Vocational Certificate of Education, usually shortened to VCE or Vocational A-Level or AVCE, was a vocational 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 forms in the United Kingdom.

Subjects and assessment

VCEs were available in many subjects including Information and Communication Technology (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, 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 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, based on a portfolio of evidence, and externally set and marked examinations.

Withdrawal

The regulatory body, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (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, 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 GNVQ 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