Qualifications Wales publishes approval criteria for 2027 National Qualifications

Awarding bodies can begin developing the third and final wave of National Qualifications following publication of the approval criteria.

We believe that all 14 to 16-year-olds should have the opportunity to choose more vocational and practical subjects, alongside GCSEs, to help prepare them for life, learning and work from a younger age.

VCSE, Foundation and Skills Suite qualifications meet the aims and purposes of the Curriculum for Wales, place an emphasis on practical-based approaches, develop knowledge, understanding and skills, and promote positive learning experiences. The introduction of these new qualifications provides learners in Wales with an inclusive, broad and balanced offer that will enable different ways of learning and skills development.

Publication of the approval criteria marks the latest exciting development on the National Qualifications journey. These documents outline the requirements an awarding body must meet in order for Qualifications Wales to approve a qualification .

Five separate approval criteria have been published :

Each document details the purposes, aims, content and experiences, and assessment, grading and reporting of the qualifications, as well as their titling, size and structure. The approval criteria also outline where these qualifications must support the Curriculum for Wales.

VCSEs, Foundation qualifications and the Skills Suite (Skills for Life, Skills for Work, Skills for Life and Work, and the Personal Project) will be taught in schools from September 2027, following the implementation of new GCSEs in September 2025 and September 2026. Unlike GCSEs, which are being developed by WJEC, these qualifications can be developed by any awarding body that meets our recognition criteria .

To find out more, you can read the decisions report in full here.

Our vision for National Qualifications

In order to support the development of the National Qualifications, we have produced a vision document detailing some specific aspects of the approval criteria, inclusivity within the new qualifications suite, and their relationship with the Curriculum for Wales.

You can read our Vision for National Qualifications here.

Applications for qualification reviewers opening early next year

As we continue to shape this exciting new range of qualifications for 14 to 16-year-olds, we will be recruiting knowledgeable and experienced qualification reviewers to work alongside us to approve the new VCSE, Foundation and Skills Suite qualifications.

Adverts will be live on Sell2Wales,Welsh Government's contracting platform, in January and colleagues can register in advance to receive alerts about opportunities matching their profile.