When looking at gaining more qualifications to boost your CV, you may be trying to work out if Diplomas are as recognised as A-Levels when it comes to qualifications. Diplomas are qualifications that have been around for many years now and unlike when they were first launched, they are now well known and accepted by both employers and universities.
Diplomas themselves tend to be more vocational in nature and this is reflected in the course subjects that they cover. But vocational isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially when it comes to the non-academic world. Employers in particular prefer when their potential employees hold skillsets that are relevant to the working world. So for example, if applying for an accounting role, someone with an AAT or Level 3 Diploma in Accounting may be preferential to someone fresh out of school with just an A-Level in Accounting. That’s not to say that the qualifications aren’t of the same value, but Diplomas do tend to be more relevant and up to date.
When choosing to do Diplomas in place of A-Levels, it’s always important to check and make sure that the course you are choosing is recognised and accepted for the purposes you want to use it for. For example, if you wanted to join the Police or Paramedics, then a Level 3 Diploma can be used in combination with GCSEs to get you employment.
However, if you’re looking to study Medicine at University, then even if you held 5 high level Diplomas in various subjects relating to medicine, you wouldn’t be able to get onto a medical course as universities will always require students to hold both GCSEs and A-Levels.
So before you make your decision over studying Diplomas or A-Levels, ensure you know what the requirements are going to be for your next step, to ensure you have a smooth route to your next educational step.