Cambridge OCR · RQF Level 3

OCR Level 3 Certificate for Apprentice IT Professionals (QCF)

You don’t just earn this. You learn to use it, one-to-one, on your own real work.

LevelRQF Level 3
Total credits27
Guided learning540 hours
Units in this qualification6

Awarded by Cambridge OCR · on the Ofqual register

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What you’ll learn

What each unit actually teaches you to do

The OCR Level 3 Certificate is for apprentice IT professionals. It covers areas such as software and hardware installation, system testing, service delivery, and customer support within the digital technology sector. Successful candidates will gain skills and knowledge relevant to their role.

These are the units Cambridge OCR registers against this qualification. It is a catalogue, not a syllabus. Which of them you take depends on the combination the qualification requires, and that is set by the awarding body rather than by us. Every unit here is regulated, and every one you earn is yours to keep.

Customer Support ProvisionReal unit · Cambridge OCR

You'll gain skills to provide effective customer support by determining end-user requirements, responding to technical requests, using appropriate communication methods, recording information accurately, and following organisational procedures for unresolved issues.

What you'll be able to do

Determine end-user requirements for technical support.
Respond to end-user requests for technical support.
Use the most appropriate method of communication, including practical methods, verbal communication, and written communication.
Record identified end-user requirements accurately.
Select relevant technical information to address end-user requests.
Record and refer unsolved requests in accordance with agreed working practices and procedures.
Create information gathering resources to identify improvements in technical support.
Use the designed information gathering resources to gather information from customers.
Analyse feedback collected from customers.
Produce reports detailing the results of the analysis of customer feedback.
Produce recommendations for potential improvements to technical support services.
Use support documentation effectively.
Analyse the documentation collected.
Produce reports detailing the results of the analysis of support documentation.
Select information from other sources to provide technical support.

Hardware/Equipment and Systems InstallationReal unit · Cambridge OCR

This unit provides learners with the skills to prepare for and carry out hardware and systems installations effectively. You'll justify installation plans, select information sources, document decisions, and manage problem resolution during the installation process.

What you'll be able to do

Carry out preparations in advance of installing hardware/equipment, ensuring all necessary resources are available.
Justify the installation plan based on technical requirements and organisational needs.
Report decisions taken during the installation process, documenting rationale and impact.
Select appropriate sources of information and research to support the installation process.
Determine the necessary actions to take during the installation, following established procedures.
Document post-installation results, including performance metrics and any issues encountered.
Develop strategies for resolving problems that may arise during or after the installation.
Ensure all relevant parties are kept informed of the installation progress and any issues encountered.
Change the settings of user/group accounts to ensure appropriate access and security.

Maintain Equipment and SystemsReal unit · Cambridge OCR

This unit develops learners' understanding of equipment and systems maintenance, including preventative and remedial procedures. You'll document maintenance processes, identify hazards, and apply safety procedures relevant to maintaining ICT equipment and systems.

What you'll be able to do

Present all documentation to a professional standard.
Document the purpose of various types of preventative maintenance products and procedures and when to use/perform them.
Document the purpose of various types of remedial maintenance products and procedures and when to use/perform them.
Document issues, procedures and devices for protection within a computing environment.
Demonstrate knowledge of the potential hazards and proper safety procedures relating to lasers.
Document items that require special disposal procedures and comply with environmental guidelines.
Demonstrate knowledge of ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) precautions and procedures.
Carry out routine preventative maintenance for equipment components in accordance with manufacturer’s and health and safety guidelines.
Carry out routine preventative maintenance for sub-assemblies in accordance with manufacturer’s and health and safety guidelines.
Carry out routine remedial maintenance for equipment components in accordance with manufacturer’s and health and safety guidelines.
Carry out routine remedial maintenance for sub-assemblies in accordance with manufacturer’s and health and safety guidelines.
Recognise the common symptoms and problems associated with equipment and systems.
Locate and document common types of faults in equipment and systems.
Document good practice for eliciting problem symptoms from customers.
Use appropriate tools in diagnosing and locating faults in equipment and systems.
Collate information to diagnose and locate faults in equipment and systems.
Analyse information to diagnose and locate faults in equipment and systems.
Present all documentation to a professional standard.
Document the actions and resources required to address faults in equipment and systems.
Document when to refer faults to others for resolution.
Comply with procedures for escalating faults within a tiered support structure.
Present all documentation to a professional standard.
Document the activities to be undertaken to restore specified performance of equipment and systems.
Plan the activities to be undertaken to restore specified performance of equipment and systems.
Present all documentation to a professional standard.
Ensure all documentation is presented to a professional standard.
Implement procedures to restore systems and equipment following the diagnosis of in-service faults.
Create a performance test plan for equipment and systems.
Create performance test data for equipment and systems.
Test and record performance of equipment and systems.
Use a performance test log to identify discrepancies in equipment and systems.
Ensure all documentation is presented to a professional standard.

