Whether you’re based in a school, college or work-based learning setting, we’re here to support you and your learners as they look to achieve the qualifications they need to progress in life, further learning and work.

Qualifications available in Wales

Qualifications for 14 to 16-year-olds

New National Qualifications are being introduced for 14 to 16-year-olds between September 2025 and September 2027. National Qualifications comprise: 

There will be a small number of designated qualifications available to 14 to 16-year-olds which sit outside the approved National Qualifications offer.

We have produced a comprehensive guide to the National Qualifications to support centres and educators in Wales with the transition to the new National Qualifications. In the guide, you can find information and support relating to: 

  • meeting the learner entitlement with the new qualifications
  • digital assessment and preparing to deliver digital-only exams
  • non-examination assessment and managing learner workload
  • timelines and details regarding the development of the new VCSE, Foundation and Skills Suite qualifications
Qualifications for post-16 learners
QIW database

Our Qualifications in Wales database (QiW) contains details of all qualifications that are approved or designated for teaching in Wales for learners under the age of 19 - excluding higher education.

Information held on QiW includes qualification titles, numbers, start and end dates, awarding body details and further information - such as performance measures and whether the qualification counts as a choice for 14 to 19 learning pathways.

Delivering examinations and assessments

Exams and assessments in 2025-2026

Find everything you need to know about the arrangements for exams and assessments this academic year.

Find out more about exams and assessments this year

Summer 2025 results

For all information relating to last year’s exam results, including details regarding the appeals process, visit our dedicated results section.

Explore recent results

Digital exams and assessments

Digital exams and assessments are being increasingly used in qualifications in Wales. They can be hugely beneficial for both learners and the wider qualifications system.  However, we understand the challenges some schools and colleges may face when delivering them.

We are working closely with Welsh Government and awarding bodies to provide timely, useful guidance to support digital assessment delivery.

More information on digital assessments

Exam invigilation and security

Schools and colleges play a key role in maintaining the security of exam papers and it is important that you follow the rules set out by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) for the security of papers and conducting exams. Individual awarding bodies also provide guidance and support. 

Access JCQ’s instructions for conducting exams.

Centres must also provide the right training for their invigilators. We have created a series of invigilation guide videos to support exam officers to use as part of their training sessions to invigilators.

Contingency planning

We know there is always a small chance that alternative arrangements need to be made when running exams.

You will need to make sure you are aware of your specific responsibilities, prepare for the possibility of exam disruption and be aware of advice from relevant public bodies.    

Read our guidance for contingency planning.

Recognition of prior learning

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) describes a process where evidence of a learner’s previous learning and/or achievement is assessed and can be used to exempt the learner from all, or part of, a qualification.  

At Qualifications Wales, we recognise that RPL offers many benefits. For more information on RPL and our policy, please visit our dedicated recognition of prior learning section. 

Support for your learners

Vocational learner journeys

We’ve developed a series of digital flyers showing all the different qualification options and pathways available in each sector. As educators, you can use these to:

  • support learners and their parents as they research their options in a vocational area
  • be accessible and engaging
  • provide a simple view of all the pathways and options available

See our learner journeys

Power Up

We work with Welsh Government and other partners on Power Up. This online resource provides learners with hints, tips and information to help them prepare for their exams and assessments.

Support for centres and educators

Professional learning and support 

All professional learning and support for educators is provided by the awarding body that developed the qualification. For all approved GCSEs, AS and A levels in Wales this is WJEC.

Exams 360: the exam system explained

We’re often asked questions - and we're sure that you are too - about the exam system and how it works. Things like, who writes an exam paper and how are exam grades set?

Exams 360 is where you’ll find the answers to those and other common exam related queries that may be asked by your learners.

Our strategic engagement team

Our strategic engagement team maintains close relationships with examination officers, teachers, lecturers and senior leaders in every school and college in Wales.

They have a key role supporting exams officers to ensure accurate, efficient and secure administration of externally marked examinations and assessments.

The team carries out regular centre visits, in-person and virtually.

You can contact the team directly via SETeam@qualifications.wales.

Our work with higher education

We maintain regular contact with higher education institutions in Wales and across the UK.

We also collaborate closely with UCAS and others, to make sure that universities are continually updated about any developments relating to qualifications and the qualifications system in Wales.

Our HE guide to qualifications in Wales 

Events and webinars

You will regularly be able to meet and speak to members of our team at various educational events throughout the year, including the Urdd Eisteddfod and the National Eisteddfod, Skills Cymru, ColegauCymru and other partner conferences and events, and more. 

We also deliver our own events and webinars for educators and centre staff, including an annual Exam Officers Conference held every September and regular exam officers sessions, among other webinars delivered on specific topics throughout the year.  

You can find all our upcoming events and details on how to register for these events on our events page.

Get involved

We want practitioners from across Welsh education to help ensure that we are creating a qualifications system that is truly fit for the 21st century.

Jobs and opportunities

From time to time, we recruit individuals to help us with that work – please keep an eye on our jobs and opportunities section if you're interested and make sure that your staff and governors sign up to our monthly newsletter and follow us on social media. 

Have Your Say

We also run regular consultations, surveys, and involvement sessions.

Please see our Have Your Say site for more details on how your centre can get involved.

Exams Officers Hub

If you are an exams officer at a school or college in Wales, then you can become part of our exams officer community. You can request access to our Wales Exams Officer Hub by emailing SETeam@qualifications.wales. 

Correspondence

All recent letters sent to Responsible Officers, Heads of Centres and other stakeholders can be found on our correspondence page.