Level 3 Personal Trainer UCAS Points Explained

If you’re questioning ‘how many UCAS points is a Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification worth?’, then it’s safe to assume you’re completing an application for higher education. 

Within this article we’re going to discuss vocational PT courses, breaking down how many UCAS points you can earn and what courses they’ll be applicable towards. 

Contents:

• What are UCAS Points and How Do They Work?
• What is a Level 3 Personal Trainer Qualification?
• How Many UCAS Points is a Level 3 Personal Trainer Qualification Worth?
• UCAS Points For A Personal Training Diploma
• Necessary Information Required to Fill Out a UCAS Application
• What Higher Education Course Can I Advance to Following a Personal Trainer Course?
• The Different Types of UCAS Offers

Ready to kickstart your fitness career? Enquire about OriGym’s Level 3 Personal Training qualification here or learn more about our courses in our digital prospectus. 

What Are UCAS Points and How Do They Work?

Before we discuss topics surrounding personal trainer UCAS points, we first need to explain how this Tariff system works.

UCAS Tariff points to translate the qualifications and/or grades you hold into a numerical value. Many certifications (not all) will hold some form of Tariff value, the amount of which can vary depending on:

• The accrediting body
• The size of the qualification
• The grade you achieve 

You may be most familiar with how UCAS places numerical values to the grades of secondary education exams, such as A - Levels. A reference to how this process works can be found in the screenshot provided below.

These numerical values are often accumulated together in order for higher education providers to determine whether you can join their course. 

Whilst most universities, colleges, and conservatories strictly refer to these Tariffs, other organisations will consider other certifications that don’t appear on UCAS’ system. 

Be sure to read the course requirements diligently and call your chosen higher education provider should you have further questions. 

For easy reference, you can use the UCAS Tariff calculator to discover how many UCAS points a Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification is worth, in relation to all of their grades and certifications you hold.

Please note there are several different accredited bodies listed within this section, so be sure to select the right one. For example, at OriGym all of our Personal Training courses have all been accredited by Focus Awards.

What Is a Level 3 Personal Trainer Qualification?

Now that you have a better understanding of how personal trainer UCAS points work, we can move on to discuss the qualification itself.

By obtaining a Level 3 Personal training qualification you can become a professionally recognised PT within as little as 2 weeks. 

As discussed within the previous section, all of our OriGym personal training qualifications have been accredited by Focus Awards. Furthermore, they have also been recognised by CIMSPA and are regulated by Ofqual, all of which guarantee the delivery of industry-leading training. 

Furthermore, there aren’t too many prerequisites to enrol on our Level 3 PT course. We merely ask applicants to:

• Be over the age of 16
• Hold their Level 2 Fitness Instructor certification

For those interested in combining both Level 2 and 3 qualifications, be sure to check out our Personal Training Diploma. 

When choosing a Level 3 Personal Training qualification, you should also consider how you want to study. This will allow you to fit your education around your existing schedule and responsibilities, at OriGym we offer the following options:

• Full-Time: This takes an average of 2 weeks to complete and will be conducted from one of OriGym’s training centres. Once enrolled in this course you will attend training Monday - Friday in both theoretical and practical learning sessions.
• Blended Learning: This learning pathway takes an average of 6 weeks to complete. Applicants who choose this learning pathway will undertake both theoretical work on the e-learning platform, as well as practical learning during workshops.
• Online: On this course, there are no set deadlines meaning that you can realistically take as long as you wish. Throughout the duration of this course, you will learn from OriGym’s state-of-the-art e-learning platform.

Regardless of how you choose to study, all of the same modules will be covered, which include:

• Anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology for exercise and health
• Principles of health and wellbeing for exercise, fitness, and health
• Applying nutritional principles to personal training
• Programming Personal Training Sessions
• Delivering exercise programmes for Personal Training sessions
• Learning The Business

For a more in-depth look at OriGym’s qualification and what each of these modules entails, please refer to our article on what a personal trainer course involves.

When discussing Level 3 personal trainer UCAS points, we must share that this course is vocational and focuses on setting you up for professional success. 

This is why we place an emphasis on the business side of the fitness industry, to ensure that you will simultaneously learn how to get and maintain a job.

We believe teaching our students about business is important for their personal and professional development. In fact, once you’ve graduated from our course, we can provide you with a guaranteed interview at one of our partnered gyms. 

So, therefore we can say that personal trainer UCAS points aren’t the only beneficial outcome of enrolling on this course. For as little as 2 weeks of your time, you can better both your academic and professional life. 

