
General qualifications
Weighted average price
2024
Inflation
2024
Inflation 2023
(revised)
GCSE £56.63 4.7% 6.3%
AS
Level
£73.73 5.7% 6.8%
A Level £128.22 5.3% 5.8%
GQ
(total)
£65.44 4.8% 6.2%
The weighted average prices for each qualification type as reported in February
2025 are £57 for GCSEs, £74 for AS levels and £128 for A levels.
The inflation rate of GCSE, AS Level and A Level qualifications over the same
period were 4.7%, 5.7% and 5.3% respectively. In line with the overall GQ finding
of falling inflation rates, all 3 types of qualification experienced rates of inflation
that were below those experienced in the 2023 reporting period, although the
extent of the difference varied. GCSEs experienced the largest fall in inflation
rates, falling by 1.6 percentage points while A Levels fell by 0.5 percentage points
from 5.8%.
Vocational and technical qualifications
The VTQ sector consists of more than 9,700 qualifications which cover skills
relevant to the full range of economic activity and range from short courses that
can be completed within a single day through to qualifications that require study
across multiple years. We have provided price statistics for VTQs by level and
subject area, and we note that even within these sub-sectors there will be
significant variation.
VTQs by qualification level
Weighted average price
2024
Inflation
2024
Inflation 2023
(revised)
Entry Level £42.61 3.9% 4.9%
Level 1 £51.97 3.6% 6.3%
Level 1/
Level 2
£80.56 5.5% 5.1%
Level 2 £59.67 3.6% 5.5%
Level 3 £90.17 4.5% 5.1%
Level 4+ £268.88 3.3% 5.3%
It is generally the case that higher qualification levels are associated with higher
fees. Weighted average fees range from £43 for entry level VTQs through to
£269 for level 4+ VTQs.
Inflation was variable across VTQs grouped by qualification level, ranging from
3.3% for level 4+ VTQs through to 5.5% for level1/level 2 qualifications. Almost all
qualification level groupings experienced lower inflation levels over the 2024
reporting period relative to the 2023 reporting period, with level 1 qualifications
experiencing the largest fall of 2.7 percentage points.
VTQs by Sector Subject Area (SSA)
SSA Weighted
average price
2024
Inflation
2024
Inflation 2023
(revised)
Health, Public Services and
Care
£41.10 4.0% 5.0%
Agriculture, Horticulture and
Animal Care
£89.86 5.9% 7.3%
Engineering and
Manufacturing Technologies
£77.99 4.8% 5.2%
Construction, Planning and
the Built Environment
£81.44 4.8% 6.1%
Digital Technology £95.70 4.7% 5.7%
Retail and Commercial
Enterprise
£64.65 5.6% 7.1%
Leisure, Travel and Tourism £91.98 4.2% 4.4%
Arts, Media and Publishing £85.49 5.3% 5.2%
Education and Training £84.92 4.3% 4.5%
Preparation for Life and Work £40.47 3.2% 5.2%
Business, Administration and
Law
£187.78 3.0% 5.5%
Languages and Academic
Subjects
£88.80 2.7% 4.6%
Average prices in February 2025 ranged from £40 for VTQs in the Preparation for
Life and Work SSA through to £188 for Business, Administration and Law VTQs.
The composition of qualification levels within each SSA influences price
differences. For example, entry level qualifications, which are generally cheaper
relative to higher-level qualifications as noted above, accounted for around half of
certificates awarded within the Preparation for Life and Work SSA compared with
less than 1% of the certificates awarded within the Business, Administration and
Law SSA.  
Inflation rates varied from 2.7% for Languages and Academic Subjects (a
grouping of several of the smallest SSAs by certificate volume), through to 5.9%
for Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care.
The inflation rate over the 2024 reporting period fell for SSAs relative to last year,
with Preparation for Life and Work (2 percentage point fall), and Languages and
Academic Subjects (1.9 percentage points) seeing the largest falls.
Context
A wide variety of factors, including general economic conditions and education
policy, may contribute to price levels. This section of the report provides a
broader perspective to contextualise the price statistics presented above. A
substantial proportion of awarding organisations costs stem from their workforce,
so we have considered prices rises in light of wage inflation. We have also taken a
long-term view by considering the overall change in prices between February
2021 and February 2025, as well as a medium-term view by considering the
period of February 2023 to February 2025.
