Vocational Certificate of Education, usually shortened to VCE or Vocational A-Level or AVCE, was a

vocational A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. People can be given information about a new occupation through student orientation. Though now often used in non-religious co ...

qualification that used to be available in

further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. I ...

colleges and

sixth form In the education systems of England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepare for A-l ...

s in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Subjects and assessment

VCEs were available in many subjects including

Information and Communication Technology Information and communications technology (ICT) is an extensional term for information technology (IT) that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of telecommunications (telephone lines and wireless signals) and computers, ...

(ICT), Health and Social Care, Hospitality and Management, Leisure and Recreation, Travel and Tourism and Business. Some students preferred the vocational system due to its practical 'hands-on' nature. The qualification was created in September 2000 to replace the Advanced

GNVQ A General National Vocational Qualification, or GNVQ, was a certificate of vocational education in the United Kingdom. The last GNVQs were awarded in 2007. The qualifications related to occupational areas in general, rather than any specific ...

, with the main change being that the marking system was altered from the three level Distinction, Merit and Pass system to A–E grading, bringing the AVCE into line with

A-Level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...

s. The AVCE was intended to lead on to

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after completi ...

or employment and was made up of modules, each covering different aspects of the subject. Some of these modules overlapped and some institutions chose to merge their content. Students had to complete a set number of modules in order to qualify for an AVCE: *AVCE Double Award - 12 units (worth two A-levels) *AVCE Single Award - 6 units (worth one A-level) *ASVCE - 3 units (worth one AS-level) Assessment was by a mixture of

continuous assessment Continuous assessment is a form of educational examination that evaluates a student's progress throughout a prescribed course. It is often used as an alternative to the final examination system. Proponents of continuous assessment argue that the ...

, based on a portfolio of evidence, and externally set and marked examinations.

Withdrawal

The regulatory body, the

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) was a charity, and an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) of the Department for Education. In England and Northern Ireland, the QCDA maintained and developed the National Cu ...

(QCA), along with

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

equivalent

ACCAC ACCAC (the acronym of Awdurdod Cymwysterau, Cwricwlwm ac Asesu Cymru) was the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales. On 1 April 2006, it merged with the Welsh Assembly Government's new Department for Children, Education, L ...

, decided in June 2004 to withdraw the Advanced VCE, with the final candidates starting in September 2004. They created and piloted an "Applied GCE (

AGCE Applied General Certificate of Education (AGCE) is a vocational qualification that replaced the AVCE in September 2005. The modular structure of each course available is also different from that of the AVCE. This course is available through many ...

)" qualification to replace the AVCE.

Edexcel Edexcel (also known since 2013 as Pearson Edexcel) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational education and examination body formed in 1996 and wholly owned by Pearson plc since 2005. It is the only privately owned examination board ...

withdrew AVCE ICT in June 2006 but students were able to re-submit coursework until November 2006 and could re-sit exams until January 2007. The

is still currently available in two forms – Foundation and Intermediate levels – which both work up to the Advanced level. This was withdrawn in 2007. The decision to withdraw the qualification proved unpopular. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vocational Certificate Of Education School qualifications Educational qualifications in the United Kingdom