Qualification checks: verifying degrees and professional qualifications
Checking a candidate's degree or professional qualification is verification in the ICO's draft recruitment guidance: you are checking information the candidate gave you, which is less intrusive than vetting. Data protection law still applies. Explain early what you will check and how, ask for the minimum evidence you need, and where possible verify only the successful candidate.
For most jobs a qualification check is optional and should follow the person specification. Some sector rules make it expected. CQC-registered health and social care providers in England must hold documentary evidence of relevant qualifications where reasonably practicable, and schools and colleges in England should verify professional qualifications, using the DfE's Check a teacher's record for qualified teacher status.
The official routes are narrower than many employers assume. GOV.UK explains how to check that a degree is officially recognised, the Register of Regulated Qualifications shows whether a qualification is regulated, and UK ENIC compares non-UK qualifications for a fee. None of these confirms that a named person holds the award, so you still need evidence from the candidate.
Verification is not vetting
The ICO's draft guidance on recruitment defines verification as checking the information a candidate provides in support of their application. Vetting is different: the employer makes its own enquiries about the candidate's background. Asking for evidence of a degree is the ICO's own example of verification. The guidance is under review following the Data (Use and Access) Act, so check the ICO's pages before relying on detail.
You must obtain only the minimum information you need, and you must explain your verification process as early as possible, for example on the application form. Say which methods you will use, which information you will verify, how long you will keep it and which external sources you will rely on.
Timing matters. Where possible, verify only the successful candidate. If you need to check earlier, for example because of a legal obligation for the role, you must be able to justify it.
When a qualification check is required
No general law requires employers to verify qualifications. Sector rules do, and they apply only where stated.
In England, people employed for a CQC-regulated activity must have the qualifications, competence, skills and experience the work needs, and Schedule 3 to the 2014 regulations asks for satisfactory documentary evidence of any qualification relevant to their duties, so far as reasonably practicable. Our health and social care page covers the rest of the Schedule 3 file.
Keeping children safe in education 2026 (England) says schools and colleges should ask applicants for their qualifications, the awarding body and the date of award, and should verify professional qualifications as appropriate. Check a teacher's record should be used to verify qualified teacher status and completion of induction or probation. The single central record must show whether a check of professional qualifications was carried out, where required.
Where the law ties a job or title to registration with a regulator, the register is usually the better evidence: see our page on professional registration checks.
Official routes and what each one tells you
Each route answers a different question. Most tell you that an award or awarding body is genuine, not that this candidate holds it.
| Route | What it tells you | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| GOV.UK: Check if your university or college can award a degree | Whether a degree is officially recognised, for example because the institution can award degrees on the Office for Students Register or the award is a recognised award | Separate routes for England (the Office for Students Register), Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, plus a list of recognised awards |
| Register of Regulated Qualifications | Whether a qualification is regulated, with detailed information about it | GCSE, A level, AS level and vocational qualifications in England and Northern Ireland; Wales and Scotland have their own registers |
| View and share an apprenticeship certificate | The apprentice can view, download and share their certificate | Apprenticeships completed in England after 1 February 2012 |
| Check a teacher's record | QTS, QTLS or EYTS status, induction, national professional qualifications and any prohibition | England |
| UK ENIC | How a non-UK qualification compares with a UK one, for a fee | Qualifications from outside the UK |
Asking candidates for evidence
Original certificates can be expensive to replace, and the candidate may need them elsewhere. The ICO suggests letting candidates bring originals in person, so you can verify them, copy them if you need to and hand them straight back. Otherwise they could use another secure method such as tracked delivery, or, if you do not need originals, a secure electronic method such as encrypted email.
Our view: the most useful evidence is a certificate or transcript from the candidate, checked against an official route above, with the awarding body contacted only where something does not match and after telling the candidate.
Unrecognised degrees and false claims
GOV.UK warns students that if a degree is not officially recognised, employers or universities might not accept it. In England, Wales and Scotland, section 214 of the Education Reform Act 1988 makes it an offence for a person, in the course of business, to grant or offer an award described as a degree that may reasonably be taken to come from a UK institution, unless it is a recognised award. The offence is aimed at whoever offers the award.
A candidate who knowingly claims a qualification they do not hold may be making a false representation, which can be fraud under section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (the Act does not extend to Scotland). Our CV verification page explains that offence.
If a qualification check does not match what the candidate told you, the ICO says you should give the candidate a chance to explain, take their explanation into account and keep a record of your decision. You cannot assume they are being untruthful: a name change, a merged university or a different award title can all explain a mismatch.
What to keep
The ICO says you must not keep information collected as a condition of appointment for longer than necessary, although you can keep a record of the outcome and your decision. Some sector rules require more. In schools and colleges in England, KCSIE says copies of documents used to verify the successful candidate's required qualifications should be kept on their personnel file, and CQC regulation 19 requires the Schedule 3 information to be available for each person employed.
