Level 2 NVQ
Qualify on site
Get qualified without leaving the job
This NVQ is built for plasterers who are already doing the work. You don’t sit in a classroom to prove what you do every day — your assessor comes to you and assesses you doing it, and you finish with a nationally recognised NOCN certificate.
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Online question packs
The knowledge element, completed at your own pace from any device.
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On-site assessment
A qualified assessor visits you and observes you working on a live job.
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Portfolio built as you work
Photographs, witness statements and job records gathered on the job, not written up afterwards.
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Independent quality check
A second qualified verifier reviews your portfolio before it goes to the awarding body.
Course details
How to become a qualified Solid Plasterer
The Level 2 NVQ in Plastering (Solid) is nationally recognised proof that you can do the job to the standard the industry expects. Tap any section below to open it.
Course overview
The Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plastering (Construction) – Solid is for plasterers already working in the public or private sector, and it is a foundation for progressing to higher-level qualifications. Successful completion supports your application for a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card.
It has been developed for achievement in a real workplace environment, so you need to be employed to take it. You are assessed against performance and knowledge statements derived from the National Occupational Standards for plastering, and the qualification helps you build enabling, fundamental and transferable practical skills with the underpinning knowledge behind them.
Many sites now expect every operative to hold a CSCS card and a recognised qualification for their trade. This NVQ Diploma is nationally recognised proof that you plaster to the required standard. The qualification is delivered by Unyte Academy, a NOCN approved centre based in Willenhall in the West Midlands.
New to the trade? This is a skilled worker route, not a beginner course. Start with the Level 2 Award in Understanding Domestic Retrofit, which needs no experience at all.
Who this course is for
- Solid plasterers — applying finishing plaster, solid render and internal solid finishes.
- Plasterers who also dry line or screed — the optional units cover direct bond dry lining, plasterboard, projection plaster and screeds.
- Operatives going for a CSCS card — the NVQ supports your application once your certificate is issued.
- Employers training a team — group rates apply, and CITB registered employers can claim up to £600 back per learner.
What good solid plastering work looks like
Solid plastering is the traditional wet trade: backing coats, render and finishing plaster applied to solid backgrounds.
Your assessor will want to see work like this on your own jobs:
- Preparing backgrounds and applying bonding or scratch coats
- Applying render to external walls and producing finishes
- Skimming finishing plaster to a flat, smooth surface
- Forming arrises, angles and reveals with beads
- Extending your skills through the optional units: projection plaster, dry lining or screeds
Entry requirements
- Aged 18 or over — at the point of registration.
- Currently employed — you must be in work to complete the qualification.
- Existing experience — solid plastering. NVQs are a skilled worker route.
- Access to suitable work — so your assessor has live jobs to observe.
Not sure you qualify? Send your details using the application form and we will confirm your eligibility before you commit.
What's included
- NOCN Level 2 NVQThe Plastering (Solid) qualification, issued on successful completion.
- All the units6 mandatory units + 1 optional, assessed on your own work.
- Online question packsThe knowledge element, completed at your own pace from any device.
- On-site assessmentA qualified assessor visits you and observes your work on live jobs.
The units you will complete
The full title is the NOCN_Cskills Awards Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plastering (Construction) – Solid. It is built from the units below.
Six mandatory units
- Conforming to general health, safety and welfare in the workplace
- Conforming to productive working practices in the workplace
- Moving, handling and storing resources in the workplace
- Applying finishing plaster to prepared surfaces in the workplace
- Applying solid render to background surfaces and producing finishes in the workplace
- Producing internal solid plastering finishes in the workplace
Plus at least one optional unit
- Applying projection plaster and render, and maintaining equipment in the workplace
- Installing direct bond dry lining systems in the workplace
- Installing mechanically fixed plasterboard in the workplace
- Laying sand and cement screeds in the workplace
How long does the Plastering (Solid) NVQ take?
It can take as little as 4 weeks. The pace is set by how quickly you work through the question packs and how soon your assessor can get on site to observe you on a live job.
There is no cohort and no start date to wait for: once your eligibility and funding are confirmed, you start.
How it's delivered and assessed
There is no time off site. You complete the knowledge element online, and everything else happens on your own jobs.
Answer the question packs
Work through the knowledge units online, at your own pace, from any device.
