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An NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) is a competence-based assessment of the skills, knowledge and experience that you already have.

Generally, our NVQ  candidates have worked their way up through the ranks of construction naturally. They have learned ‘on the job’ over a number of years and are established in their role, but they don’t actually have any formal recognition of their skills, knowledge and experience.

That’s where the NVQ comes in. NVQs are not about going ‘back to school’ or being taught how to do X,Y,Z, they’re simply about proving to an assessor that you carry out your job, safely, effectiveley and in line with the industry standard

Our assessors are highly experienced, qualified construction professionals who have done the job themselves.

Most of our assessors are Members or Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

We carefully select a particular assessor for each individual learner to ensure that your workplace experiences are aligned and that the feedback and guidance provided is useful, relevant and rewarding.

Your assessor will provide advice and feedback throughout the process via phone, Zoom, email and through the CADUK ePortfolio portal.

No. NVQs aren’t about how good you are at exams, they’re about proving that you can carry out the work safely, competently, and effectively.

NVQs don’t involve exams and trick questions, they are designed for practical people who have learned and developed their skills over time in a real working environment.

The only ‘test’ that you will need to take before you can apply for your CSCS card is the CITB Health Safety and Environment test (also known as the ‘touch screen test’). This isn’t required for the NVQ, but you will need to pass the appropriate level CITB HSE test before you can apply for your CSCS card (once you have completed the NVQ).

No. You could effectively go from having no qualifications at all, to a Level 7 NVQ (the highest competence-based qualification in Construction).

The only caveat being that you need to prove to us first that you are already working at the required level and have been in the job for the appropriate amount of time.

Prior to enrolment, we carry out a (free) profiling session with each candidate. This process is designed specifically to make sure that the NVQ is achievable and is the most appropriate to your skills, knowledge, experience and job role.

Each NVQ page of our website has a red ‘Click here to apply’ button. Clicking this button will take you to the profiling tool for that specific NVQ.

The Profiling Tool is a short form that can be completed online in 5-10 minutes. It lists the key criteria of each NVQ and provides examples of type of evidence required.

You will be asked to attach your CV to the form, then once submitted, we’ll allocate you to one of our NVQ assessors who will call you back for a brief telephone  profiling session (free of charge).

During this profiling session the assessor essentially needs to make sure that the NVQ is achievable and appropriate (i.e. you have the skills, knowledge, experience and evidence needed to be successful).

Once the assessor has approved you to enrol you can start your NVQ right away.

Alternativeley, if the assessor feels that a different qualification (higher or lower) is more appropriate, they will make that recommendation.

No, all of our NVQs are  assessed through a ‘discussion-style’ process and involve no written work.

First, you will upload your evidence (documents, photos, videos, witness testimony, etc) to our online ePortfolio portal so that your assessor can see it. Once the evidence has been accepted, you will arrange a series of Zoom/Teams meetings with your assessor where you will ‘talk your way’ through the units/criteria of the qualification.

No. The whole assessment can be completed online. Your assessor will ask to see videos and photographs from the site, but using technologies such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and our online ePortfolio portal, the whole assessment can be carried out remotely.

Achievement of an NVQ is really down to you, and how motivated you are to have it completed.

We provide support for 12 months, however these qualifications are realistically achievable within 1–3 months depending on your own commitment.

We also offer ‘fast-track’ assessment options which are suitable for more experienced Supervisors and Managers. the aim of the fast-track assessment is to have the whole qualification completed within 4 weeks or less.

There are no exams, no workshops to attend, no site visits, and no need to take time of work.

Yes, CADUK are a CITB Approved Training Organisation (ATO). CITB registered employers can therefore claim up to £1500 per candidate on achievement of any of our construction-specific qualifications. This includes small employers (i.e. those with a wage bill of less than £80k) who don’t have to pay the levy.

As of 1st April 2023, the amount that CITB registered companies can claim back per NVQ is:

Level 2 NVQ: £600 

Level 3-4 NVQ: £1250

Level 6-7 NVQ: £1500

This grant applies to directly employed staff on the payroll and all subcontractors.

Read our article by clicking here for more information.

To find out if you are eligible to claim the CITB grant please Click Here, or call CITB directly on 0344 994 4455.