Ofqual’s 2026 Qualification Pricing Report
Dr. Gemma Gronland
Qualification pricing looks stable, but Ofqual’s recent 2026 pricing report shows a more challenging reality sitting behind it; a tightly constrained market trying to absorb growing complexity in delivery.
The 2026 data shows prices rising modestly at around 3-4%, broadly in line with inflation and wages. But beneath that is a more complex picture where prices appear tightly anchored to market and funding expectations, while delivery remains highly variable, often complex, and in some cases structurally difficult to scale. Cost, complexity and pricing are increasingly out of sync.
We are seeing this play out in a number of ways.
Cost pressures for AOs are real, but not pulling through to price
While workforce costs are a major driver of pricing, with staffing forming a substantial part of AO cost bases and rising wages influencing fee increases, qualification price growth remains modest and closely aligned to inflation. This creates tension where labour costs rise but pricing remains anchored, meaning AOs must absorb pressure elsewhere through tighter margins, efficiency gains or delivery trade-offs.
Delivery complexity varies significantly across qualification types
Within VTQ, qualifications span from single-day courses to multi-year study, where guided learning hours can range from under 200 to over 1,500 within the same category. Despite this, pricing is presented as averages, meaning there are very different delivery models sat behind similar fees. This is reinforced by T Levels, where reported prices cover only the technical qualification, excluding other required elements such as industry placements. Price data is only capturing part of the total cost.
Apprenticeship assessment exposing structural pricing limits
In apprenticeship assessment, pricing is explicitly constrained by funding rules rather than cost. EPAs average 11.6% of the funding band maximum, effectively placing a ceiling on fees regardless of delivery model. At the same time, cost drivers vary significantly by route, including assessor availability and wages, equipment requirements, and demand levels affecting economies of scale. These factors materially shape delivery complexity, but pricing remains bounded, creating a clear mismatch between cost variability and pricing flexibility.
Variation within sectors reinforces the constraint
Even within VTQs, variation is significant. Inflation ranges from 3.3% to 5.3%, with some categories such as Technical Certificates reaching 7.7%, while prices range from around £80 to over £247 depending on qualification type. But those differences remain within a relatively tight overall band, suggesting that even where cost pressures are higher, pricing cannot fully adjust.
or AOs, the challenge is to do more, at speed, and in a more complex system. Given the lack of pricing flexibility that can only be achieved by transformation and doing things differently.
Through Project Shybird, we have a response to that challenge. A tech-enabled approach to development can help AOs deploy better qualifications at pace and deploy them more effectively in increasingly constrained environments. If you’re interested in how we can help, get in touch.
Source: Qualification price statistics: 2026 - GOV.UK
