What is the T Level core component?

What the core covers

Where the occupational specialism is the practical, job-specific half of a T Level, the core is the "why" behind it — the underpinning knowledge, concepts and general skills a student needs across the whole occupational area, not just one narrow role. In a Health T Level, for example, the core covers things like the structure of the health sector, working practices, and core scientific concepts, before a student specialises.

How the core is assessed

• Examinations — testing knowledge and understanding of the core content.
• An employer-set project — a substantial piece of work responding to a realistic industry brief, so students apply their knowledge the way they'd need to at work.

The two are combined into a single core grade on the A*–E scale (with U for unclassified). Because it uses the familiar A-Level letters, the core is often the part of a T Level that looks most recognisable to students and parents. In 2025/26, 98.7% of students achieved grade E or above in the core nationally.

The core is only part of the picture

A strong core grade is important, but it doesn't earn a full T Level on its own — the occupational specialism must be passed and the industry placement completed too. The core grade and specialism grade together determine the overall result, with Distinction* reserved for the strongest performance across both.