ILM vs City & Guilds: are they the same qualification?

If you have been comparing leadership courses, you have probably seen the same qualification described as "ILM" on one website and "City & Guilds" on another — and wondered whether they are the same thing, or whether one is better. Here is the clear answer.

ILM is part of City & Guilds

They are not competitors. ILM is part of City & Guilds.

• City & Guilds is the awarding organisation — the Ofqual-regulated body that owns the qualifications and issues the certificates. It has awarded vocational qualifications since 1878.
• ILM (the Institute of Leadership & Management) is the leadership and management brand within City & Guilds.

So a modern leadership qualification can be described accurately as both an ILM qualification and a City & Guilds qualification. Neither description is wrong, and one is not "better" than the other — they refer to the same thing from two angles: the brand (ILM) and the awarding organisation (City & Guilds). This is exactly why we describe our courses as "ILM by City & Guilds".

Why does the same course carry both names?

Branding and history. ILM has been the recognised name in leadership and management qualifications for decades, so learners and employers search for and trust "ILM". City & Guilds is the awarding organisation that stands behind the certificate and appears on the regulated qualification title. Providers use whichever name their audience recognises — which is why you will see both, sometimes on the same page.

What will my certificate actually say?

Your certificate reflects the exact regulated title of the qualification you complete. For the current suites that means a City & Guilds title with an ILM lineage, for example:

• City & Guilds Level 3 Certificate in Leadership and Management Skills (8723)
• City & Guilds Level 5 Diploma in Operational Leadership and Management Skills (8725)

On our qualification pages we always show the exact certificate title in full, so there are no surprises. See the Level 3 and Level 5 pages for the precise wording of each size.

The old ILM 8600 codes vs the current 8723 / 8725 suites

Here is a common source of confusion. For years the ILM leadership and management qualifications carried 8600-series codes (for example, the ILM Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management). Those legacy qualifications have been succeeded by the current City & Guilds suites:

There is one important practical difference beyond the code. The legacy 8600 qualifications used written assignments. The current 8723 and 8725 suites use a portfolio of workplace evidence — no assignments, no exams, graded pass/fail. If you have found old "ILM assignment" resources online, they relate to the legacy qualifications, not the current ones. We explain this properly in ILM assignments vs portfolio evidence.

Does it matter which name a provider uses?

Not for the value of the qualification — the regulated title and level are what count, and those are the same regardless of whether a provider leads with "ILM" or "City & Guilds". What does matter is that you study with an approved centre, because only an approved centre can register you and assess your portfolio. Leader Study Pro is delivered by VQ Solutions Ltd, an approved centre.

In summary

• ILM is part of City & Guilds — same qualification, two names.
• Your certificate carries the exact regulated City & Guilds title, delivered under the ILM banner.
• The current suites are 8723 (Level 3) and 8725 (Level 5); they replaced the legacy 8600-series.
• The current suites are portfolio-assessed, not assignment-based.

Next, read What is ILM? for the full picture, or go straight to the Level 3 and Level 5 qualifications.