The Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) is a substantial, nationally recognised Level 3 qualification in skills development. It enables students to practise, develop and demonstrate six important skills that are required for success in higher education, training or employment: teamwork, problem solving, discussion, research, oral presentation and self-management.
Read the full specification for CoPE Level 3.
CoPE Level 3 is primarily intended for students in post-16 education, helping them to build the skills they will need as they prepare for future study or work. In addition, it offers an ideal solution for accrediting the wider enrichment activities that often form a central part of the post-16 experience. It can also be used with younger Gifted and Talented groups.
CoPE Level 3 is worth 16 UCAS points for students entering higher education (comparable to a B grade at AS Level).
In Wales and Northern Ireland, ASDAN qualifications can contribute towards school/college performance measures. Download this information sheet for details.
A number of higher education institutions (HEIs) recognise the value of CoPE Level 3 and state that, alongside other Level 3 qualifications, it can contribute to fulfilling entry requirements to a range of higher education courses.
Applicants to HEIs are strongly advised to confirm with the department offering the course that the department in question will take CoPE into consideration as part of the application process.
Students build a portfolio of evidence to show how they have practised and developed the six skills while completing a selection of activities from the CoPE student book.
Each activity can take 20, 30, 40 or 50 hours to complete and the qualification as a whole takes approximately 150 guided learning hours. Activities are chosen from the following modules:
There are a wide variety of activities available, from carrying out a detailed research project or taking on a leadership role to work experience, volunteering placements and overseas expeditions.
Download the CoPE Levels 1-3 standards only.
Please note that centres registered to deliver CoPE will be able to access a full copy of the standards with guidance, which provides key information on how to interpret and implement the unit standards. Download sample units from the CoPE Levels 1-3 standards with guidance.
Download sample pages from the CoPE and AoPE Level 3 student book.
For centres new to ASDAN, your first step is to complete the Centre Registration Form.
Once your registration has been processed, you must upload specified policies and procedures as part of the ASDAN centre approval process. Once these have been accepted you will be able to access candidate registration for ASDAN qualifications.
Current ASDAN centres need to ensure that CoPE is added to their centre's registration.
Following registration, you will be able to purchase candidate registrations and access additional resources and guidance via the members area.
All centres running CoPE must have an ASDAN-trained co-ordinator; ASDAN provides introductory training workshops and can arrange in-house training.
The Level 3 Certificate of Personal Effectiveness is a substantial and wide-ranging qualification the purpose of which is to enable candidates to develop and demonstrate a range of personal, key and employability skills, to broaden their experience and manage their learning in a variety of real life contexts. It is therefore “Applied General” in nature, and aims to teach candidates to understand, take responsibility for and learn from rich activities, rather than simply to experience them. Candidates are required to provide, through these activities, evidence of understanding and skills development against a set of standards. This quantifies and formalises their preparedness to progress into Higher Education, or employment, or vocational training and apprenticeships.
After students' work has been internally moderated, centres must register candidates for external moderation, which is carried out by post. ASDAN will issue certificates following successful external moderation.
All student book, certification and registration prices shown below are per learner, unless otherwise stated.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| CoPE Level 1 and 2 candidate registration (one per learner, includes student book and certification) | £29.95 |
| CoPE Level 3 candidate registration (one per learner, includes student book and certification) | £33.25 |
| CoPE Levels 1, 2 and 3 standards with guidance | £8.40 |
All prices valid from 1 September 2019 until 31 August 2020. Prices are shown exclusive of VAT.