FAQs
Active IQ is an awarding organisation that is recognised and regulated by the following qualifications and examinations regulators: Ofqual (England) and Qualifications Wales.
We are an approved centre by Active IQ to deliver their qualifications. This means that Active IQ is satisfied by our course delivery, and the systems and procedures that are in place are of a positive and high-quality learning experience. We are monitored and supported by Active IQ to ensure that appropriate standards are consistently maintained.
Active IQ qualifications sit on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and are jointly regulated by England’s regulator Ofqual (incl. Northern Ireland) and Qualifications Wales.
Therefore, Active IQ qualifications are recognised in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland has its own framework: the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Although they do not additionally appear on the SCQF, Active IQ qualifications are widely respected by learners, training organisations and employers in Scotland, and several approved centres in Scotland choose to offer our qualifications.
In Europe, the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) acts as a translation device to make national qualifications more readable across Europe. All regulated qualifications sitting on the RQF (including all Active IQ qualifications) align to the level descriptors of the EQF.
UK qualifications are well-regarded all over the world, and where there is a national register of exercise professionals with an agreement in place for mutual recognition, Active IQ certificates should be recognised for those seeking employment abroad. However, this decision lies uniquely with the relevant country and their local jurisdictions. See EuropeActive and ICREPs for further guidance and information.
Please see below for eligibility requirements;
You must be 19 or older on the first day of your course.
Your nationality or residency status
In most cases, all of the following must apply. You must:
- be living in the UK on the first day of your course
- be a UK national or Irish citizen or have ‘settled status’ (no restrictions on how long you can stay)
- have been living in the UK, British overseas territories, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years in a row before the first day of your course (apart from temporary absences such as holidays)
You may also be eligible if you’re a UK national (or family member of a UK national) who either:
- returned to the UK on or after 1 January 2018 and by 31 December 2020 after living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- was living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein on 31 December 2020 and has been living in the UK, the EU, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein for the past 3 years
If you or a family member is from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
You may be eligible if you’re:
- an EEA national
- a Swiss national
- a family member of an EEA national
- a child of a Swiss national
Both of the following must also apply:
- you have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or are in the process of applying for it
- you’ve normally lived in the UK, EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, or British or EU overseas territories for the past 3 years (this is also known as being ‘ordinarily resident’)
Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme to be eligible.
If you have a different residency status
You may also be eligible if your residency status is one of the following:
- a refugee, or the family member of one
- a migrant worker or a frontier worker, or a family member of one
- you’re not a UK national but you’ve lived in the UK for at least 20 years (or at least half of your life)
- you’re the family member of someone with ‘settled status’ in the UK
- under humanitarian protection or a family member of someone who has been granted it
- the child of a Turkish worker
- staying in the UK as a stateless person, or their family member, and your course started on or after 1 August 2018
- granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain, or the child of someone granted ‘Calais leave’ to remain – if your course starts on or after 1 August 2020
- a serving member of the UK armed forces, or their spouse, civil partner or a dependent parent or child living with them, doing a distance learning course from outside the UK that started on or after 1 August 2017
- you’ve been given indefinite leave to remain because you’ve been the victim of domestic violence
- you’ve been given indefinite leave to remain as a bereaved partner
- you or your family member have been granted leave under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) or the Afghan Citizen’s Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
- you or your family member have been granted leave to enter or remain in the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme, the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme or the Ukraine Extension Scheme
You will need one of the following;
- Valid uk passport
- UK Birth Certificate
- Settle status or pre settle status under the EU settlement scheme
- Indefinite leave to remain
Day 1 of the course is Mandatory.
The course is very intense, full attendance of the course is required to ensure you get the best knowledge and experience. In the event of illness or emergency, we can provide you with work to catch up with, we also offer support sessions with our Tutor Support at tutorsupport@focusfitnessuk.com
By reviewing your timetable you can see what you have missed and read the relevant parts of the manual. Support is also available from our support team to help you catch up.
Missing sessions may result in you finding it difficult to complete worksheets, theory exams or practical assessments. However, we do offer support sessions for our learners twice a week to help support our learners through their qualification.
Yes, this is conducted with a variety of methods including multiple choice exams, practical work and observations.
Your tutor/assessor is able to refer you in order to be reassessed. All resits are free. And if there is anything you are struggling with, you are able to come for our support sessions. For support sessions, please email tutorsupport@focusfitnessuk.com
We do have high achievement rates and were rated a “Good” by Ofsted. To ensure you pass your qualification you will need to meet the required standards of the awarding body. This will require you to be committed to the course and attend all your lessons. We offer support sessions to all learners to help you achieve your goals.
Focus Fitness UK is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities, including those with learning disabilities, are treated fairly.
You will be eligible to register to our Business Workshop & Careers fair, which takes place every 3 months, for further information please email Matt.brown@focusfitnessuk.com
Please ask your friend to contact your IAG Adviser who had originally enrolled you onto the course and inform them that you have been referred by your friend. Once your friend has completed their course and funding has been received, you will receive a £50 referral fee.
A member of our team, will check your Level 2 certificate and will verify whether you will be able to join our Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training
Certificates will be issued on the basis that you have completed all your work, passed your exams and our internal verification has been completed, we aim for this to be issued within a month but this can take up to 3 months. For certificate enquiries, please contact certificates@focusfitnessuk.com
You can contact our Awarding Body Active IQ, on the following link, https://activeiq.co.uk/for-students/replacement-certificate-request. Each electronic replacement certificate costs £15 plus VAT.
Please refer to our Learner Appeals and Complaint Policy at the bottom of our website.