National vocational qualifications (NVQs) and Scottish vocational qualifications (SVQs) standards and frameworks
Consolidated Assessment Strategies
SVQs
CAS Construction SVQs V2 Approved May 2025 (PDF, 2.4MB)
CAS construction SVQs v1.1 approved December 2024 (PDF, 399KB) - January 2025 version
CAS construction SVQs v1 approved July 2020 (PDF, 418KB)
NVQs
CAS construction NVQs (PDF, 298KB)
Plant and Lifting Operations
December 2024: a new assessment strategy for SVQs
On the 4th December 2024, the new Consolidated Assessment Strategy for SVQs was approved by the Scottish Regulator (SQA Accreditation). This document is a full re-development of the Assessment Strategy for specific SVQs listed in the document’s appendix.
If the SVQ being assessed is not in scope of new Assessment Strategy, then the existing Assessment Strategy should be applied. As new qualifications are accredited, they will fall under the scope of the new Assessment Strategy.
Please ensure that the correct SVQ Assessment Strategy is used during this transition period, and reach out to standards.qualifications@citb.co.uk or your Awarding Organisation, if you have any questions.
Additional guidance was made available for specific cohorts of learners and remains in effect. CITB will be updating these documents to align to the new SVQ Assessment Strategy and a revised single document consolidating these allowances is expected early February 2025.
Guidance documents
- COVID-19 Guidance to the Consolidated Assessment Strategy (PDF, 139KB)
- Solution Update Feb 2023 amendment (PDF, 63KB)
- Skills Test Approach and Declaration Amend Feb 2023 (PDF, 173KB)
- SUSTA: Simulation Using Skills Test Artifact (PDF, 321KB)
Note: This temporary solution is only applicable to learners registered on the SVQs accredited between August 2017 and July 2022. Apprentices registered on SVQs accredited from March 2022 must meet the related Assessment Strategy and Methodology.
What are NVQs and SVQs?
National Vocational Qualifications and Scottish Vocational Qualifications NVQs are 'competence-based' qualifications, which means you learn practical, work-related tasks designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge to do a job effectively.
The learning content of NVQs and SVQs is based on the National Occupational Standards in the relevant area. These standards define the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to do a particular job.
Find a qualification structure
CITB is working with stakeholders to develop up-to-date structures with the new measures required by legislation for each qualification in construction.
These structures are designed to meet the changing needs of each sector in construction.
Search for structures listed according to occupational area.
Awarding organisations
If you have a proposal for a vocational qualification, please open the word document below, save the file, complete the form and send as an attachment to the standards team.
Regulation of qualifications across the UK
The qualification frameworks are regulated differently across the UK.
The RQF provides a single, simple system for cataloguing all qualifications regulated by Ofqual and the qualifications are now indexed by their level and size.
The levels are the same as the previous frameworks but with new level descriptors. All qualifications will now have a measure of size known as Total Qualification Time (TQT) which indicates the time a typical candidate would take to achieve the learning outcomes.
Under Scottish Government legislation, SQA Accreditation quality assures qualifications offered in Scotland by approving awarding bodies and accrediting their qualifications. Awarding bodies and their qualifications are regulated against published regulatory requirements.
The CQFW is an all-inclusive framework that recognises all forms of learning across all levels and abilities. The framework is designed to provide greater clarity on the qualifications system in Wales.
See details on Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales website.
Qualifications in Wales is the regulator of non-degree qualifications and the qualifications system in Wales. The database contains details of all qualifications that are approved for teaching in Wales for learners aged under 19, excluding higher education.