Service Delivery, Planning & Control in ICTReal unit · Cambridge OCR

This unit develops learners' skills in documenting customer needs for ICT functionality, capacity, and support levels. You'll analyse ICT system performance and produce professional documentation to support service delivery, planning, and control.

What you'll be able to do

Document the principles and procedures used to determine customer needs in terms of ICT functionality
Document the principles and procedures used to determine customer needs in terms of capacity
Document the principles and procedures used to determine customer needs in terms of levels of support required
Produce all documentation presented to a professional standard
Analyse the performance of ICT systems on a regular basis
Document the results of analysing the performance of the existing ICT systems
Derive potential improvements and present conclusions in a report, outlining resource implications
Produce all documentation to a professional standard
Derive the performance criteria for evaluating products and services
Analyse the performance of the existing ICT infrastructure on a regular basis
Document the results of analysing the performance of the existing ICT infrastructure
Derive potential improvements and present conclusions in a report, outlining resource implications
Produce all documentation to a professional standard
Identify the criteria for ensuring that the ICT infrastructure delivers the required functionality
Identify the criteria for ensuring that the ICT infrastructure delivers the required capacity
Identify the criteria for ensuring that the ICT infrastructure delivers the required level of support
Develop a plan for ensuring that the ICT infrastructure delivers the required functionality, capacity and level of support in consultancy with other members of the organisation in accordance with the resources allocated to support the plan
Modify the plan following the consultancy period
Communicate the plan for ensuring that the ICT infrastructure delivers the required functionality, capacity and level of support to members of the organisation
Monitor and evaluate the plan against agreed milestones and timescales
Produce all documentation to a professional standard
Document the importance of contingency planning within an organisation
Document the importance of disaster recovery within an organisation
Document the communications of the contingency plan and procedures for members of the organisation
Document the communications of the disaster recovery plan and procedures for members of the organisation
Produce all documentation to a professional standard

Software InstallationReal unit · Cambridge OCR

You'll learn to prepare for software installation by determining system requirements, selecting appropriate software versions, and obtaining licensing details. The unit also covers identifying optimal installation methods in consultation with stakeholders.

What you'll be able to do

Identify if the system(s) for installation meet(s) or exceed(s) the manufacturers minimum requirements
Decide which version of software to install
Obtain licensing details for software
Identify with the Network Manager the optimum means of installing application –network roll out or individual systems
Establish the installation procedure for application
Decide whether to make a fresh install or to install over an existing one
Agree with user configuration of software
Identify the best location for installation
Decide when to install software
Prepare to install software by checking inside package for contents
Virus check the installation media
Backup valuable data prior to installation
Provide documentation to support installations, such as installation of operating system upgrades
Provide documentation to support installations, such as replacement of operating system
Provide documentation to support installations, such as updating device drivers
Provide documentation to support installations, such as adding network components
Provide documentation to support installations, such as installing utilities such as system monitoring applications, virus checkers, firewall
Provide documentation to support installations, such as individual applications such as DTP, word processors, databases, spreadsheets
Provide documentation to support installations, such as installing the image of a system hard disk (ghosting)
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for wrong processor
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for file types
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for upgrade(s) not installed for operating system
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for device drivers
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for file not found
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for insufficient RAM
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for file(s) exist/are more recent
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for operating system not compatible with application
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for application refuses to install at all
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for application installations stops midway
Document means of dealing with incompatibilities for other applications fail to work/run following installation
Select tests to carry out on local drives, network or an Internet link
Evaluate tests to carry out on local drives, network or an Internet link
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of input of user information
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of activation keys
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of the effect on installation times of using different media
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of the use the agreed check list for installation
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of the use of sources of information during installation
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of an explanation of the use of access rights of users to various folders, sharing folders, passwords, file locations, use of partitions, local and server usage
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of an appreciation of the different requirements of an upgrade and a full installation
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of registration of application
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of run application/self test feature if possible
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of use of standard data entered into software
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of use of system monitoring utilities to check system performance
Provide evidence in a report describing how you dealt with any of changes made to agreed check lists/settings
Describe and document system performance in terms of boot time
Describe and document system performance in terms of speed of processing
Describe and document system performance in terms of printing time
Describe and document system performance in terms of system stability
Describe and document system performance in terms of lapses in security
Describe and document system performance in terms of corruption of existing (data) files
Describe and document system performance in terms of lack of memory
Describe and document system performance in terms of use of system monitors
Describe and document record keeping before and after installation
Describe and document system integrity in terms of reliable booting of system
Describe and document system integrity in terms of no change in use of other applications
Describe and document system integrity in terms of no corruption of data or program files
Describe and document methods for dealing with problems such as uninstall of software
Describe and document methods for dealing with problems such as re-install
Describe and document methods for dealing with problems such as reconfigure settings, possible to the default
Describe and document methods for dealing with problems such as restore previous image from backup

