Which NHS Apprenticeship Level Is Right for Me?

Our main NHS apprenticeships guide explains what each level actually involves and how the funding and mechanics work. This guide answers the narrower, more personal question that guide can't: given where you actually are right now — your qualifications, your experience, your goal — which level should you actually be applying for?

Start here: what do you already have?

Before looking at levels, be honest about three things: your current qualifications (GCSEs, A-levels, a degree, or none of the above), any existing care or healthcare experience (paid or voluntary), and what you're actually aiming for (a specific registered profession like nursing, a stepping-stone qualification, or simply a paid way into NHS employment at all). The table below maps common starting situations to a realistic level.

Level by level, matched to your situation

The Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship specifically

Because it's the level most people researching this topic are actually trying to decide about, it's worth being explicit: the RNDA is not "easier" than a standard nursing degree, and it isn't a lower-entry-bar alternative. It generally expects similar academic entry standards to a university nursing place, takes longer overall (around four years against three), and depends on finding an NHS trust actively recruiting apprentices rather than applying broadly through UCAS. Its genuine advantage is financial — a real salary throughout, and no tuition fee liability — which is exactly why it suits people who can't realistically give up an income for years, more than people simply looking for an easier way in. See our switching careers into nursing guide if that financial trade-off is the actual driver of your decision.

Can you skip levels?

Yes, within reason. The levels describe a step in complexity, responsibility and entry requirement, not a mandatory queue everyone must join at the bottom of. Someone with existing GCSEs, A-levels or a degree, and some relevant experience, can often apply directly for a Level 5 or Level 6 programme without first completing a Level 2 or 3 apprenticeship — provided they meet that specific programme's entry requirements, which vary by trust and provider. What genuinely helps at any level you apply for, skipped steps or not, is demonstrable interest in and exposure to the caring environment — through paid work, volunteering, or structured work experience — since admissions and recruitment panels consistently favour applicants who've tested the reality of the role over those relying on qualifications alone.

How to actually find the right vacancy

• • Search NHS Jobs for "apprentice" alongside the specific level or role you're targeting — the level is stated on the advert
• • Check individual trust websites directly, since some run their own apprenticeship intake pages separate from general vacancies
• • If you already work for an NHS trust, ask your line manager or HR/L&D team whether internal progression routes to a higher level are currently funded, since these aren't always advertised externally
• • For Level 6 (RNDA) specifically, also check the partner university's apprenticeship intake pages, since places are often tied to a specific academic year's cohort start
• • Remember availability varies significantly by trust and by year — a level that isn't open near you this year may open next year, so it's worth checking back rather than assuming a one-off search is definitive

Why trust this guide

• ✓ Built specifically as a decision tool matched to real starting situations, not a repeat of the general levels explainer
• ✓ Honest that the RNDA is not an 'easier' route than university, only a differently-funded one
• ✓ Makes clear that levels can be skipped or entered later, rather than implying a mandatory sequential ladder
• ✓ Independent — not affiliated with the NHS, NMC or the Institute for Apprenticeships — last reviewed September 2026