Short answer
Check it is an Ofqual-regulated qualification, not a course from a trainer, a company or a CPD body. Check the provider is real. Then ask how you are assessed, what support you get, the full cost, what happens if you change your mind and when your certificate arrives. A good provider answers all seven quickly and in writing.
1. Is it a qualification, or just a course?
This is the one that catches most people out. A course can be excellent and still not be a qualification. In England, a qualification is only regulated when an Ofqual-approved awarding organisation issues it. That rules out three common types of certificate:
A course from an individual
A trainer’s own ‘teacher training’ or ‘assessor’ course. The certificate carries their name, not an awarding organisation’s.
A course from an organisation
An in-house or company course, however well known the company. It shows you trained with them, nothing more.
A CPD-accredited course
A CPD body has reviewed the content and given it CPD points or hours. Useful for keeping skills fresh, but CPD accreditation is not qualification status.
None of these is on the Ofqual Register, none has a level and none is quality-assured by an awarding organisation. When a college, training provider or awarding organisation asks for a teaching, assessor or IQA qualification, they mean a regulated one, such as the L3AET or the L3CAVA.
Check it in one minute
Ask for the qualification number (it looks like 601/1846/5 or 60118465) and the awarding organisation. Search either on the Ofqual Register (GOV.UK). No number, no qualification.
Our answer
All 11 of our courses are Ofqual-regulated qualifications, issued by Y Awards, Focus Awards or Highfield Qualifications. Every course page shows its number and links to its Ofqual Register entry.
2. Is the provider who they say they are?
Look for a company number you can check on Companies House, a real phone number, a postal address and named tutors with photos. A web form and stock photos are not enough.
Our answer
The Teacher Trainer Ltd, company no. 08540014, UKPRN 10042969, training since 2012. Ring us on 01908 736 777 and meet the team before you enrol.
3. What will I be able to do, and how am I assessed?
Ask for outcomes, not topics, and ask how they are checked. If the answer is ‘attend and get a certificate’, nobody has checked anything.
Our answer
You are assessed on real practice: a micro-teach on the Level 3 Award in Education and Training (L3AET), observed assessments on the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (L3CAVA) and real sampling on the Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practice (L4AIQAAPP).
4. What support do I actually get?
‘Full support’ is easy to write. Pin it down: who is my tutor, how fast is work marked and what if my first attempt is not quite there?
Our answer
A named tutor from day one, marking within 24 to 72 hours (weekends excluded), emails answered within 24 hours and resubmissions included in your fee.
5. What is the full cost?
Ask what is not in the price: certificate fees, resubmissions, extra time, materials. Then ask how you can pay.
Our answer
Your fee covers tutor support, marking, resubmissions and your certificate, with 365 days to finish. The only extra is the Extension fee (£125 + VAT per 30 days) if you need longer. Pay in full, in 3 or in 30 days with PayPal. How paying works
6. What if I change my mind?
Buying online gives you a 14-day right to cancel by law. Read the refund terms anyway, and look for a provider that makes it easy rather than one that hides the rules.
Our answer
Every course has a 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can start Unit 1 and still change your mind. Only PayPal’s processing charge is deducted. Fees, Refunds and Cancellation Policy
7. When will I get my certificate?
Some providers send every learner for an external check before a certificate can be claimed, which adds weeks.
Our answer
We hold Direct Claims Status, so your certificate usually arrives 2 to 3 weeks after you complete.
Buy or walk away: the quick test
Hold any course up against this table. If you find yourself in the right-hand column, keep looking.
Every course we offer sits in the left-hand column. Run the test on us and see.
Download the 7-question checklist to keep on your phone or print out.
For managers
Buying for a team? Four more checks
- Does each person get the right course? New assessors usually need the L3CAVA; someone assessing only in the workplace or only away from it may need a single unit. Your IQA takes the L4AIQAAPP. We match each role on a free call.
- Will it pull people off the job? Our courses are fully online, so staff study around their shifts with no travel or cover to arrange.
- How is it invoiced? One invoice for the group, paid by Bank Transfer, with 5% off each place for 3 to 4 learners and 10% off for 5 or more.
- Can I see progress? Yes. We make you a moderator on the online course, so you can check each learner whenever you like.
A certificate shows you attended. A qualification shows you can do the job.
Put these questions to any provider, us included. Not sure which course is yours? Take the Course Quiz or book a free call.
Questions people ask
Is a CPD certificate the same as a qualification?
No. CPD accreditation means a CPD body has reviewed the course content. An Ofqual-regulated qualification is set by an awarding organisation, assessed against fixed criteria, externally quality assured and listed on the Ofqual Register (GOV.UK).
How do I check a qualification is real?
Search for its name or qualification number on the Ofqual Register (GOV.UK). Every one of our course pages links straight to its entry.
Can my employer pay for my course?
Yes. We can invoice your employer, who pays by Bank Transfer. How to ask your employer