If you are interested in working with ASIQUAL to offer qualifications or unit awards you will need to apply for Centre Recognition, or Centre Validation if you wish to offer Validated Programmes.
ASIQUAL staff are on hand throughout the application process to guide centres through the application stage and offer help and advice about any of our qualifications or processes.
STEP 1 – Contact ASIQUAL for initial telephone discussion
During this telephone discussion you will be able to speak to one of our Quality Assurance Officers (QAO) who will be able to offer more information about the process and the requirements for Centre Approval. Should the QAO be satisfied that the centre has the potential to gain approval as an ASIQUAL centre your organisation will be asked to submit a full application.
STEP 2 – The Application
The relevant application documents and guidance notes will be forwarded to your organisation by the QAO. Alongside the Centre Approval Application, centres should submit an application to run at least one ASIQUAL qualification, (or for Validation of one programme) although multiple qualifications can be applied for at this stage. Before any learner registrations can be made, each individual qualification and course that the centre offers must be approved by ASIQUAL.
STEP 3 – Scrutiny of Application
The application is reviewed by our QAO using a risk assessment process and the outcome will depend on an estimation of whether a centre can fully comply with the requirements of being an ASIQUAL centre, and whether the QAO has any concerns over the security of ASIQUAL awards and credits.
STEP 4 – Centre Approval Visit
In most cases a Centre Approval Visit will be required to the centre as part of this decision-making process. This will be arranged with the centre in advance and once all payment has been received. The main purpose of the Centre Approval Visit is to assess the centre’s ability to maintain, and indeed raise standards in the long term. The precise format of the Approval Visit is likely to vary in relation to the size, nature, location and complexity of the centre and in light of the risk assessment undertaken by the QAO during their scrutiny of the application. As part of the visit, the QAO may wish to review centre documentation, meet with staff and students, and view the premises. A more detailed schedule of the visit along with a list of documents that will be required will be communicated to the centre in advance of the visit taking place.
STEP 5 – Centre Approval Decision
Following scrutiny of the application and the Approval Visit the QAO will give a recommendation to the Centre Approval Committee as to whether Recognised Centre Status and Qualification Approval (or Validated Award Centre Status and course Validation) should be granted with or without conditions.
Centres must receive approval to run at least one ASIQUAL Qualification in order to be granted Recognised Centre Status, or one course Validation to be awarded Validated Centre Status. Should the Qualification Approval Application be rejected at this stage, an Action Plan may be provided to the centre in order to assist them in meeting the requirements of the Qualification Approval.
Certification of Centre Approval
Once Centre Approval has been granted, the centre will receive an ASIQUAL unique certificate providing approval for three years. At this point the centre will be allowed to use the ASIQUAL logo. Please note: All uses of the ASIQUAL logo must be approved beforehand.