System Testing in ICTReal unit · Cambridge OCR

You'll be able to create comprehensive test plans for ICT systems, covering hardware components, operating systems, and peripherals. The unit includes designing tests for BIOS post, system functionality, manufacturer and third-party diagnostics, and performance evaluation.

What you'll be able to do

Create a test plan to test hardware and include BIOS post
Create a test plan to test hardware and include Operating System information/tools
Create a test plan to test hardware and include Manufacturers’ tests
Create a test plan to test hardware and include Third party testing with comparison of results of main components
Create a test plan to test hardware and include Peripherals
Create a test plan to test Operating Systems and include Time to boot
Create a test plan to test Operating Systems and include System functionality
Create a test plan to test Operating Systems and include Configuration settings
Create a test plan to test Operating Systems and include Network operation
Create a test plan to test Operating Systems and include Security features
Create a test plan to test Operating Systems and include Drivers
Create a test plan to test Operating Systems and include Tasks schedules
Create a test plan to test Operating Systems and include Upgrade availability
Create a test plan to test Software and include which applications need testing
Create a test plan to test Software and include utilities to be tested
Create a test plan to test Software and include background applications
Agree a plan with the network manager and user(s) which identifies system hardware and software
Agree a plan with the network manager and user(s) which establishes configuration settings
Document types of tests, including normal usage
Document types of tests, including soak testing of hardware and software
Document types of tests, including changing configuration settings of both hardware and software
Document types of tests, including the effect of replacing hardware
Document types of tests, including a physical check of wiring
Document types of tests, including analysis of network traffic
Produce a report of results
Resolve errors
Restore previous configuration settings
Remove installed components
Ensure user agreement for testing to continue
Respond to the results of systems tests and compare test results with expected results
Respond to the results of systems tests and identify reasons for any differences
Respond to the results of systems tests and decide on an action plan with user(s) and manager
Respond to the results of systems tests and implement the action plan, recording progress
Document the outcomes of testing and select the format of records
Develop strategies for informing others and select means of passing on findings such as use of e-mail
Develop strategies for informing others and select means of passing on findings such as written reports
Develop strategies for informing others and select means of passing on findings such as conference calls
Develop strategies for informing others and decide on the level of reaction
Develop strategies for informing others and confirm evidence
Develop strategies for informing others and agree with all parties
Develop strategies for informing others and produce a document showing how to inform others on system performance
Develop strategies for informing others and produce a document showing how to inform others on integrity
Develop strategies for informing others and produce a document showing how to inform others on methods for dealing with problems

The honest bit

You’ve started things before

Most courses were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.

There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.

And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.

Your passport

Every credit is a stamp you keep

Level 3 credits are regulated. They don’t vanish when a subscription ends or a website closes. They travel to any employer, and Zavmo keeps the map of what you’ve earned and what’s next.

Customer Support ProvisionHardware/Equipment and Systems InstallationMaintain Equipment and SystemsService Delivery, Planning & Control in ICTSoftware InstallationSystem Testing in ICT

Each stamp is a real unit registered against this qualification.

Who’d teach you this

The Evidence Evaluator

Assessor

Helps you show what you can actually do, gathering the evidence that proves it as you learn.

Meet all twelve tutors

Where this connects

Where these credits take you

A qualification is never a dead end here. See the jobs its credits open, the national occupational standards its units map to, and the future skills they quietly build.

See Your Progress GrowIllustration

OCR Level 3 Certificate for Apprentice IT Professionals (QCF)

Authorise strategy, policies and standards relating to IT service delivery performance metrics management
Carry out DevOps digital delivery activities
Install technical support systems and associated equipment
Maintain games and interactive media project outputs
Perform digital service transition

This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

Where this can lead

Customer Support Professional

Your journey here is really what you make of it. We're committed to helping you grow, whether that's becoming a leader, a deep technical specialist, or even moving into another part of the business. We'll give you the tools and opportunities; the rest is up to you.

