ILM qualifications explained: Award, Certificate, Diploma & Extended Diploma

Once you have chosen an ILM level, you choose a size: an Award, a Certificate, a Diploma, or an Extended Diploma. This confuses a lot of people, because the words sound like they describe difficulty. They do not. The level sets the difficulty; the size sets how much you cover.

Size is not difficulty

Here is the rule that clears up almost every question: the level tells you how demanding the qualification is; the size tells you how much of it there is.

A Level 5 Award and a Level 5 Diploma are pitched at exactly the same level of demand — both are degree-level, both expect the same depth of thinking. The Diploma just contains more units and therefore requires more evidence and more time. So you never "level up" by choosing a bigger size; you broaden.

The four sizes

• Award — the smallest. A focused qualification built from a mandatory unit plus one or more optional units. Best if you want a specific, quicker credential, or you want to try the portfolio format before committing to more.
• Certificate — medium. Broader than an Award, covering more of the management role.
• Diploma — large. A comprehensive qualification covering a wide range of units.
• Extended Diploma — the most comprehensive. The largest qualification in the suite, with the widest set of mandatory and optional units.

How size is measured: credits, GLH and TQT

Three numbers describe the size of a qualification, and you will see them on every official specification:

• Credits — a rough measure of volume. One credit represents about 10 hours of total learning. Bigger qualifications carry more credits.
• GLH (Guided Learning Hours) — time spent learning with direct support from a tutor or assessor: live sessions, workshops, structured e-learning.
• TQT (Total Qualification Time) — all the time a typical learner needs, including GLH plus independent study, reading, and building the portfolio. TQT is always larger than GLH, and it is the honest figure to plan your time around.

ILM Level 3 sizes (8723)

The current Level 3 suite, ILM Level 3 Leadership and Management, offers all four sizes:

See the full unit list on the Level 3 qualification page.

ILM Level 5 sizes (8725)

The current Level 5 suite, ILM Level 5 Leadership and Management, also offers all four sizes:

See the full unit list on the Level 5 qualification page.

Rules of combination

Every size has rules of combination — a small set of rules about which units you must take (mandatory) and how many optional units you need to reach the required credits. For example, most sizes require the level's mandatory unit (301 at Level 3, 501 at Level 5) plus a number of optional units. The rules exist so that everyone with the same qualification has covered a comparable core while still tailoring the optional units to their role.

How assessment works, regardless of size

Whichever size you choose, assessment is the same: a portfolio of evidence, graded pass/fail, with no exams and no written assignments. All evidence for the skills learning outcomes must be generated in the workplace or a realistic working environment, and must be valid and attributable to you. A larger qualification simply means more units to evidence — the method does not change. If that is new to you, read What is a portfolio of evidence?.

Which size should you choose?

• Choose an Award for a focused, faster qualification, or to test the format.
• Choose a Certificate for broader coverage of the management role.
• Choose a Diploma or Extended Diploma for the most comprehensive, substantial credential.

Many learners start with an Award or Certificate and step up later, carrying their existing units forward. If you are not sure, the Level 3 and Level 5 pages lay out every option side by side.