How Many UCAS Points Is a Level 3 Personal Trainer Qualification Worth?

Now that you have a better understanding of what this qualification entails, we can begin to dissect the question ‘how many UCAS points is a Level 3 personal trainer certification worth?’. 

For reference, personal trainer UCAS points don’t vary in quantity as heavily as they do for the likes of A-levels grades. This is due to the fact that on Level 3 PT qualifications applicants can only pass or fail - there are no other attainable grades. 

This means that, regardless of how well you perform, all those who pass their Level 3 qualification will receive identical UCAS points. 

As stated above, when trying to calculate personal trainer UCAS points you can refer to the Tariff calculator on their website. 

Remember to select the accreditation marked ‘Focus Awards Level 3 Certificate in Personal Training’ as this is the accredited body associated with OriGym’s Level 3 personal training qualification. 

From the graphic provided above, we can also see that successful graduates will receive a total of 24 personal trainer UCAS points for completing their Level 3 qualification.

UCAS Points For A Personal Training Diploma

However, our previous section is only in reference to the Level 3 personal trainer qualification. If you opt for the personal training diploma you can earn 32 UCAS points. 

Whilst the Focus awards accreditation is not available on the site directly, we can view similar courses (such as the ones featured above) and come to this conclusion. 

Please note that, much like our personal training diploma, both of the courses featured above include training for both fitness instructors and personal trainers. 

Additionally, when it comes to personal trainer qualifications, UCAS points are weighted heavier on the diploma because they combine both Level 2 and 3, rather than being for individual certifications.

For complete clarity on how these courses differ, check out this blog analysing the different personal trainer levels. 

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If you're enjoying our explanation of How Many UCAS Points is a Level 3 Personal Trainer Qualification Worth? We think you may enjoy these other OriGym articles:

• Best Personal Trainer Courses In The UK Compared
• What Does A Personal Training Course Involve?
• How To Become A Personal Trainer

Necessary Information Required to Fill Out a UCAS Application 

Whilst qualified personal trainers can use UCAS points to aid their application, the tariff system is only a small part of the overall process.

You still need to provide the following information prior to applying for the courses of your choice: 

• Personal Details - Including information related to residency status, personal circumstances & contract information
• Education History - Your personal training qualification can be included here 
• Employment History - Any job you have obtained including ones in the fitness industry will be entered here
• Personal Statement 
• References - Ideally from a teacher, advisor, or employer 

In-depth information on each of these topics can be found on the UCAS website here.

The site also advises having this information ready well in advance before you begin applying for courses. Rushing through this process at the very last minute can be incredibly stressful, so don’t put yourself through that.

What Higher Education Courses Can I Advance Onto Following a Personal Trainer Qualification?

Now that we have a better understanding of how both the application process and personal trainer UCAS points work, we can shift our focus and discuss what higher education courses could complement your PT qualification.

According to the Ofqual website, this particular personal trainer qualification falls under the category of sports, leisure, and recreation.  

This makes it an ideal pairing for subjects such as: 

• Activity leadership
• Sports administration and governance
• Sports coaching
• Leisure operations and management
• Physiotherapy
• Spectator safety
• Sport and exercise science
• Sports journalism
• Sports performance
• Sports photography

Whilst we have already answered the question ‘how many UCAS points is a Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification worth?’, we have yet to cover the typical entry requirements for most uni courses.

As evident from this information provided by Liverpool John Moores University, courses which fall under the category of sports, leisure and recreation will typically require anywhere between 88 -120 UCAS points overall. 

Therefore, we can say that, by passing the likes of your personal training diploma and earning 32 points, you are essentially gaining a quarter of the necessary points required to enrol on a university degree. 

These additional points could make all the difference to whether or not your application is accepted by the University. 

Even if you’re already on track to earn the necessary points, this vocational qualification could present you to be a highly desirable candidate, and may even lead to an unconditional offer.

The Different Types of UCAS Offers

Whilst this article is dedicated to specifically analysing how many UCAS points a Level 3 personal trainer qualification is worth, we felt that our readers would benefit from clarity on how the UCAS offer system works.

Once you have determined what course you wish to study you will submit an application on the UCAS website. 

Following this, you will have to wait to hear back from your chosen establishment. Note, there is no set time frame for this process, and it can vary on a case-to-case basis. 

The term ‘offer’ refers to how places of higher education respond to your application. Each establishment may have their own entry requirements and may place a greater emphasis on one aspect of your UCAS application over the other.

