Introduction to Qualification Achievement Rates (QARs)
A comprehensive set of QAR resources to offer information and support for training providers.
Applies to England
Resources for further education colleges and other training organisations to:
-
understand what qualification achievement rates (QARs)
(QARs)are and their purpose -
access current QAR guidance
-
access QAR dashboards and data extracts
-
resolve QAR queries
Links to guidance documents for technical specifications, business rules and QAR data are also provided.
The purpose of QARs
Qualification achievement rates (QARs)(QARs) give one measure of how well further education (FE)(FE) colleges and other training organisations perform each year.
QARs use Individualisedindividualised Learnerlearner Recordrecord (ILR) data to calculate what proportion of learning was successfully completed and the result is shown as a percentage figure.
QAR uses include:
-
national statistics
-
monitoring activities such as performance management by
fundingsuchasEducationforandEducation,SkillsStrategicFundingAuthoritiesAgency(includingandformally named Mayoral Combined Authorities) and OfstedAuthorities. -
acountability measures such as the apprenticeships accountability framework
-
self assessment (training organisations analysing their own performance)
QARs are produced for:
forapprenticeships,traineeships,(AdultEducationBudgetandAdultLearnerLoans)and- Advanced Learner
reportedLoans - tailored
tolearning - apprenticeships
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Qualification achievement rates guidance
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Checking QAR data in-year
Although all of the achievement data will not yet have been recorded in the individualised learner record, training organisations get early sight of their data to identify and resolve potential data issues prior to the final ILR collection (R14),(R14) whichthat closes in mid-October each year.
The in-year data releases guidance gives examples of common data issues to check for, such as duplicate records, and explains how to resolve them.
It is important that training organisations use this in-year QAR to review their data, as it cannot be changed after the R14 ILR collection. Summary QAR data and a detailed data extract are created:
-
in July
June/Julyeach year using the training organisation’s R10 ILR data -
in September
August/Septembereach year using the training organisation’s R12 ILR data
In-year data is not published externally, it is only intended for use by training organisations.
Provisional QAR data
Training organisations can view their provisional QAR data followingin theJanuary submission of their R14 ILR each year. This gives them a final chance to check that the QAR methodology has been applied correctly. In previous years the provisional QAR was released in January but from the 2024 to 2025 reporting period this will be released in November. The final QAR data is published in theNational national achievement rate tables in theMarch first quarter of each year.
Possible errors with the way the methodology has been applied should be reported through the customerESFA helponline portalenquiry form.
How to access QAR data
Training organisations access their QAR data through View your education data (VYED). To register for VYED, training organisations need to have a DfE Sign-in (DSI).
For access, users must have the QAR‘View subYour serviceEducation addedData to- theirQAR’ DSIrole account.
QARsadded are published annually in national achievement rates tables (NARTs), which enable training organisations to benchmark their performance.IDAMS They are available on the explore education statistics platform at:account.
Get help with QARs
The business rules, technical specifications and in-year data release guidance containscontain all the information needed to understand how QARs are calculated.
General queries should be raised through our customeronline helpenquiry portalform., select the QAR query type.
If your enquiry relates to specific learners, you should also complete and submit the QAR data query form.
There is an online forum, which training organisations can use to discuss data-relateddata related queries with other training providers.
UpdatesApproach to thisschool pageand college accountability, performance tables and data during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Published
In 25July January2021, 2023
Lastit updatedwas 18announced Junethe 2025
for href="#full-history">+2021 showto all2022 updates
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Updatedto align with that for school and college performance tables.
For the release2021 to 2022 academic year, Education and Training, Apprenticeships and Traineeships QARs will be published at provider level. This is a change from 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021, when we confirmed that we would not publish any provider-level QARs in response to COVID-19.
Full details of qualificationthe achievementannouncement ratescan forbe 2024found at Coronavirus (COVID-19): school and college accountability 2021 to 2025.2022.
In 25July January2021, 2023
-
Updated
toalignwiththatschoolandcollegeperformancetables.For2021to2022academicyear,EducationandTraining,ApprenticeshipsandTraineeshipsQARswillbepublishedatproviderlevel.Thisisachangefrom2019to2020and2020to2021,whenweconfirmedthatwewouldnotpublishanyprovider-levelQARsinresponsetoCOVID-19.Fulldetailstheachievementannouncementratescanforbe2024foundatCoronavirus(COVID-19):schoolandcollegeaccountability20212022.
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10 January 2024 Content related to minimum standards has been removed.
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5 July 2023 Updated section to include 2022 to 2023 Qualification achievement rates guidance
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25 January 2023 First published.
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Update history
2025-06-18 09:00
Updated for the release of qualification achievement rates for 2024 to 2025.
2024-06-05 12:07
Added link to ‘Qualification achievement rates 2023 to 2024’ under the Qualification achievement rates guidance heading.
2024-01-10 14:47
Content related to minimum standards has been removed.
2023-07-05 16:34
Updated section to include 2022 to 2023 Qualification achievement rates guidance
2023-01-25 10:59
First published.
Update history
2025-06-18 09:00
Updated for the release of qualification achievement rates for 2024 to 2025.
2024-06-05 12:07
Added link to ‘Qualification achievement rates 2023 to 2024’ under the Qualification achievement rates guidance heading.
2024-01-10 14:47
Content related to minimum standards has been removed.
2023-07-05 16:34
Updated section to include 2022 to 2023 Qualification achievement rates guidance
2023-01-25 10:59
First published.