New and Relaunched Qualifications

Overview

 

The Active IQ Level 3 Award in Adapting Physical Activity for Antenatal and Postnatal Clients provides fitness professionals with the specialist knowledge and skills required to safely support antenatal and postnatal clients in physical activity settings. The qualification focuses on understanding the physiological and psychological changes associated with pregnancy and the postnatal period, enabling fitness professionals to adapt exercise safely and effectively within their scope of practice.

 

What it includes

 

Learners will develop knowledge of:

 

• the benefits, barriers and concerns related to physical activity during pregnancy and postnatally
• physiological and biomechanical changes throughout pregnancy and postpartum
• key safety considerations, contraindications and warning signs for physical activity
• the role of health care professionals in supporting antenatal and postnatal clients
• appropriate referral and signposting to healthcare professionals
• nutritional considerations for antenatal and postnatal clients
• designing individualised physical activity for antenatal and postnatal clients.

 

Who it’s for

 

• Qualified fitness instructors/coaches and personal trainers
• Exercise professionals looking to specialise in antenatal and postnatal fitness
• Fitness professionals wanting to expand their services to support this client group.

 

Progression

 

Learners may progress to:

 

• Employment as a qualified fitness professional with the specialist knowledge and skills required to safely support antenatal and postnatal clients
• Specialist Level 3 qualifications (e.g., training for ageing populations)
• Advanced personal training CPD opportunities.

 

Find out more about this qualification >

Overview

 

The Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage Therapy provides learners with the knowledge and practical skills required to deliver sports massage treatments to support client health, recovery and performance. The qualification prepares learners to assess clients, identify soft tissue dysfunction and deliver appropriate sports massage treatments while working within professional boundaries.

 

What it includes

 

Learners will cover:

 

• Anatomy and physiology for sports massage therapy
• Professional practice and legal requirements
• Principles of soft tissue dysfunction, injury and repair
• Client consultation, assessment and treatment planning
• Sports massage techniques, treatment delivery and aftercare.

 

Who it’s for

 

• Individuals wishing to work as sports massage therapists
• Fitness professionals expanding their service offering.

 

Progression

 

Learners may progress to:

 

• Employment as a qualified sports massage therapist
• Further sports therapy or rehabilitation study
• Additional fitness or personal training qualifications.

 

Find out more about this qualification >

Why are the names of the four new qualifications similar to your existing ones?

 

We understand that the titling of these new qualifications is similar to some in our existing portfolio. We will be communicating any further qualification updates with you in the coming months to ensure our portfolio is as streamlined as possible and your learners benefit from the most up-to-date products.

 

Why are these qualifications being relaunched?

 

As part of our regular product portfolio review, Active IQ identified a number of qualifications that would benefit from updates. These changes ensure the qualifications remain aligned with current sector standards, support modern delivery approaches, and continue to meet the needs of learners, employers, and training providers.

 

When do the changes happen and what do I need to do now?

 

The updated qualifications will be launched on 1 May 2026 and draft specifications will be available ahead of that date. Further information and resources will be made available to support centres with the transition.

 

What additional support is on offer?

 

For the four new qualifications being launched, we’re holding a live webinar and Q&A on 30 April so that you can find out more. We’ll also be hosting a series of webinars across May to help you better understand and implement the changes to the relaunched qualifications. We’ll share more information in the coming weeks.

 

Will the assessment methods change?

 

Yes. It is no longer mandatory to use Active IQ’s Learner Achievement Portfolios (LAPs) across the relaunched qualifications. Assessment will now be based on a portfolio of evidence, giving centres greater flexibility in how they assess learners. Previous assessments will remain available as optional resources that centres can use to support delivery if they wish.

 

What is required in a portfolio of evidence?

 

A portfolio of evidence allows centres to take a more holistic approach to assessment, allowing evidence from learning activities (such as worksheets, assignments and case studies) and practical delivery (observations) to be used to demonstrate achievement of the assessment criteria.

 

Will I have to use a different platform for registering learners?

 

No. There are no changes to the registration platform. Centres will continue to register learners through Parnassus.

 

Will centres need to reapply for the qualification approval, or will they automatically gain approval for the new and relaunched qualifications?

