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Project Director NVQ
Project Director NVQ Level 7
Operations directors, project directors, heads of delivery — the Project Direction pathway recognises senior leaders who own how the work gets built. Evidenced from your role, assessed without leaving it, on the typical route to the Black Manager CSCS card. It costs £1,400 fixed with no VAT, typically takes 4–8 weeks with assessment carried out remotely or on site from your normal work — no exams, no classroom, and leads to the Black Manager card.
Qualification Overview
Senior production leaders carry the delivery side of a construction business: portfolios of projects, the managers who run them, the strategies that decide how work is planned, resourced and built. Many reached that level without a master’s degree — and the Level 7 NVQ exists precisely to recognise their competence at the same level, from the role they already perform.
Assessment fits an executive diary: a CTG assessor reviews your real leadership outputs — delivery strategies, board and programme reports, organisational decisions — with professional discussion and witness testimony from peers and reports. No exams, no classroom, and assessor engagement is included as standard.
You achieve the GQA Level 7 NVQ Diploma in Construction Senior Management, qualification code 601/8902/2, through the Project Direction pathway — the typical qualification route to the Black Manager CSCS card.
Qualification Structure
Key information
| Full title | GQA Level 7 NVQ Diploma in Construction Senior Management |
| Qualification code | 601/8902/2 |
| Pathway | Project Direction |
| Level | 7 |
| Awarding body | GQA |
| Price | £1,400 — fixed, no VAT |
| Typical completion | 4–8 weeks |
| Assessment | Workplace evidence — no exams, no classroom |
| Typical CSCS route | Black Manager |
Project Direction or Commercial — the two pathways
The Level 7 qualification has two formal pathways. Project Direction — this page — is for leaders accountable for delivery: operations and project directors, heads of construction. The Commercial pathway serves commercial directors and senior commercial leaders. See the parent qualification page; one conversation confirms which pathway your role evidences.
Who this NVQ is for
Senior production-side leaders in contracting organisations — operations directors, project and construction directors, senior delivery managers. Your role should carry organisational, not just project, accountability. Typical evidence: setting delivery strategy and standards across projects, leading and developing senior managers, owning programme, safety and quality performance at portfolio level, resourcing and organisational decisions, and reporting at board or divisional level.
Entry requirements
No formal entry qualifications and no degree required. Your current role must genuinely operate at senior-management level with evidence a CTG assessor can review. Site managers not yet at that level fit the Level 6 Site Management NVQ — we advise honestly.
CSCS card route
This Level 7 NVQ is the typical qualification for the Black Manager CSCS card, together with the relevant CITB Health, Safety & Environment test. CSCS issues the card, not CTG. See our CSCS cards guide.
Units — mandatory and optional
You achieve the GQA Level 7 NVQ Diploma in Construction Senior Management, qualification code 601/8902/2. The unit structure below comes from the official GQA specification — your assessor maps your day-to-day work to these units at enrolment.
Mandatory units (all candidates)
- Manage project processes in construction management
- Manage teams in construction management
- Recruit staff in own area of responsibility
- Examine staff turnover issues in own area of responsibility
- Plan, allocate and monitor work of a team
- Plan, allocate and monitor work in own area of responsibility
- Provide advice, judgement and service ethically in construction management
- Lead and manage meetings
- Participate in meetings
- Develop self and others in construction management
Project Direction pathway — mandatory unit
- Control projects in construction management
Optional units are then selected from the specification’s optional group to reach the pathway’s minimum credit requirement — we confirm the right combination for your role at enrolment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Level 7 Project Direction NVQ take?
Typically 4–8 weeks — your existing leadership outputs carry most of the evidence.
How does assessment fit a director’s diary?
Around it: document review, scheduled professional discussions and witness testimony. Site observation is arranged where it adds value, not as a burden.
Is a Level 7 NVQ equivalent to a master’s?
It sits at the same level on the qualifications framework — achieved through demonstrated competence rather than academic study.
Can my organisation put several directors through?
Yes — leadership-team enrolments across production and commercial pathways run together cleanly.
Rated by the people we qualify
Live Google reviews from CTG candidates and employers across the UK. Read all 52 reviews.
What card does this NVQ lead to?
Leads to the Black CSCS Manager card
On completion you can apply for the Black CSCS Manager card, proving competence in your trade.
Your NVQ pathway
- Level 2 Skilled
- Level 3 Advanced
- Level 4 Supervisor
- Level 5 Senior Supervisor
- Level 6 Manager
- Level 7 Senior Manager
Your current qualification is highlighted. Progress up the pathway as your career develops.
How the e-portfolio assessment works
- Enrol and be assigned a dedicated occupational assessor.
- Gather workplace evidence — photos, videos, witness statements — via our online portal.
- Complete a professional discussion and observations against the 601/8902/2 standards.
- Certification, then apply to CSCS for your card.