PGCE courses – a comparative of the three different options

The PGCE courses are one of the most preferred routes for the teaching aspirants in the United Kingdom. The main reason for such craze of the course is the multiple options it provides the candidates with based on their capabilities, interest, and qualification.

Currently, there are three different types of PGCE courses that are offered in the UK. It can also be confusing for new candidates who are just thinking of joining this course to walk on a well-established career path. For this reason, we have come up with a basic comparison of what the different courses are for and what exactly do they offer to the candidates.

A comparative study of the different PGCE courses

The three types of PGCE training options are compared below in a tabular form.

PGCE for Primary Education	PGCE for Secondary Education	PGCE for Further/Adult learning
This PGCE course is ideal for anyone who wants to work with the young learners, especially up to the 6th year.	As the name suggests, this course is ideal for those who want to develop a career as a secondary school teacher and teach the learners from the 6th year onwards.	This option is appropriate for those teaching aspirants who want to take on a teaching job role in the colleges or conduct classes of adult education and further learning.
This is one of the most preferred options among all the PGCE courses.  That means the rate of competition is high for this training.	This course is also popular but the craze is not as much as that of the PGCE training for working as a primary school teacher.	The skill sets of working in the sector of further education vary from those of the primary and secondary teachers. While the competition is less, the scopes of career growth are very high.
If you want to apply for this course, you must meet the basic entry requirements. It requires no subject specialisation and helps you become a well-established teacher from scratch.	To apply for this course, you must have a qualifying certificate in your subject of specialisation. That means you will be responsible to teach the specific subject to the entire class.	A level-3 qualification in your subject of specialisation is a must to apply for this course. As you will be working with the learners from the sectors of adult education, the teaching approaches will also be different and you must be capable of meeting the same.
The training offers level-7 qualifying certificate to the successful candidates.	The training offers level-7 qualifying certificate to the successful candidates.	The training offers level-7 qualifying certificate to the successful candidates.

The teaching job role requires immense dedication. If you are still unsure about which PGCE course to choose, you can get in touch with the training providers in your area. Whatever you choose, it must be aligned with your passion and interest if you want to excel in your chosen path although all of the courses offer a level-7 qualification.