Level 3 Qualifications in First Line Management (QCF)

Who are these qualifications for?
The Level 3 qualifications in First Line Management are designed for supervisers and first line managers who wish to build on and develop their existing management skills and knowledge.

These qualifications are derived from the National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership and are accredited on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

What are the entry requirements?
CMI does not specify entry requirements for these qualifications, but Centres are required to ensure that learners admitted to the programme have sufficient capability at the right level to undertake the learning and assessment.

Flexible qualification structure
The Level 3 qualifications in First Line Management offer a highly flexible approach to learning. They allow the freedom and choice to select from the broad range of units available (see Centre Assessment Guidance for more details) allowing employers and individuals to tailor the size and elements of the qualifications to suit their specific needs.

The qualifications follow the new Award, Certificate, Diploma format where:

• Award is a concise qualification aimed at developing basis skills and knowledge at this level
• Certificate builds and broadens on the areas covered in the Award; and
• Diploma develops a comprehensive range of skills and knowledge required at this level.

Award:
To achieve a CMI Level 3 Award in First Line Management, you need to successfully complete at least one unit to a minimum of 6 credits.

Certificate:
To achieve a CMI Level 3 Certificate in First Line Management you need to successfully complete any combination of units to a minimum of 13 credits.

Diploma:
To achieve a CMI Level 3 Diploma in First Line Management, you need to complete all core units (Group A) and two optional units (Group B) to a total of at least 42 credits.

How long will it take?
The time it takes to complete a qualification is dependent on the units you choose and delivery times and methods do vary from one Approved Centre to another.  However, as a guide:

• The Award can take as little as 2-3 weeks
• The Certificate can take between 1-3 months
• The Diploma can take between 6 to 12 months

How are these qualifications assessed?
Assessment is normally via practical work-based assignments provided by your Approved Centre.  This ensures you minimise time away from work and that you undertake work study which is relevant to your own organisation’s context.

What support will I get?
In addition to the support you will receive from your Centre, CMI provides a unique and comprehensive package of candidate support, with access to:

• A wide range of online resources, from our highly regarded Study Resource Centre and CPD system to our new ‘rapid response’ Subject Search tool and Career Development site
• The latest management thinking via our Professional Manager magazine and StudyZone, an e-newsletter designed specifically for our studying members
• Our dedicated team of information researchers for your more complex research requests
• A diverse events programme and network of members committed to, and experienced in, the field of management.

Progression opportunities
On successful completion of a Level 3 qualification in First Line Management, a number of progression opportunities become available:

• Enhance your professional status by upgrading your CMI membership
• Progress to other qualifications at the same level (e.g. from Level 3 Award to Level 3 Certificate etc)
• Progress to other qualifications at the next level (e.g. from Level 3 Certificate to Level 4 or 5 Certificate)
• Apply to become a Chartered Manager.

Next steps
Find out where your nearest CMI Approved Centre is and register for this qualification.
 
Download
To download a copy of the Centre Assessment Guidance for these qualifications, click here.