Key information and guidance about qualification achievement rates (QAR) and minimum standards.

Approach to school and college accountability, performance tables and data during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

We previously confirmed that we will not publish any institution-level QARs in the national achievement rate tables for the 2019 to 2020 academic year in response to COVID-19.

We also announced that data will not be used by others, such as Ofsted, local authorities or devolved authorities or within ESFA and DFE, to hold institutions to account. Therefore, we will not supply 2019 to 2020 QARs for institutions to use internally themselves.

We are currently reviewing what data we will publish for statistical purposes in 2021 for the 2019 to 2020 QARs but, it will not contain any data at institution level.

You are still able to check your data is accurate. The Inform: May 2019 article explains which funding monitoring reports impact on QARs and some of the common data issues we encounter.

  1. Coronavirus (COVID-19): school and college performance measures
    • Guidance

Qualification achievement rates: business rules, technical specifications and data extract guidance

Final qualification achievement rates

We have published your final QAR 2018 to 2019. All the data is available through:

To access the data, please ensure you have the correct IDAMS user access. Please see the IDAMS user guides for creating access or checking your user permissions.  

If you have any questions, please contact the service desk.  

Further information

For more information on QARs, please visit How the ESFA measures the performance of FE providers it funds

The business rules outline the policy for calculating QARs for apprenticeships and for education and training.The technical specifications explain how QAR’s are calculated, what data is included and what data is excluded. The data extract guidance documents explains how a providers QAR data extracts can be used to show achievement rates to match those in the achievement rates dashboard. It also provides information about how the data is generated.

  1. Qualification achievement rates (QAR) 2019 to 2020
    • Guidance
  2. Qualification achievement rates (QAR) 2018 to 2019
    • Guidance
  3. Qualification achievement rates (QAR) 2017 to 2018
    • Guidance
  4. Qualification achievement rates 2016 to 2017
    • Guidance
  5. Qualification achievement rate 2015 to 2016 (formerly QSR)
    • Guidance
  6. Qualification achievement rate 2014 to 2015 (formerly QSR)
    • Guidance

Minimum standards

Explains how we will apply minimum standards to all age apprenticeships and to adult (19+) education and training provision.

  1. Minimum standards 2018 to 2019
    • Guidance
  2. Minimum standards 2017 to 2018
    • Guidance
  3. Minimum standards 2016 to 2017
    • Guidance
  4. Minimum standards 2015 to 2016
    • Guidance

National achievement rates tables

The national achievement rate tables (NARTs) provide detailed information about QARs, allowing the sector to analyse and benchmark performance.

  1. National achievement rates tables 2018 to 2019
    • Official Statistics
  2. National achievement rates tables 2017 to 2018
    • Official Statistics
  3. National achievement rates tables 2016 to 2017
    • Official Statistics
  4. National achievement rates tables 2015 to 2016
    • Official Statistics

Guidance for providers

Guidance for requesting access to the Identity and Access Management System (IDAMS) and how to request the necessary user permissions to access your QAR data.

We produce reports for the qualification achievement rates (QARs). Guidance is available for using the reports on the View Your Education Data dashboard.

  1. How to register for an IDAMS account
    • Guidance

Published 27 November 2017
Last updated 29 July 2020 + show all updates

  1. We have updated our approach to school and college accountability, performance tables and data and confirmed that we will not supply 2019 to 2020 QARs to institutions.

  2. The National achievement rates tables 2018 to 2019 documents have been added to the collection page

  3. We have updated this page to highlight the updated guidance on publishing institution level qualification achievement rates in the national achievement rate tables for the 2019 to 2020 academic year in response to coronavirus.

  4. We are alerting customers that their QAR data is now live.

  5. We have updated information on the final qualification achievement rate (QAR) data and national achievement rate tables for 2018 to 2019.

  6. We have confirmed when we will publish the final qualification achievement rate data and national achievement rate tables for 2018 to 2019.

  7. We have updated the QAR collection page with some updated information

  8. We have published some new documents: 2019 to 2020 business rules for QAR, Technical Specification for 2018 to 2019 version 3 and the transparency reporting plans for 2018 to 2019.

  9. We have published information on the R12 in-year qualification achievement rate (QAR) data .

  10. We have published information on updates to the qualification achievement rate (QAR) technical specification documents for 2018 to 2019.

  11. We have added information about the R12 in-year data release for 2018 to 2019 and an update on the View Your Education Data Portal.

  12. We have updated this page with information about our refresh of the QAR 2017 to 2018 reports, based on user feedback to ensure a consistent look and feel with the QAR 2018 to 2019 in-year data.

  13. We’ve added information about QAR in-year data release for 2018 to 2019 and added a link to the minimum standards 2018 to 2019 guidance.

  14. We have updated the information on the new View Your Education Data portal.

  15. We are launching a beta version of the View Your Education Data portal in the week commencing Monday 22 April.

  16. We’ve added a link to a provider feedback survey, to help us continue to improve our QAR processes and how we support you. The survey closes on Friday 3 May.

  17. We have updated the information on qualification achievement rates (QAR) 2017 to 2018. Final data is now available.

  18. We have updated our information about the final qualification achievement rates for 2017 to 2018 and the QAR business rules 2018 to 2019.

  19. We have published Qualification achievement rates (QAR) 2018 to 2019.

  20. We have updated the information on the qualification achievement rates (QAR) 2017 to 2018 provisional data window.

  21. We have updated the information on R04 data returns.

  22. We have published information on the qualification achievement rates (QAR) 2017 to 2018 provisional data window.

  23. We’ve updated the information on the Qualification Achievement Rates (QAR) reports.

  24. Added Qualification Achievement Rates update: dashboard decommissioning and new reports

  25. Added minimum standards 2017 to 2018 guidance

  26. We have released the in-year Qualification Achievement Rate (QAR) data for 2017 to 2018 on both the Hub and through the Business Intelligence (BI) dashboards.

  27. Added information about the qualification achievement rates (QARs) 2017 to 2018 – in-year data release.

  28. Added a link to our provider feedback survey.

  29. Added the qualification achievement rates 2017 to 2018.

  30. Link added to the collections page for February’s Inform

  31. Updated qualification achievement rates 2016 to 2017 documents.

  32. First published.

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