These factors include the likes of:

• Your existing academic and non-academic achievements 
• The likelihood of you earning enough UCAS points if you haven’t sat all your exams at the time of submission
• Emotional experience and skillset
• Passion for your subject area - A personal training qualification can be a great indication of this, as you have gone out of your way to earning this vocational certificate
• Who your references are, and what they've said about your character 
• Is your chosen course right for you?
• Your individual circumstances - Have you been in care? Do you have a disability? Admissions need to know this information to contextualise their application.

Following this, you will be offered one of the following offers:

• Unconditional Offer: This means that you have a guaranteed place on the course, regardless of grades, prior experience, or how many UCAS points you earn.
• Conditional Offer: This means you may still need to meet the establishments' set requirements. For example, you still need to complete your personal trainer qualification for UCAS points.
• Unsuccessful/Withdrawn Offer: This means that you have not been successful at this time and have been rejected by the establishment of your choice.

Be sure to read each offer carefully before determining what your next move is, don’t feel too disheartened if you did not receive the offer you desired, there is always time to find a suitable alternative or solution to this issue.

FAQ

#1 - Should I Mention My Personal Trainer Qualification in My UCAS Personal Statement?

When it comes to personal trainer qualifications, UCAS points are obviously important, but they are not the be-all and end-all of your higher education application.

One of the biggest influences that can determine whether your application receives an offer or not, is your personal statement. 

Many new applicants often struggle to determine whether or not they should mention their qualifications on their personal statements. However, at OriGym we would absolutely recommend that you do include this information.

Universities and colleges are looking for evidence that you are passionate about health and fitness, and what is a greater display of passion than going out of your way to earning an additional vocational qualification that is not typically accessible within secondary education.

Your personal statement should include information about how this qualification has allowed you to:

• Gain first-hand experience participating in personal training sessions, outside a classroom environment 
• Pursue an interest in the theoretical side of personal training
• Create a career out of a specialist interest that you’re deeply passionate about 
• Learn about specific modules that have always interested you - This can connect to your desired course, mention what you look forward to learning! 

This personal statement needs to be a minimum of 1,000 to a maximum of 4,000 words or 47 lines. 

Please be aware, UCAS’ system does not offer any spell checking. Therefore, we’d advise to initially write this statement in an application (such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs) before manually transferring it onto the site.

Therefore, whilst you can gain a personal training qualification for UCAS points, you will also obtain vital experience required to make you a desirable candidate for the university or college.

#2 - What Are The Key Areas of Employment To Enter Following a PT Qualification?

Many individuals decide to pursue higher education in order to make themselves a more desirable candidate for future employment prospects. 

To understand what the key areas of employment are for graduates with a degree in the sports, leisure, and recreation sector, please refer to the list below provided by UCAS:

• Sports player
• Fitness instructor
• Physiotherapist
• Sports psychologist
• Broadcasting and media administrator
• Public relations officer
• Sports journalist
• Sport and leisure management
• Sports nutritionist
• P.E teacher
• Stunt artist

Alternatively, you can still use your personal training diploma to launch a career as PT. This could run alongside your education or can be left until after you graduate, but the fact remains that you’ll already have the necessary experience and skills to find success.

For further information on what career pathways you could explore as a PT, our YouTube video below explores the topic in much more detail.

#3 - How Many UCAS Points Is A Level 2 Gym Instructor Course Worth?

Now that we’ve established exactly how many UCAS points a Level 3 personal trainer course is worth, it’s natural you might want to learn about the prerequisite qualification - Level 2 gym instructing - and how many points this is worth.

As we’ve already established, a Level 3 personal trainer course is worth 24 UCAS points, while the personal training diploma (Level 2 and Level 3) offers slightly more, with 32 UCAS points.

As a solo qualification, the Level 2 gym instructor does not provide any UCAS points. Instead, the course functions as a stepping stone to the Level 3, or as a necessary component of the personal training diploma.

This is due to the fact that a Level 2 course is the equivalent of a GCSE, or a Higher (in Scotland), and would therefore not contribute towards your choice of university course.

However, while you won’t receive any UCAS points for a Level 2 gym instructor course, it is a necessary prerequisite for the Level 3 personal training course, and offers the ideal foundations for a successful career in fitness.

Before You Go!

This article was designed to specifically help answer the question ‘how many UCAS points is a Level 3 Personal Trainer Qualification worth?’. 

Remember, before you can obtain any of these points you must first complete your level 3 personal training qualification. 

Here, you will gain valuable physical and theoretical skills that can be transferred to both your university course of choice, as well as a successful future career. Download our free course prospectus to learn more!