 

Centres will need to reapply for approval to deliver the four new qualifications. For the relaunched qualifications, existing approved centres will automatically maintain their approval.

 

Will the relaunched qualifications be the same price as their predecessors?

 

The qualification price will remain the same for this academic year. All of our product prices are reviewed annually, and any increase would be communicated prior to the new academic year to give providers sufficient notice.

 

Is there any change to the content of the qualifications?

 

In most cases, changes to content are minor and focus on improving clarity, removing duplication, and aligning terminology with current sector standards. In some instances, additional content previously included within assessment criteria has been moved to the unit range, where it more appropriately defines the scope of what should be covered, and some assessment criteria has been revised to reflect the updated assessment approach. The overall purpose and learning outcomes of the qualifications remain the same.

 

What are the benefits of these changes to providers and learners?

 

The updates provide several benefits including: greater assessment flexibility through the use of portfolio evidence; improved clarity and structure in qualification guidance and supporting documentation; qualifications that reflect current industry practice and standards; delivery approaches that support positive learner outcomes and centre delivery models.

 

Have the AIQ learning resources been updated to reflect the changes?

 

As the updates to the qualifications are minor, the existing Active IQ learning resources remain largely unchanged. However, additional learning resources have been introduced for some areas of content to further support centres with delivery where appropriate (mainly to replace the assessment evidence that was assessed via Cirrus).

 

Can centres use current LAPs if they have already printed?

 

Yes. Centres can use their current LAPs to support the assessment evidence for the relaunched qualifications.

 

Is there any additional cost for new learning resources? Are they electronic or paper-based?

 

The new learning resources* will be provided to centres at no additional cost as part of the registration fee. They will be available to download electronically from Active Intel and will usually be provided in Word format.

 

*By ‘learning resources’, we are referring to non-mandatory assessment materials, and this does not include manuals.

 

What do you mean by Guided Learning Hours (GLH)?

 

As defined by Ofqual, GLH is: “A number of notional hours representing an estimate of the number of hours of actual guided learning which could reasonably be expected to be required in order for an individual to achieve the standard required to obtain that form of the qualification.”

 

‘Actual guided learning’ is defined as:

 

1. being taught or given instruction by a lecturer, tutor, supervisor, or other appropriate provider of education or training, or
2. otherwise participating in education or training under the immediate guidance or supervision of such a person.

 

This value is assigned, based on the average learner; however, this may differ from learner to learner, based on past experience and mode of delivery.

 

Why is the GLH increasing across some qualifications? Will my learners have to do more to pass/achieve?

 

Changes to Guided Learning Hours (GLH) reflect a more accurate representation of the average time required to deliver the qualification effectively. The learning outcomes remain broadly the same, but the updated GLH ensures delivery expectations are more closely aligned with actual learning and teaching time.

 

What about learners who have already registered to do the online Cirrus Exam?

 

From 1 May onwards, Cirrus e-assessments will no longer be available for these qualifications as part of the updated assessment approach. Learners registered by the end of April can still use the Cirrus assessment. Only learners registered from 1 May onwards will complete the new assessments.

 

Will my EV visits change?

 

EV visits will continue, and there will be no change. An EV will want to sample a centre’s first cohort of learners for any of the relaunched qualifications due to the changes in assessment methods. Where a centre has held DCS for a qualification previously, DCS will not automatically be transferred across; therefore, the EV will request a portfolio sample at the point of claiming any certificates.

 

For the launch of the new commercial qualifications, the EV will also request a portfolio sample from the centre’s first cohort, to consider awarding DCS. The centre’s allocated EV can support with questions around DCS and portfolio sampling.

 

Will the new way of working mean more marking for us as a centre?

 

The updated assessment approach is designed to give centres greater flexibility in how learners are assessed. By using a portfolio of evidence, centres can take a more holistic approach to assessment, allowing evidence from learning activities and practical delivery to be used to demonstrate achievement of the assessment criteria. Optional assessment resources will still be available for centres who wish to use them to support delivery. This flexible approach enables centres to adapt assessment to suit their delivery model and learner needs.

 

When can we access the resources?

 

Updated qualification guidance and supporting resources will be available ahead of the qualification launch on 1 May, allowing you time to review materials before delivery begins.