If you would like help deciding which roles justify a qualification check, or wording the notice for candidates, HRjoy can help. We do not run checks ourselves, but we can introduce you to our screening partners.
What to tell the candidate
- Tell candidates at the start which qualifications you will verify, how, which external sources you will use and how long you will keep the evidence.
- Verify the successful candidate only, unless a sector rule means you must check earlier.
- Let candidates show original certificates in person and return them straight away, or accept a secure electronic copy.
- Give the candidate a chance to explain anything that does not match before you decide, and take their explanation into account.
Sources
- Verifying candidates · ICO
- Pre-employment vetting of candidates · ICO
- Check if your university or college can award a degree · GOV.UK
- Find a regulated qualification · GOV.UK (Ofqual)
- What qualification levels mean: other countries · GOV.UK
- View and share an apprenticeship certificate · GOV.UK
- Check a teacher's record · GOV.UK (Department for Education)
- Keeping children safe in education 2026 · GOV.UK (Department for Education)
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, regulation 19 · legislation.gov.uk
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Schedule 3 · legislation.gov.uk
- Education Reform Act 1988, section 214 · legislation.gov.uk
- Fraud Act 2006, section 2 · legislation.gov.uk
- UK Government Baseline Personnel Security Standard, Version 7.0, June 2024 · GOV.UK (Cabinet Office)
General information for employers in the UK, not legal advice. HRjoy advises on screening policy and fair process. We do not run checks ourselves; where you need checks run, we can introduce you to our screening partners. Check the official sources for your situation.
When it’s justified
Usually justified
- People employed for a CQC-regulated activity in England: documentary evidence of any qualification relevant to their duties, where reasonably practicable (Schedule 3, paragraph 6)
- Teaching staff in schools and colleges in England: verification of professional qualifications, including qualified teacher status through Check a teacher's record
- Government roles under the Baseline Personnel Security Standard, which asks for disclosed employment, academic history or qualifications, where applicable, to be verified for at least three years
Only if the role justifies it
- A degree or professional qualification that is a genuine requirement of the person specification, checked for the successful candidate
- A non-UK qualification where you need to know how it compares with UK qualifications, through UK ENIC
- An apprenticeship completed in England, where the candidate can share their certificate through the GOV.UK service
Rarely or never justified
- Verifying the qualifications of every applicant at the application stage, which the ICO says is unlikely to be necessary in most cases
- Checking qualifications the job does not need
- Asking candidates to post original certificates when a copy sent by a secure electronic method would do
Questions
Something else? Ask us.
Is there an official database of UK degree holders?
The official route checks the award, not the person. GOV.UK explains how to check that a degree is officially recognised, which tells you the award and the awarding body are genuine. To confirm the individual's award, ask the candidate for the certificate or transcript and, if something does not match, contact the awarding institution after telling the candidate.
Can I keep a copy of a candidate's degree certificate?
The ICO's draft guidance says you can verify the original, make a copy for your records if you need to, and return it to the candidate. Keep the copy only as long as necessary. In England, KCSIE expects schools and colleges to keep copies of documents used to verify required qualifications on the personnel file.
Does the Ofqual register show whether someone passed a qualification?
No. GOV.UK says the Register of Regulated Qualifications shows whether a qualification is regulated and gives detailed information about it. It covers GCSE, A level, AS level and vocational qualifications in England and Northern Ireland. It is a register of qualifications, not of the people who hold them.
Do schools have to check qualified teacher status?
In England, KCSIE 2026 says schools and colleges should use the DfE's Check a teacher's record to verify any award of qualified teacher status and completion of induction or probation. The same service shows whether a teacher has been prohibited from teaching.
Related checks
- CV verification: checking employment history and handling discrepancies How to verify a candidate's CV and employment history fairly: gaps, HMRC records, discrepancies, the Fraud Act and what to record.
- Professional registration checks: which registers to check and when Which professional registers UK employers should check for nurses, dentists, teachers, solicitors and FCA roles, what each shows and where it applies.
- Employment references: what employers can ask and when When to ask for references, what to ask, the sector rules for care, schools, early years and FCA firms, and how to treat candidates fairly.
- Right to work checks: who to check and how from October 2026 Who needs a right to work check from 1 October 2026, including workers and sub-contractors, how each of the three methods works and follow-ups.
Sector guides
Also covered in our guides for Childcare, Construction and engineering, Education, Recruitment agencies and Technology.
Related answers
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- What should employers consider when using AI in recruitment? Employers remain responsible under data protection and equality law when they use AI to source, screen or score candidates. The ICO expects a data protection impact assessment, a lawful basis, clear contracts with the provider, checks for bias, transparency with candidates and minimal data collection. Employers should also plan reasonable adjustments for disabled applicants.