V Levels

What are V Levels?

V Levels will be broad vocational qualifications that will comprise 360 guided learning hours (the same size as an A Level) and be studied over two years. Students will be able to combine them with other qualifications, such as A Levels or an English or maths retake. V Levels will emphasise "learning by doing" through a significant proportion of applied content combined with practical assessment. They will ultimately replace the existing suite of applied general qualifications still available, such as BTECs.

The government said its reforms were underpinned by three principles:

• Progression: Qualifications for 16-to-19-year-olds must deliver positive outcomes, enabling students to move into higher-level study or sustainable employment within their chosen fields.
• Future proof: Every pathway must be high-quality, adaptable to evolving skills needs, and equally prestigious, ensuring all options are respected and valuable.
• Clarity of choice: Pathways must be easy to navigate, allowing students to make informed decisions. Whether specialising or mixing academic and vocational courses, students need a clear, flexible system that supports their specific goals and improves retention.

The government intends for V Levels to be introduced from September 2027, with the first of the new qualifications to be available in Digital, Education and Early Years, and Finance and Accounting. The government has said it will not remove funding from other level 3 qualifications in the 2026 to 2027 academic year, as previously set out, and has published new guidance on the qualifications due to have funding removed from August 2027.

The table below compares the new V Level qualifications with the existing offer of A Levels and T Levels. When V levels have been fully rolled out, these are the primary post-16 level 3 qualifications that will be available.

A Levels

V Levels

T Levels

Pathway Type

Academic

Vocational

Technical

Guided Learning Hours

360 per subject

360 per subject

Minimum of 1,080

Learning Style

Academic, subject-based study.

Applied learning focusing on core sector knowledge and transferable skills

In-depth technical study including a substantive industry placement

Course Structure

Students typically choose a combination of three subjects

Broad, applied qualifications that can be mixed with A Levels

A single, large programme equivalent to three A Levels

Industry placement

Not required

Not required

Minimum 315 hours (45 days)

Primary goal

Progression to higher education

Exploring sectors without specialising, progression to FE/HE or related employment (including apprenticeships)

Preparation for skilled employment in a specific sector, higher apprenticeships, or related FE/HE courses

The introduction of V Levels follow recommendations made by the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which ran between July 2024 and November 2025, and proposals set out in the government’s post-16 education and skills white paper, published October 2025, and subsequent consultation on pathways at level 3 and below.

Reaction to the new qualifications

Responding to the government’s statement to the Commons on the post-16 education and skills white paper, the Shadow Education Secretary, Laura Trott, expressed scepticism about the government’s proposals for V Levels, asking if they were “a rebranded continuation” of Conservative reforms, or “a completely new qualification that will take years to develop”.

The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for universities and skills, Ian Sollom, said there was much to welcome in the white paper’s overall ambition, but called for BTECs to be retained until 2030, rather than defunded as V Levels are rolled out, arguing they were a qualification that already worked and V Levels were an attempt to recreate them.

The proposals for V Levels have largely been welcomed by the education sector, with hope they could rationalise the qualification landscape, but there have also been concerns about the pressures of the proposed timeline.