Reforming our level 3 qualifications

During the pre- election period, the Department for Education has paused activity relating to cycle 2 of the reform of level 3 qualifications.

We are unable to confirm what that this pause in activity means for qualifications that were due to be defunded in 2025 and 2026, including our Applied Certificate and Diploma in Criminology which was previously confirmed to be defunded in England from September 2026.

We are continuing to update our applied qualifications in Criminology, Food Science and Nutrition, Health and Social Care and Medical Science to ensure that they remain up-to-date and reflect current good practice in qualification and assessment design.

Aimed at post-16 learners in full-time education, our applied qualifications are designed to develop fundamental knowledge and practical skills through applied learning i.e. through purposeful contexts linked to a sector or subject area.

Read more about each subject below.

{"accordionHeading":"","accordionItems":[{"accordionTitle":"Criminology","accordionTitleSecondary":null,"accordionImage":"","accordionContent":"Criminology is the scientific study of crime, criminal behaviour, and the criminal justice system. It encompasses a broad range of disciplines, including sociology, psychology, law, and public policy, to understand the causes, consequences, and prevention of criminal activity. Criminologists investigate the social and individual factors that lead to criminal behaviour, the impact of crime on victims and society, and the effectiveness of various crime control measures. \nOver 40,000 learners study our Criminology qualifications each year. Building on the strengths of our existing specification, our reformed qualifications will develop learners’ knowledge and understanding of concepts and theories in criminology including different types of crime and the motivations of criminals. Learners will study the criminal justice system by examining real-life cases, reviewing and evaluating the evidence to determine whether the verdict is safe and just.\nIn addition to subject knowledge and understanding, the qualifications will support learners to develop critical thinking, analysis and communication skills, essential for progression to higher education.\nThe reform of our Criminology qualifications provides us with an opportunity to update and add areas of new content and to address feedback from centres, for example in relation to the manageability of non-examination assessments.\nTimeline for development\nThe new specification will be published Autumn 2025 with first teaching from September 2026.\nUnder the current Level 3 post-16 reform policy, our new Criminology qualifications will not be funded or contribute to school performance tables.  The qualifications will however remain available to schools or institutions not controlled by either an LA or the Secretary of State, e.g. independent schools.\nShould you have any questions regarding our approach please email: <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"mailto:qualificationdevelopment@eduqas.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">qualificationdevelopment@eduqas.co.uk</a>"},{"accordionTitle":"Food Science and Nutrition","accordionTitleSecondary":null,"accordionImage":"","accordionContent":"The UK Nutrition Market is a dynamic and rapidly evolving industry, its growth can be attributed to increasing consumer awareness about health and wellness and a greater emphasis on preventive healthcare, driven by the rising demand for nutrition and dietary supplements along with functional foods and beverages. The market is also seeing a rise in personalised nutrition with consumers seeking dietary advice and products to suit their individual health needs. This trend is likely to spur market innovation and contribute significantly to market growth.(<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https://www.reportlinker.com/market-report/Healthcare/520077/Nutrition?term=Nutrition%20industry&matchtype=p&loc_interest=188&loc_physical=42038&utm_source=microsoft_ads&utm_medium=paid_ads&utm_campaign=ppc&utm_content=transactionnel-ms&utm_group=standard&hsa_acc=F1331PFH&hsa_cam=419064383&hsa_grp=1291926567350797&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=o&hsa_tgt=kwd-80745641363713:loc-188&hsa_kw=Nutrition%20industry&hsa_mt=p&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&msclkid=67a1954856a012caf434f041ebed07a6&utm_term=Nutrition%20industry\" target=\"_blank\" data-anchor=\"?term=Nutrition%20industry&matchtype=p&loc_interest=188&loc_physical=42038&utm_source=microsoft_ads&utm_medium=paid_ads&utm_campaign=ppc&utm_content=transactionnel-ms&utm_group=standard&hsa_acc=F1331PFH&hsa_cam=419064383&hsa_grp=1291926567350797&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=o&hsa_tgt=kwd-80745641363713:loc-188&hsa_kw=Nutrition%20industry&hsa_mt=p&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&msclkid=67a1954856a012caf434f041ebed07a6&utm_term=Nutrition%20industry\">Nutrition Industry 2023 (reportlinker.com)</a>)\nBuilding on the strengths of our existing specification, our reformed qualifications in Food Science and Nutrition will provide learners with underpinning knowledge, understanding and skills associated with this sector.