FAQ
Q I have found a qualification on your website, are you able to confirm if there is any funding available?
You should speak to the provider of your course who will be able to advise you of any funding available, or provide an Information of Funding Letter. They will also be able to let you know how to apply and ensure you meet any eligibility criteria.
Q Why am I being asked to pay a different cost to the price displayed on your website?
A The prices displayed on our website are the per-learner registration and certification charge that we make to education providers; i.e. our Centres and do not reflect the charge a provider will make to learners for their course delivery leading to the achievement of any qualification.
It is always best to check the cost of a course directly with a provider.
Note: In addition to the charges shown on our website, providers will have to take into account factors such as your eligibility for public funding, the cost of teaching staff, buildings and any other resources or equipment that they make available.
Q Replacement Certificates
We have a dedicated webpage here to guide you through the process of applying to us for a replacement certificate, which involves completing a Replacement Certificate form.
Please read all of the information including our FAQ’s Regarding Replacement Certificates document before submitting the form.
My name has changed since I completed my qualification, how can I get my certificate updated?
Certificates must reflect your name at the time of the award. We can only approve name amendments on certificates in the following circumstances:
Obvious Spelling Errors
Evidence can be provided that the name was changed prior to the original certification
Gender Reassignment
UK Protected Person Service Status
How much does a replacement certificate cost?
Replacement Certificate (posted within UK) - £31
Replacement Certificate (posted outside UK) - £41
Replacement Certificate Archive Search (Achievements prior to 1999) - £50
Q Receiving Certificates
Your training provider or college will provide you with your certificate, so you should speak to them in first instance about when you can expect to receive your certificate.
AIM endeavours to dispatch certificates to our Centres within five working days of a successfully completed claim from the Centre.
Note: There is usually some delay from the time learners actually complete their course to when Centres are able to submit certificate claims to us. There are many reasons for this such as there may be course work that needs to be marked or checked after learner completion of the course.
If you have spoken to your training provider and believe you should have received a certificate please contact us.
How can I tell if a certificate is genuine?
If you have a qualification certificate awarded by AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group that you would like to verify as authentic you can use our free Certificate Verification process to instantly verify a certificate online.
You will need the following information to complete the authentication, most of which you will find on the certificate:
Certificate Number
Learners name
Learners Date of Birth
Q Why didn't I get the qualification I was expecting?
It is always best to raise any concerns initially with the college/provider where you studied and we will work with them to resolve the issue.
Q What is my certificate equivalent to?
The qualification title will indicate the level of difficulty of a qualification and how long it will take the average learner to complete it, along with its general content. All qualifications have a Level and a Size that are indicated in the qualification title. The higher the level, the more difficult the qualification. Qualification size can be measured in credits or in the time an average person would be expected to take to complete the qualification. See our webpages for more information about qualification titles, sizes and credit and levels.
For further information about the different types of qualifications, the Gov.UK website provides a list of the different types of qualifications available at each level, and links to compare Scottish or overseas qualifications.
If you have achieved a level 3 qualification (such as an Access to Higher Education Diploma) with the intention of progressing to Higher Education, you can use the UCAS Tariff Calculator to find out how many points each qualification attracts.
If you are intending to study a qualification to meet the entry requirements for a job or further study, we would always recommend checking with your intended employer or provider that they will accept that particular qualification before you start your studies.
Q How can I check my UCAS points?
For full details please read our guide to UCAS tariff.
Q Will my Higher Education Provider/University accept my certificate?
You should always check with the institution you intend to study at as they may have other entry requirements that you also need to meet, or require your Access to Higher Education Diploma to have specific subject focus.
Certificates do not have an expiry date, but some HE providers may require evidence of recent study.
Q Other questions you may have
We have a section on our website for Access to Higher Education Students which provides more information and links you may find useful here.
Can’t find the information you are looking for?
In many cases your college or learning provider will be best placed to help you.
If you need to contact us about anything else, please use our online enquiry form to get in touch and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can or simply call us on 01902 624230.