Entry Level Certificate
Encyclopedia
The Entry Level Certificate (ELC) is a qualification offered in England
, Wales
and Northern Ireland
. It lies at Entry Level
of the National Qualifications Framework
, pitching it just below GCSE
level.
, Maths
, Science
, French
, Life Skills
and Childcare
.
The qualifications are targeted at those who struggle to access the mainstream curriculum, such as students with special educational needs. Most students take the qualifications in school at ages 14–16, as an alternative to GCSEs, but many adults also take them.
Students are assessed through a combination of coursework
, controlled assessment and examinations, depending on the qualification.
ELCs are offered by a number of examination board
s, including AQA
, CCEA
, Edexcel
, OCR and WJEC.
Those who do not reach the level for Entry 1 are recorded as uncertified (U) and do not have the subject appear on their results certificates.
Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3 are broadly equivalent to National Curriculum Levels 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
When converting qualifications to points, Entry 1 is worth 10 points, Entry 2 is worth 12 and Entry 3 is worth 14. This compares to 16 points for GCSE Grade G (the lowest GCSE pass) and 22 points for GCSE Grade F.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It lies at Entry Level
Entry Level
Entry Level is the lowest level in the National Qualifications Framework in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Qualifications at this level recognise basic knowledge and skills and the ability to apply learning in everyday situations under direct guidance or supervision...
of the National Qualifications Framework
National Qualifications Framework
The National Qualifications Framework is a credit transfer system developed for qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
, pitching it just below GCSE
General Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
level.
The qualification
ELCs are available in a variety of subjects, such as EnglishEnglish studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Maths
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Life Skills
Life skills
Life skills are problem solving behaviors used appropriately and responsibly in the management of personal affairs. They are a set of human skills acquired via teaching or direct experience that are used to handle problems and questions commonly encountered in daily human life...
and Childcare
Childcare
Child care means caring for and supervising child/children usually from 0–13 years of age. In the United States child care is increasingly referred to as early childhood education due to the understanding of the impact of early experiences of the developing child...
.
The qualifications are targeted at those who struggle to access the mainstream curriculum, such as students with special educational needs. Most students take the qualifications in school at ages 14–16, as an alternative to GCSEs, but many adults also take them.
Students are assessed through a combination of coursework
Coursework
Coursework is the name for work carried out by students at university or middle/high school that contributes towards their overall grade, but which is assessed separately from their final exams. Coursework can, for example, take the form of experimental work, or may involve research in the...
, controlled assessment and examinations, depending on the qualification.
ELCs are offered by a number of examination board
Examination board
An examination board is an organisation that sets examinations and is responsible for marking them and distributing results. Examination boards have the power to award qualifications, such as SAT scores, to students...
s, including AQA
Assessment and Qualifications Alliance
AQA is an Awarding Body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It compiles specifications and holds examinations in various subjects at GCSE, AS and A Level and offers vocational qualifications. AQA is a registered charity and independent of the Government...
, CCEA
Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment
The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment is an examination board in Northern Ireland...
, Edexcel
Edexcel
Edexcel, a UK company, is one of England, Wales and Northern Ireland's five main examination boards, and is wholly owned by the private-sector Pearson PLC, a UK-based media and publishing conglomerate. Its name is a portmanteau word derived from the words "educational" and "excellence"...
, OCR and WJEC.
Grading
A student successfully completing an ELC is awarded one of the following grades, which are common to all Entry Level qualifications:- Entry 3 (highest)
- Entry 2
- Entry 1 (lowest)
Those who do not reach the level for Entry 1 are recorded as uncertified (U) and do not have the subject appear on their results certificates.
Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3 are broadly equivalent to National Curriculum Levels 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
When converting qualifications to points, Entry 1 is worth 10 points, Entry 2 is worth 12 and Entry 3 is worth 14. This compares to 16 points for GCSE Grade G (the lowest GCSE pass) and 22 points for GCSE Grade F.