See the whole journey →

Opens the roleCustomer Support ProfessionalOne of the jobs this qualification is a route intoSee the role →Opens the roleAssociate Technical Support EngineerOne of the jobs this qualification is a route into · 1 near-identical record folded inSee the role →Opens the roleAssociate Technical Support SpecialistOne of the jobs this qualification is a route intoSee the role →Opens the roleCustomer Support SupervisorOne of the jobs this qualification is a route into · 1 near-identical record folded inSee the role →Opens the roleTechnical Support EngineerOne of the jobs this qualification is a route into · 1 near-identical record folded inSee the role →Opens the roleTechnical Support SpecialistOne of the jobs this qualification is a route into · 1 near-identical record folded inSee the role →Future FluencyAll ten future skillsSee how every unit is contextualised by the tenExplore →

Showing 6 roles, drawn from 29 job records mapped to this qualification.

Skills it covers

What the job actually needs. These are the standards the units are built against, in the words employers and awarding bodies already use for the work itself.

Authorise strategy, policies and standards relating to IT service delivery performance metrics managementCarry out DevOps digital delivery activitiesInstall technical support systems and associated equipmentMaintain games and interactive media project outputsPerform digital service transition

How you’ll actually learn this

One-to-one, on your own real work

A qualification is usually something done to you: sit the class, sit the exam, hope it sticks. Here it’s the opposite. You learn it one-to-one with a companion, on your own real work, and you keep going until you can use it, not just recall it.

One-to-one, on your real workNo lectures, no past-papers. Every unit is practised on the actual tasks your job throws at you, a tutor beside you, not a video in front of you.

Taught to the top, not the testMost courses stop at remembering. Your companion keeps climbing: analysing, judging, creating. That’s the part a machine can’t do for you.

Credits you keep, a map that continuesEvery unit is regulated and yours for good. The day you finish, Zavmo already knows the next role your new credits open.

Customer Support ProvisionLevel 3

Applied to your work in any of these jobs

Which job do you mean?

Customer Support Professional Associate Technical Support Engineer Associate Technical Support Specialist Customer Support Supervisor Technical Support Engineer Technical Support Specialist

Learners will gain skills to provide effective customer support by determining end-user requirements, responding to technical requests, using appropriate communication methods, recording information accurately, and following organisational procedures for unresolved issues.

How the thinking builds

Remember
Understand
Apply
Analyse
Evaluate
Create

An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

Your PlanIllustration

Built for OCR Level 3 Certificate for Apprentice IT Professionals (QCF)

6 units in this credential, in the order it lists them, awarded by Cambridge OCR.

Customer Support Provision
Hardware/Equipment and Systems Installation
Maintain Equipment and Systems
Service Delivery, Planning & Control in ICT
Software Installation
System Testing in ICT

These are the real units of this credential, in its own order. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

One to one, not one to many

No two people run this the same way

A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.

Your actual work Every unit is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.

See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.

Why it sticks

Most courses stop at remembering

There’s a well-known ladder of how deeply you learn something, called Bloom’s Taxonomy. Most courses get you up the first two rungs: you remember some facts, you pass a test, you forget it. Real skill lives at the top. Judging, deciding, creating. And this isn’t a generic ladder: every rung has a named Zavmo tutor who walks you up it.

6CreateThe Creative Catalyst
5EvaluateThe Evidence Evaluator
4AnalyseThe Analyst
3ApplyThe Coach
2UnderstandThe Connector
1RememberThe Builder

Where most courses leave you Where Zavmo takes you

Why this matters: AI can already remember and understand for you. What it can’t do is take your real problem and judge the right call. So the only learning worth paying for is the learning that takes you to the top. That’s exactly what a tutor doing it with you, on your real work, is for.

The value

Why the companion is worth £70 a month

You’re not paying for the units. They’re regulated, and the same wherever you earn them. You’re paying for the one thing that decides whether you actually get there: a companion that makes them stick, on your real work.

That is one-to-one on this qualification, every day, on the work you already do, for £70 a month. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it. Billed monthly, cancel any time and billing stops.

Earned on your own work, taught to the top.

Everything you just read, learned one-to-one on the job you already do. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it.

Build my plan, free

No card. See how this qualification maps onto your role and meet the tutors who’d teach it, free. The learning begins when you subscribe. It’s £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.