FE Teaching Qualifications: AET vs CET vs Level 5 Diploma

Which FE teaching qualifications exist in England?

Further education covers colleges, sixth forms, adult and community learning, prison education and work-based training. Unlike school teaching, you do not need Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or a degree to teach in FE. Instead, the sector uses a ladder of Ofqual-regulated qualifications at Levels 3, 4 and 5 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).

The ladder was reset by the Department for Education in 2024. The old Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training (DET) was replaced by the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills), built on the Learning and Skills Teacher occupational standard. The Level 3 AET and Level 4 CET still exist as regulated qualifications and are still widely taught, but they are stepping stones rather than the full teaching qualification.

AET vs CET vs Level 5 Diploma in Teaching: comparison table

Sources: Ofqual Register of Regulated Qualifications; TQUK qualification specification 610/3842/8; Department for Education, Further education initial teacher education; Society for Education and Training, QTLS.

What is the Level 3 Award in Education and Training?

The Level 3 AET is the entry-level teaching qualification for the post-16 sector. It replaced the older PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) award in 2013. It covers roles and responsibilities, planning and delivering inclusive sessions, and assessment. You deliver one short micro-teach to your tutor group rather than completing a placement, which is why it can be finished in a few weeks.

The AET is the right choice if you are an assessor, a workplace trainer or a subject specialist who delivers occasional sessions and wants a recognised certificate. It does not on its own qualify you as an FE teacher.

What is the Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training?

The Level 4 CET sits between the Award and the Diploma. It replaced CTLLS in 2013. You need 30 hours of real teaching practice, observed at least three times, and you study units on planning, delivering and assessing learning in more depth, plus optional units such as working with learners with special educational needs.

The CET suits people already teaching or training part-time who want to formalise what they do. Like the AET, it is not the full FE teacher qualification, and since the 2024 reforms it no longer feeds directly into QTLS.

What is the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills)?

The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (FE and Skills) is the qualification you need to be a fully qualified FE teacher or college lecturer without a degree or PGCE. It replaced the DET in 2024 and is written against the Learning and Skills Teacher standard, so colleges recognise it as equivalent to a Certificate in Education or PGCE (FE) for employment purposes.

Holders can apply for QTLS (Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills) through the Society for Education and Training. QTLS has been recognised as equal to QTS for teaching in maintained schools in England since 2012.

The Ofqual-regulated TQUK Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is 120 credits across 11 mandatory units with 395 guided learning hours. You need access to a 250-hour teaching placement in an FE setting, with at least 150 hours of teaching. Study is online and self-paced, from £79.99 a month, with a free 7-day trial and a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching course page.

Which FE teaching qualification do you need?

• Want to deliver occasional training sessions or assess learners? Start with the Level 3 AET, or go straight to the Level 3 CAVA assessor qualification if assessing is your main role.
• Already teaching part-time in a college or training provider? The Level 4 CET formalises your practice, but check whether your employer would rather fund the Level 5 directly.
• Want a permanent FE teaching or lecturing job, a pay scale place and QTLS? You need the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching. Our guides on how to become a college lecturer and DET vs the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching explain the route.
• Working in schools rather than colleges? The FE ladder is not the right one. See teaching assistant levels explained and the HLTA Level 4 course.

Do you need the AET before the CET or the Level 5?

No. The three qualifications are separate, not sequential. Most awarding organisations accept learners straight onto the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching if they hold a Level 3 qualification in the subject they want to teach and can secure a placement. Completing the AET first can help if you have never taught, but you do not have to.