Plumbing NVQ Courses

There are three routes, and which one applies depends on the qualifications and experience you already hold.

Category 1 is for holders of the LCL Awards Level 2 Plumbing and Heating Diploma from any centre. Category 2 is for holders of a recognised equivalent from City and Guilds, BPEC or EAL. Category 3 is for plumbers with at least three years of verifiable industry experience but no formal qualification, and delivers both the Diploma and the NVQ together.

Categories 2 and 3 begin with a pre-assessment to confirm the right route. See the full breakdown on the NVQ Level 2 Plumbing course page.

Through two witnessed on-site assessments plus a portfolio of supporting evidence, rather than by a single exam.

Every candidate completes a bathroom installation and a central heating or hot water system installation, witnessed live by a Logic4training assessor over Microsoft Teams. There is no waiting for an assessor to travel to site, so you can be assessed on jobs you are already doing. Photos, drawings and sign-off sheets are uploaded to our e-portfolio platform, then verified by your assessor, an internal quality assurer and finally LCL Awards.

You need access to live installation work to complete it, which is why the NVQ suits people already in the trade.

Most candidates hold the Level 2 Diploma first, since it covers the underpinning knowledge the NVQ assumes.

However, if you have at least three years of verifiable experience but no formal qualification, Category 3 lets you gain both the Diploma and the NVQ together. With under three years behind you, the Diploma on its own is the better starting point, and you can return for the NVQ afterwards.

NVQ Level 2 Plumbing costs from £1,000 + VAT, depending on which of the three routes applies to you.

Category 1 is £1,000 + VAT, Category 2 is £1,195 + VAT and Category 3 is £1,795 + VAT, reflecting the different amounts of in-centre time each route requires. Categories 2 and 3 also include a pre-assessment from £195 + VAT to confirm you are on the right route.

The NVQ is also included in our Silver and Platinum plumbing packages alongside the Diploma. We offer 0% finance and pay-in-instalments options, so speak to our team about the best route for you.

Most candidates complete the NVQ within two to five months, though you have up to two years to finish your portfolio.

In-centre time varies by route: up to two days for Category 1, one week plus a one-day initial assessment for Category 2, and three weeks plus a two-day initial assessment for Category 3. The portfolio element then runs around your existing work, which is useful if your job pipeline is seasonal or you are waiting for the right installation to come up.

In-centre training runs at our Northolt and Sittingbourne centres, with the portfolio completed on live sites.

No. NVQs in Plumbing and Heating, including the LCL Awards Level 2 Plumbing NVQ, do not expire and does not need renewing.

Qualifications you are likely to hold alongside it do have expiry dates, however. Gas ACS, Unvented Hot Water and Water Regulations all require reassessment every five years, and your JIB Plumbing CSCS card has its own renewal cycle.

Keep those up to date through our water safety courses and gas ACS courses.