supporting all learners

Introduction to the Unit Award Scheme

 
 

What is the Unit Award Scheme (UAS)?

The UAS is a scheme for recording achievement which gives a student recognition for completing short units of work.

  • Units can cover almost any subject or topic.
  • Units can be used with students of any age or ability.

18 000+ units can be found on the Units page. As long as the student's achievement is a valid and worthwhile learning experience, almost any activity can be recognised.

Once registered with the UAS you can:

  • use existing units as they are
  • make minor changes to existing units
  • write your own units.

The UAS ensures that assessment is curriculum-led. See more information in our:

Who uses the UAS?

Currently over 1 250 centres and 60 000 students are registered with the UAS. Types of centres include:

  • mainstream and special schools
  • youth services and other youth provision
  • further education establishments
  • prisons and young offender institutions
  • pupil referral units and other alternative providers
  • community and voluntary organisations
  • charities
  • training providers.

See how different organisations use the UAS in:

How can we join the UAS?

  • You need to complete a centre registration form and attend a day's training. See Joining and Training.

Is the UAS approved and recognised?

Yes. The Scheme received formal approval by the then Dfee for:

  • recording achievement in all non-qualification contexts
  • providing interim accreditation of the achievements of students following unit–based AQA Entry Level, FCSE and QCF qualifications in Personal and Social Education.

It is included in the National Framework of Awards in Non-Formal Educational Settings, published by the National Youth Agency on behalf of the Network for Accrediting Young People's Achievement.

What are the benefits of the UAS?

There are many benefits to the student and to the centre. These include:

  • flexibility in rewarding and celebrating success
  • increasing engagement, self-esteem, motivation and performance
  • supporting lifelong and personalised learning
  • promoting inclusion
  • helping course delivery planning and target setting
  • use over a short time and prompt issue of certificates
  • accredits learning which may otherwise go unrecognised
  • detailed certification making it easy to see what has been achieved
  • use as a 'stepping stone' towards full qualifications and awards.

How are units assessed?

Each stand-alone unit clearly sets out:

  • the skills, abilities, knowledge and understanding that a student must learn and any experiences that he or she should have
  • the evidence that must be provided to show that a student has achieved the outcomes
  • how each of the outcomes is assessed.

Units can therefore be tailored to suit individual needs.

Assessment is carried out within the centre by an appropriate, responsible adult, eg teacher, tutor, youth worker or trainer.

Links with AQA qualifications

UAS registered centres can offer students certificates for completing individual units in our unit-based Entry Level, FCSE qualifications and QCF qualification in Personal and Social Education.

See our leaflets:

The following unit-based AQA Entry Level specifications are available:


The unit-based FCSE MFL specification in Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian and Spanish is available.