Understand our rules
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-16)

Find out about Ofqual's rules for the qualifications and assessments we regulate.

Introduction

Ofqual is England’s statutory regulator for:
- qualifications
- early years foundation stage profile and national curriculum assessments (which together we refer to as ‘national assessments’).
We have set a range of rules for regulated qualifications, as well as guidance which supports those rules. We have also set out separate rules for national assessments.

This page will help you understand which of our rules and guidance apply to you, and to the qualifications and assessments you offer.

The Ofqual Handbook - rules and guidance for qualifications

For the qualifications we regulate, we have set a range of both general and qualification-specific rules and guidance, which collectively we refer to as the Ofqual Handbook.

General rules and guidance

These apply to all the qualifications and organisations we regulate. All regulated awarding organisations have to follow them.
- General Conditions of Recognition (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofqual-handbook) (and associated requirements and guidance)
- Criteria for determining whether a qualification is relevant for the purposes of the Education and Skills Act 2008 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criteria-for-determining-whether-a-qualification-is-relevant-for-the-purposes-of-the-education-and-skills-act-2008)
We’ve also published information that explains how our General Conditions of Recognition differ from the equivalent rules in Northern Ireland and Wales (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofquals-conditions-of-recognition-main-differences-at-a-glance).

Additional rules and guidance for specific qualifications

These apply to specific kinds of qualifications. Only the awarding organisations that offer (or want to offer) these qualifications have to follow them.
- Qualification Level Conditions for Progression Qualifications (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualification-level-conditions-for-progression-qualifications)
- VTQ Contingency Regulatory Framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vocational-and-technical-qualifications-contingency-regulatory-framework)
- Conditions and requirements - Level 2 Technical Occupation Qualifications Qualification Level Conditions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conditions-and-requirements-level-2-technical-occupation-qualifications-qualification-level-conditions))
- AS and A levels (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/new-a-level-and-as-level-qualifications-requirements-and-guidance)
- GCSEs (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/gcses-9-to-1-requirements-and-guidance)
- Technical Qualifications (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofqual-handbook-technical-qualifications)
- advanced extension awards (AEA) (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/advanced-extension-awards-requirements)
- certain qualifications included in school performance tables (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofqual-handbook-performance-table-qualifications)
- level 1 and level 2 certificates (international GCSEs) (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/level-1-and-2-certificates-requirements)
- functional skills qualifications (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/functional-skills-qualifications-requirements)
- Essential Digital Skills (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ofqual-handbook-essential-digital-skills-qualifications)
- English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) qualifications (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/esol-qualifications-requirements)
- project qualifications (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/principal-learning-and-project-qualifications-requirements-and-guidance)
- Ofqual-regulated apprenticeship end-point assessments (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/apprenticeship-end-point-assessments-rules-and-guidance)
- Alternative Academic Qualifications and Technical Occupation Qualifications (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alternative-academic-and-alternative-technical-qualifications-qualification-level-conditions-requirements-and-guidance)
- rules about adjustments to assessments for disabled people (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/specifications-in-relation-to-the-reasonable-adjustment-of-general-qualifications) (apply to a range of qualifications commonly taken in schools and colleges)
- Extraordinary regulatory framework: VTQ COVID-19 Conditions and Requirements (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/extraordinary-regulatory-framework-vtq-covid-19-conditions-and-requirements)
Advice notes

Advice notes (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/advice-notes-from-ofqual) support awarding organisations to further understand both Ofqual’s Conditions and Ofqual’s operational processes.

Advice notes are not statutory guidance, and do not form part of our statutory regulatory framework.

Rules and guidance for national assessments

Ofqual regulates statutory early years foundation stage profile and national curriculum assessments, which together we refer to as ‘national assessments’.

The Regulatory Framework for National Assessments (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-framework-for-national-assessments) sets out the rules to make sure national assessment standards are properly set and maintained and the results are used appropriately.