\nLearners will study key topic areas of food hygiene and safety in food production, and development in-depth knowledge of nutrition and nutritional needs across the lifespan. Alongside this, learners will develop knowledge, understanding and practical skills in food production and will have the opportunity to focus their learning on an area of their choice.\nThe reform of our Food Science and Nutrition qualifications provides us with an opportunity to update and add areas of new content, and address feedback from centres, for example in relation to the structure of the qualification, approach to assessment and grading.\nTimeline for development\nThe new specification will be published Autumn 2025 with first teaching from September 2026.\nShould you have any questions regarding our approach please email: <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"mailto:qualificationdevelopment@eduqas.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">qualificationdevelopment@eduqas.co.uk</a>"},{"accordionTitle":"Health and Social Care","accordionTitleSecondary":null,"accordionImage":"","accordionContent":"The health and social care sectors encompass a broad range of services designed to support the physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals. \nOur reformed qualifications in Health and Social Care will build on current strengths, whilst providing an opportunity for us to update and add areas of new content, for example in anatomy and physiology which we know is required to support progression to higher education courses in health science subjects.\nThe qualification will continue to offer exciting and interesting experiences that focus on applied learning and the development of skills such as critical thinking, analysis and communication through purposeful tasks set in meaningful contexts.\nTimeline for development\nThe new specification will be published Autumn 2025 with first teaching from September 2026. Please note, our current Certificate and Diploma will not be funded from September 2025 onwards.\nShould you have any questions regarding our approach please email: <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"mailto:qualificationdevelopment@eduqas.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">qualificationdevelopment@eduqas.co.uk</a>"},{"accordionTitle":"Medical Science","accordionTitleSecondary":null,"accordionImage":"","accordionContent":"Medical scientists are at the forefront of healthcare services, and are vital in the diagnosis of disease, determining the effectiveness of treatments and searching for new cures. They work in fields such as forensics, healthcare management, biomedical science, clinical science, pharmaceutical industries, biotechnology, and research.\nOur new Alternative Academic Qualification (Applied Qualification) in Medical Science (Extended Certificate) equips learners with the knowledge, understanding and practical skills to support progress to higher education. Learners will study key topic areas of health, physiology, and disease, as well as pharmacology, physiological measurement, clinical testing, and medical research.\nOur new Alternative Academic Qualification has been approved for first teaching from September 2025.\nA new Level 3 Applied Qualification in Medical Science (Certificate), equivalent in size to half an A Level (180glh), is also available for teaching from September 2025.  This qualification has not been approved as an Alternative Academic Qualification and therefore, under the current Level 3 post-16 reform policy, this qualification will not be funded or contribute to school performance tables.  The qualification will however remain available to schools or institutions not controlled by either an LA or the Secretary of State, e.g. independent schools.\n<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https://www.eduqas.co.uk/home/subscribe-for-updates/\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up</a> for our subject update to be kept informed of developments."}]}

Get involved

You can get involved in the reform of our Criminology, Food Science and Nutrition, and Health and Social Care qualifications in several ways:

{"accordionHeading":"","accordionItems":[{"accordionTitle":"Qualification Development Advisory Groups","accordionTitleSecondary":null,"accordionImage":"","accordionContent":"We are looking for individuals to join our Qualification Development Advisory Groups to advise, inform and challenge us as we move through the qualification development process.\nOur Qualification Development Advisory Groups:\n<ul>\n<li>inform the outline qualification design, including the qualification structure and approaches to assessment</li>\n<li>test our proposals, by being a critical but supportive friend to ensure that the qualification will meet stakeholder expectations</li>\n<li>contribute with a solutions mindset.</li>\n</ul>\nOur first Qualification Development Advisory Groups will be held in late October/early November (date to be confirmed). These meetings will provide an opportunity to inform new content and innovative approaches to assessment for the new qualifications.\n<a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"/media/nysjqbwl/member-of-the-qualification-development-advisory-group-advert_e.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Member Of The Qualification Development Advisory Group Advert E\">> Find out more</a>"}]}

Respond to our consultations

We’ll be consulting on our qualification proposals later in the autumn term. Sign up for our subject updates to be notified of when a subject consultation goes live.