Macroeconomic context
The table and chart below show the overall price changes and plot the annual
inflation rates for consumer price inflation, wage inflation and top-level GQ and
VTQ inflation.
Measure Long term cumulative
inflation February 2021 to
February 2025
Medium term cumulative
inflation February 2023 to
February 2025
CPIH 23.9% 7.6%
Wage* 25.3% 11.9%
GQ 22.2% 11.4%
VTQ 17.0% 9.9%
*The measure of wage inflation used is the year on year change for average
regular pay across the whole economy published by the Office for National
Statistics.
The UK economy is recovering from a period of instability driven by the COVID-
19 pandemic and broader geopolitical events. These led CPIH inflation to rise to a
peak of nearly 10% in late 2022, with the labour market response seeing average
regular pay growth remaining above 5% since the middle of 2022. In response to
the high levels of inflation, the Bank of England base rate has increased from
0.1% in late 2021 through to 4.5% in February 2025, increasing the cost of
borrowing and servicing some existing debt.
As the chart above shows, the ‘shape’ of qualification inflation follows CPIH
inflation, offset by around one year, and also closely follows the pattern and
magnitude of wage inflation changes. This suggests that recent qualification
inflation can be seen as a delayed response to significant macroeconomic shocks
and may partly be driven by the labour-intensive nature of awarding organisation
operations. Looking ahead, the 2024 Autumn Budget set out a rise to both the
minimum wage and employers National Insurance Contributions, which was
implemented in April 2025.
Sectoral context
Alongside macroeconomic changes, other factors within the sector may also
influence awarding organisations. To ensure safe delivery in the face of changing
threats, awarding organisations must ensure that they are resilient to delivery
disruptions including in relation to cyber security. Additionally, there are several
current reform programmes affecting the qualifications landscape, including the
design and delivery of T Levels, reformed Technical Occupational Qualifications
and Alternative Academic Qualifications and changes to apprenticeship EPAs.
Future changes may be initiated by the Curriculum and Assessment Review. The
upfront investment in reform-related development may be seen in several ways,
such as being spread across an awarding organisation’s portfolio or through
changes to prices between a reformed qualification and its predecessor.
Annex: Revisions
There are revisions to the inflation rates published in the Qualification Price
Statistics 2024 report. This is due to 2 reasons. Firstly, there have been revisions
to historic certificates data for some awarding organisations. Secondly, some
awarding organisations provided corrected fee data following publication of the
2024 document. The net effect of these changes is relatively minor; however,
attention should be drawn to the VTQ SSA breakdowns of ‘construction, planning
and the built environment’ and ‘preparation for life and work’. The former’s inflation
rate was revised down by 2.4 percentage points, while the latter was revised up by
1.8 percentage points.
Qualification grouping February 2023 to
February 2024: Inflation
as originally published
February 2023 to
February 2024:
revised inflation
GQ – overall 6.4% 6.2%
VTQ – overall 5.5% 5.3%
GCSE 6.6% 6.3%
AS level 6.8% 6.8%
A level 5.8% 5.8%
VTQ – agriculture,
horticulture and
animal care
7.2% 7.3%
VTQ – arts, media and
publishing
5.3% 5.2%
VTQ – business,
administration and
law
5.6% 5.5%
VTQ – construction,
planning and the built
environment
8.5% 6.1%
VTQ – education and
training
4.8% 4.5%
VTQ – engineering
and manufacturing
technologies
5.9% 5.2%
VTQ – health, public
service and care
5.0% 5.0%
VTQ – digital
technology
5.8% 5.7%
VTQ – languages and
academic subjects
4.7% 4.6%
VTQ – leisure, travel
and tourism
5.4% 4.4%
VTQ – preparation for
life and work
3.4% 5.2%
VTQ – retail and
commercial
enterprise
7.0% 7.1%
VTQ – entry level 5.5% 4.9%
VTQ – level 1 5.1% 6.3%
VTQ – level 1/level 2 5.1% 5.1%
VTQ – level 2 5.6% 5.5%
VTQ – level 3 5.5% 5.1%
VTQ – level 4+ 5.7% 5.3%
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