Students FAQs

In the first instance, learners can request a replacement from their training centre. If, for any reason, this proves difficult, you can request a replacement certificate from Active IQ by downloading and completing the Replacement Certificate Request Form.

Each replacement eCertificate costs £15 plus VAT. Please email your completed and authentically signed form to Active IQ at csteam@activeiq.co.uk

Payment can be made by card. Please allow for Active IQ to complete all relevant checks and our Accounts team will then contact you on the telephone number you provide on the replacement certificate form.

Replacement certificates are issued within five working days.

The approved centre (the training organisation that delivered your course) is responsible for claiming certificates from Active IQ when learners’ assessments have been completed and, where required, their achievement has been quality assured. Successful certificate claims are processed by Active IQ within five working days and the eCertificates made available to the centre to download. The centre is then responsible for issuing eCertificates to learners. If you have not received your eCertificate, please contact the training organisation that delivered your course.

Active IQ is a recognised awarding organisation. It does not deliver any training courses directly, but has a national and international network of approved centres who deliver its qualifications.

An approved centre is a training organisation (e.g. a college, school, university, commercial training provider or work-based organisation) that has been granted approval by Active IQ to deliver Active IQ qualifications. The approval process is designed to give learners the assurance that Active IQ is satisfied the training organisation has the staff, systems and procedures in place to deliver a positive and high-quality learning experience. Approved centres are monitored and supported by Active IQ to ensure that appropriate standards are consistently maintained.

Active IQ is an awarding organisation that is recognised and regulated by the following qualifications and examinations regulators: Ofqual (England) and Qualifications Wales. We develop and create qualifications (syllabuses and assessments, plus accompanying supporting resources such as manuals and eLearning). Active IQ is not a training provider (centre) and it does not deliver training courses. Instead its qualifications are delivered by a national and international network of approved training organisations that we refer to as ‘approved centres’.

It is the responsibility of the recognised centre (the training organisation that will deliver the course) to set a price for a course.

Active IQ qualifications sit on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and are jointly regulated by England’s regulator Ofqual (incl. Northern Ireland) and Qualifications Wales.

Therefore, Active IQ qualifications are recognised in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own framework: the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Although they do not additionally appear on the SCQF, Active IQ qualifications are widely respected by learners, training organisations and employers in Scotland, and several approved centres in Scotland choose to offer our qualifications.

In Europe, the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) acts as a translation device to make national qualifications more readable across Europe. All regulated qualifications sitting on the RQF (including all Active IQ qualifications) align to the level descriptors of the EQF.

UK qualifications are well-regarded all over the world, and where there is a national register of exercise professionals with an agreement in place for mutual recognition, Active IQ certificates should be recognised for those seeking employment abroad. However, this decision lies uniquely with the relevant country and their local jurisdictions. See EuropeActive and ICREPs for further guidance and information.

All level 3 qualifications are entitled to be nominated into the new UCAS Tariff by relevant higher education institutes. Active IQ’s Level 3 Diploma in Physical Activity, Fitness and Exercise Science has the following points attached to it and is also a Tech Level as designated by the Department for Education:

Distinction: 48 points
Merit: 32 points
Pass: 16 points

However, the university or college you are considering applying to may accept other Active IQ qualifications as an appropriate entry route even if they don’t currently attract UCAS Tariff points. See the UCAS website for more information.

This can depend on the method of marking the externally set Active IQ exams. There are two possible scenarios for exam marking:

Scenario 1: Exam papers are marked by the approved centre.
In this instance the exam paper must be marked within five working days and Active IQ encourages approved centres to give learners their results, subject to internal moderation*, as soon as possible. Approved centres can choose whether to give learners their results informally (e.g. verbally) or formally (e.g. by letter or email).

(*Please note that approved centres are required to internally moderate exam results. This means that exam papers are ‘spot checked’ to ensure they have been accurately marked. This process can take up to ten working days to complete after the exam papers were first marked).

Scenario 2: Exam papers are marked by Active IQ.
In this instance the approved centre must post the exam papers to Active IQ within five working days of learners sitting the exam. Active IQ marks the papers within five working days, as per our service level agreement, and posts them back to the approved centre. Active IQ encourages all centres to give learners their results as soon as possible, and they can choose whether to give learners their results informally (e.g. verbally) or formally (e.g. by letter or email).

As part of the centre approval process, the training organisation will have satisfied Active IQ that it has a robust complaints procedure, and you should use this procedure to make your training organisation aware that you are unhappy with an aspect of your course or the centre itself.

Once you have exhausted the centre’s internal complaints procedure without a satisfactory resolution, you can use Active IQ’s Complaints Policy to escalate the issue to Active IQ. Please read the Complaints Policy then, if appropriate, contact info@activeiq.co.uk

Successful achievement of certain Active IQ qualifications allows access to the Register of Exercise Professionals in various categories.

All Active IQ centres have a policy and procedure that considers prior learning when identifying learning and assessment requirements for a particular qualification.

When you enrol on a course it is important to inform your training provider of all prior learning as early as possible. You should also be prepared to present evidence of this prior learning to support any recognition of prior learning (RPL) application. Your training provider will evaluate your prior learning and evidence and make an assessment decision relating to the current qualification or course.

As long as they meet Active IQ’s requirements, approved centres can choose how they deliver Active IQ qualifications; some deliver their courses face-to-face, others deliver via distance learning (or home study) and a number choose blended learning (a combination of face-to-face and distance learning).

Most centres use Active IQ manuals or our eLearning platform to support the delivery of our qualifications, so please check this before investing in resources yourself. However, if you do wish to purchase resources independently, you can do so by contacting Active IQ.

Active IQ qualifications are recognised by CIMSPA and sit within their Professional Development Framework.