Get observed on site
Your assessor visits and observes you working on a live job.
Portfolio sign-off
Your evidence is quality-checked and submitted for your NOCN certificate.
Certification: on successful completion you receive the NOCN accredited Level 2 NVQ in Plastering (Solid) — nationally recognised proof of occupational competence.
Apply
Start your Plastering (Solid) NVQ
Send your details and we will confirm your eligibility, your funding and your assessor visit. We reply within one working day.
How it works
Five stages from sign-up to certificate
As little as 4 weeks from start to finish. The pace is set by how quickly you work through the question packs and how soon your assessor can get on site to observe you.
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Step 1
Sign up
We confirm your eligibility and your funding first, register you with the awarding body and set up your learner account.
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Step 2
Answer written question packs
The knowledge element. Work through the question packs online at your own pace, from any device, with no fixed timetable.
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Step 3
Site observation and evidence gathering
Your assessor comes to you and observes you working on a live job. Photographs, witness statements and job records build your portfolio as you work.
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Step 4
Internal Quality Assurance (IQA)
A second qualified verifier independently reviews your portfolio and your assessor's decisions before anything is submitted.
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Step 5
Certificate
Your evidence goes to the awarding body and your NVQ certificate is issued. You can then apply to CSCS for your card.
Outcomes and progression
What the qualification unlocks
- NOCN Level 2 NVQ certificate — nationally recognised proof of occupational competence as a Solid Plasterer.
- CSCS card application — supports your route to a Construction Skills Certification Scheme card.
- A route to further qualifications — see where this NVQ can lead below.
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You are here · Level 2
NVQ Diploma in Plastering (Solid)
Prove competence in the plastering work you already do.
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Level 2
NVQ in Dry Lining Fixing
Certify dry lining systems and plasterboard linings.
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Level 3
NVQ in External Wall Insulation Boarder and Finisher
Apply your render and finishing skills to external wall insulation.
Also working in a related trade? See the Level 2 NVQ in Dry Lining Finishing and the Level 2 NVQ in Dry Lining Fixing, or browse all our NVQ courses.
Spread the cost
Pay in 3 interest-free instalments
Split your course fee into three payments, with no interest and nothing extra to pay.
- Payment one0% interest
- Payment two0% interest
- Payment three0% interest
Funding
CITB registered employers can claim up to £600 back
If your business is registered with CITB, you can claim on completion. Everyone can pay in 3 interest-free instalments.
- Up to £600 back — CITB registered employers only, claimed once the learner completes. If you are not CITB registered, this does not apply.
- We do the paperwork — send us your CITB registration number and we will confirm what you can claim before you commit.
£600
For CITB registered employers
Claimed back on completion. Not registered with CITB? You can still pay in 3 interest-free instalments.
Check Your EligibilityApproved and accredited by
Common questions
Plastering (Solid) NVQ FAQs
Yes. An NVQ is achieved in a real workplace environment, so you must be employed and already solid plastering. Your competence is assessed on your own live jobs. If you are new to the trade, start with the Level 2 Award in Understanding Domestic Retrofit instead.
No. The knowledge units are online question packs you complete at your own pace, and your assessor comes to you to observe you at work. There is no classroom attendance.
In as little as 4 weeks. The pace is set by how quickly you work through the question packs and how soon your assessor can get on site to observe you on a live job.
You pick the optional units that match the work you already do, because they are assessed on your own live jobs. Your assessor will agree them with you when you sign up.
Internal Quality Assurance. Before anything is submitted to the awarding body, a second qualified verifier independently reviews your portfolio and your assessor's decisions. It is a required step on every NVQ and it is what makes the qualification stand up.
The qualification supports your application to the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. You apply to CSCS directly once your certificate is issued.
Many sites now expect every operative to hold a CSCS card and a recognised qualification for their trade. This NVQ Diploma is nationally recognised proof that you plaster to the required standard.
If your employer is registered with CITB, they can claim up to £600 back once you complete. That is the only route the £600 applies to — it is not available to individuals or to businesses that are not CITB registered. Everyone can pay in 3 interest-free instalments. Send us your details and we will confirm what applies to you before you commit.
Yes. Group rates apply when you enrol several operatives on one agreement, and we handle the CITB paperwork with you. Use the form below and tell us how many learners you have.
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