Last updated: 06 Feb 2008

QCA accredits awarding bodies to offer qualifications in English for Speakers of Other Languages.  There are three categories of accredited ESOL qualifications:

ESOL Skills for Life

These qualifications have been designed to meet the needs of the broad range of learners who want to live and work in this country and if, appropriate, intend to become citizens of the UK.  These qualifications are eligible for public funding in England through the LSC and apply to Skills for Life priority groups.

ESOL Skills for Life qualifications are based on the National Standards for Adult Literacy.  At levels 1 and 2, the ESOL Skills for Life assess reading through the same national tests as are used for Key Skills Communication qualifications and the level 1 and 2 Certificate in Adult Literacy.  You can view examples of these tests from the right-hand side of this page.

ESOL for work

These qualifications have been designed to meet the immediate English language acquisition needs of learners who are in employment, or intending to work in this country, but who do not necessarily intend to become citizens of the UK. 

These candidates will have some literacy, including the ability to read and write, in their own language(s). The intention of this category of qualifications is to offer opportunities for the rapid acquisition of English for work, through flexible (short course) programmes of delivery that can address the immediate, broad, work-related need of candidates.  Assessment methods vary across awarding bodies.  These qualifications are eligible for public funding through the LSC.

ESOL International

These qualifications are developed by UK-based awarding bodies to meet the needs of English language learners based outside the UK.

For full details of these qualifications and the awarding bodies that offer them please see the National Database of Accredited Qualifications which can be accessed from the right-hand side of this page.