Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills)

DET vs DTLLS, Cert Ed, and PGCE: What's the Difference?

If you're researching the Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) - NOCN qualification number 610/4323/0 - you've likely come across three other terms along the way: DTLLS, Cert Ed, and PGCE. They're not all the same kind of comparison, so this page treats each one differently.

DET vs DTLLS: not a choice, a replacement

DTLLS (Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector) was the previous Level 5 teaching qualification for the further education sector. It was retired as part of the same 2013 reform that replaced PTLLS with the AET and CTLLS with the CET, and it can no longer be enrolled on. The Level 5 Diploma in Teaching (Further Education and Skills) is its direct, currently regulated replacement. If you already hold a DTLLS certificate from before it was retired, it remains valid; if you're starting today, DET is the one to go for - there's no live decision to make here.

DET vs Cert Ed: two routes to the same level

This is a genuine choice, and the two sit at the same level with very similar entry requirements: both typically ask for a Level 3 qualification in your subject area and access to around 100 hours of teaching practice, and both lead to eligibility to apply for QTLS. The difference is the route rather than the destination. The Certificate in Education is a university-delivered, credit-bearing academic qualification, generally studied over a longer timetable alongside more conventional academic assessment. The Level 5 Diploma through Coursetopia is delivered by an awarding organisation (NOCN) rather than a university, studied online or blended, and assessed through a portfolio of evidence, teaching observations, and a reflective journal rather than university coursework. If you want a university qualification on your CV specifically, Cert Ed is that route. If you want a more flexible, typically faster and more affordable path to the same professional outcome, DET is built for that.

DET vs PGCE: which PGCE do you mean?

This is the comparison worth slowing down for, because "PGCE" refers to two different things depending on which sector you're heading into.

If you want to teach in a primary or secondary school, the PGCE you're thinking of leads to QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) - a different qualification, for a different sector, and not an alternative to DET at all. Nothing on this page applies to that route.

If you're comparing routes into further education and adult teaching specifically - the same space as DET - there's a separate, similarly-named PGCE (sometimes called the Professional Graduate Certificate in Education, or PGCE Post-Compulsory Education) delivered by universities, which does lead to QTLS eligibility, the same outcome as DET. That FE-specific PGCE requires you to already hold a first degree, includes study at Masters level (Level 7 credits alongside Level 6), typically takes around two years, and costs considerably more - upwards of £9,000 plus living costs, against DET's £995. DET, by contrast, doesn't require a degree at all, just a Level 3 qualification in your subject and access to teaching practice, and is designed to be completed in around 18 months for a fraction of the cost.

In short: if you already hold a degree and want a postgraduate academic qualification, the FE-specific PGCE is worth considering. If you don't hold a degree, or want a faster and more affordable route to the same QTLS eligibility, DET is the more direct path - and unlike the PGCE route, you don't need one to enrol.

Still not sure?

Get in touch and we can talk through which route fits your circumstances, particularly if you're weighing DET against a university-based option like Cert Ed or the FE-sector PGCE.

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