AET vs CAVA: What's the Difference and Which Do You Need?
The AET and CAVA are both Level 3 education and training qualifications, but they serve different purposes. Choosing the wrong one can mean completing a qualification that does not support your actual role. This guide sets out the key differences clearly.
The Short Answer
The AET (Award in Education and Training) is for people who deliver learning — trainers, instructors, and teachers.
The CAVA (Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement) is for people who assess whether learners are competent — NVQ assessors, workplace assessors, and vocational qualification assessors.
If you stand at the front of a room and teach or train, the AET is likely the right qualification. If you judge whether someone has met a set of competence standards, CAVA is what you need.
Comparison: Purpose
AET — Develops the skills and knowledge to plan, deliver, and evaluate teaching or training sessions. Aimed at people who teach or instruct others in a learning context.
CAVA — Develops the skills and knowledge to assess vocational competence and vocational skills, knowledge and understanding. Aimed at people who make assessment decisions against qualification standards.
These are distinct professional roles with different responsibilities — the qualifications reflect that difference.
Comparison: Who It Suits
AET suits: workplace trainers, health and safety instructors, vocational tutors, skills coaches, and anyone who delivers structured learning to individuals or groups.
CAVA suits: NVQ assessors, apprenticeship assessors, trade assessors, and anyone making formal assessment decisions about a learner's competence against qualification criteria.
Some people hold both — for example, a training manager who delivers induction training (AET) and also assesses apprentices (CAVA).
Comparison: Assessment Style
AET — Assessed through a micro-teach (a short observed teaching session) and a written assignment. Course runs over three classroom days.
CAVA — Assessed through observed assessment practice in the workplace, a portfolio of evidence, and professional discussion. No classroom delivery required.
The CAVA requires you to be actively working in an assessing role during the qualification — you need access to real learners and real assessment situations.
Comparison: Typical Next Step
AET — Often a stepping stone to the Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training for those pursuing a teaching career. For workplace trainers, the AET may be sufficient for their role.
CAVA — Leads naturally into quality assurance roles. The IQA (Level 4 Award in the Internal Quality Assurance of Assessment Processes and Practices) is a common next step for CAVA holders who move into assessor management.
Neither qualification is a mandatory prerequisite for the other — you do not need the AET before taking CAVA, or vice versa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Many training professionals hold both. They cover different competencies and some organisations require their staff to hold both qualifications.
No. The AET is not a prerequisite for CAVA. They are separate qualifications for different functions.
To formally assess NVQs you need the CAVA (or equivalent assessing qualification). The AET alone does not qualify you to make assessment decisions.
The CAVA generally requires a greater volume of evidence and takes longer to complete because it involves assessing real learners in the workplace. However, neither qualification is inherently "harder" — they are just different.
CAVA replaced the A1 and D32/D33 assessor awards. If you hold an older assessing qualification, check whether it is still recognised or whether updating to CAVA is advisable.
CAVA does not typically require extended classroom attendance. The assessment is predominantly workplace-based, though there may be an induction or group session depending on the provider.
Both are nationally recognised qualifications on the RQF. Which one is relevant to your employer depends on what role you perform — teaching and training (AET) or assessing competence (CAVA).
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The Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement (CAVA) is the recognised qualification for assessing vocational learners and workplace competence.
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