Cambridge Advanced Nationals

Cambridge Advanced Nationals, our new Level 3 Alternative Academic Qualifications, have been approved for funding for first teach from September 2025

All our Level 3 150 GLH, 180 GLH (AS Level size) and 360 GLH (A Level size) Cambridge Advanced Nationals submitted in Cycle 1 are approved for funding and can be taken as a part of a post-16 programme of study

Who are Cambridge Advanced Nationals for?

Designed for students aged 16-19 years, our Level 3 Cambridge Advanced Nationals will complement existing A Level and post-16 study programmes.

Our qualifications provide students with the practical and essential skills and knowledge they need to better prepare themselves for entry into higher education and university.

How Cambridge Advanced Nationals fit into a Level 3 programme of study?

Possible combinations of Level 3 qualifications:

1 x 360 GLH Cambridge Advanced National (AAQ) + 2 x A Levels
1 x 720 GLH Cambridge Advanced National (AAQ)* + 1 x A Level
1 x 1080 GLH Cambridge Advanced National (AAQ)*

Check out examples of possible A Level and Cambridge Advanced Nationals combinations on our dedicated webpage

*Sport and media only

UCAS Tariff points

Cambridge Advanced Nationals are worth UCAS Tariff points and our cycle 1 qualifications are on the UCAS Tariff points calculator. Calculate your UCAS Tariff points here

Certificate (150/180 GLH)		Extended Certificate (360 GLH)
D* D M P	28 points 24 points 16 points 8 points	D* D M P	56 points 48 points 32 points 16 points

Want to find out more about cycle 1 Cambridge Advanced Nationals?

Join one of our free subject webinars for an introduction and summary about our new qualifications.

Cambridge Advanced Nationals will be developed in two cycles:

Cycle 1 - for first teaching September 2025 (includes subjects that align with waves 1 and 2 of T Level roll-out)
Cycle 2 - (includes everything not covered in Cycle 1). First teaching: TBC

Continue teaching Cambridge Technicals with confidence

You can continue to teach our Cambridge Technicals (2016) Level 3 qualifications in the 2024-25 academic year. We will continue to keep you up to date on any policy changes as they happen.

Check out all the current last first teach dates for Level 3 Cambridge Technicals with our Level 3 Cambridge Technicals funding guide.

Why choose Cambridge Advanced Nationals?

Full compensation grading: Students are always rewarded for their demonstrated abilities - every single mark your students earn will directly contribute to their final grade. No mark will go to waste.
Every mark matters: Gone are the days of hurdle elements in units. If a student meets all but one Pass criterion and some Merit criteria, they won't face failure. Our approach compensates for performance at both the unit and qualification levels, ensuring fairness and encouragement for every student.
Features teachers love and more: Cambridge Advanced Nationals incorporate the popular features from our Cambridge Technicals, including visiting moderation, a blend of examination and coursework units, and we're keeping the well-recognised Pass, Merit, Distinction grade scale. Plus, you'll continue to benefit from our range of comprehensive support and resources.
Pathways to university: Designed in collaboration with teachers and universities, Cambridge Advanced Nationals equip students with a well-rounded skill set for today's undergraduate studies as part of a Level 3 programme of study.
Complementary practical application: Designed to be taken alongside A Levels, Cambridge Advanced Nationals seamlessly complement a mixed study programme while maintaining a strong focus on the practical application of skills and knowledge - a valuable supplement to A Levels, enabling clear progression to university.

Let us know what you think!

We'd really appreciate your feedback on these draft materials. Let us know your thoughts in our short survey. It should take no more than 5 minutes to complete and all data collected will remain confidential within OCR and will not be shared with third parties. Take survey

Cycle 2 - First teach September 2026

For cycle 2 we'll be redeveloping further qualifications in the following subjects (subject to DfE approval):

Creative Media Production
Cyber Security and Digital Networking
Enterprise and Innovation
Marketing
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Policing and Criminal Justice*
Sport
Sustainability

*The Department for Education (DfE) have announced in an updated ‘Guide to Post-16 qualifications’ that it would NOT consider funding a small AAQ as a Criminology subject. We are reviewing options for submitting such a qualification in subject categories where funding will be considered and will communicate our decision soon.

Everything you need to start teaching

Embarking on the journey of teaching a new qualification may seem overwhelming at first, but rest assured, we're here to support you every step of the way.

Whether it's getting started with teaching, planning your course, providing guidance for exams or offering post-results services, we have a wealth of resources, textbooks and training to assist you at every stage.

Starting from September 2025, you'll have access to everything you need to teach Cambridge Advanced Nationals, ensuring a smooth and successful experience, including:

Mapping and overview documents

Compare the new Cambridge Advanced National specifications with existing Applied Generals to help you understand what’s new and different about the new qualifications.

Free teaching and assessment resources

Assessment resources, including:

Annotated Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs)
Assessment Story
Candidate Style Answers
Practice Papers
NEA Admin Guide
Candidate Style Work
E-Learning Course

Teaching resources, including:

Curriculum planners for every unit
Detailed schemed of work
Student guides
Teaching activities

An extensive professional development programme

Courses including:

Choosing AAQs and Understanding the Compensation Model
Ask the Moderator
Starting to Teach
Preparing for the NEA

Textbooks

We’re working with leading publisher Cambridge University Press to provide you with textbooks and other resources for cycle 1 Cambridge Advanced Nationals before first teach in September 2025.

Exceptional post-result services

Services including results analysis through Active Results and free on-demand Access to Scripts.

All our support will be instantly and easily accessible via Teach Cambridge, our secure online hub for teachers.

Don't forget to sign up for email updates and stay informed about the availability of support materials and courses.

A complete post-16 programme of study

Cambridge Advanced Nationals complement existing A Level study programmes, so students who want to progress onto further or higher education, but don't want to study only A Levels (or a T Level programme), can choose a mixed study programme.

We already offer over 30 A Level qualifications in a wide range of subject areas and many students already take one or more A Levels alongside vocational qualifications, such as our existing Cambridge Technicals. Students also choose to supplement their study programmes with our Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) or Core Maths.

This mixed study programme provides students with the practical and essential skills and knowledge they need to better prepare themselves for entry into higher education and university.

Level 3 Cambridge Advanced Nationals (AAQ)

Who are Cambridge Advanced Nationals for?

How Cambridge Advanced Nationals fit into a Level 3 programme of study?

UCAS Tariff points

Every Mark Matters

Watch our video below to discover more

Download the Cambridge Advanced Nationals (AAQ) Explained brochure

Interested in teaching Cambridge Advanced Nationals?

Want to find out more about cycle 1 Cambridge Advanced Nationals?

Cambridge Advanced Nationals will be developed in two cycles:

Continue teaching Cambridge Technicals with confidence

Why choose Cambridge Advanced Nationals?