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Tracked Loading Shovel NVQ Level 2
Tracked Loading Shovel NVQ Level 2
Prove your competence on the tracked loading shovel with an NVQ built from your normal shift — assessed on site by a national assessor team, on the typical route to the Blue Skilled Worker CSCS card. It costs £750 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 Blue Skilled Worker card.
Qualification Overview
Tracked loading shovels earn their keep where wheels won’t: soft ground, demolition arisings, landfill cells, stockyards and muck-shifting jobs where traction and stability matter more than travel speed. If that’s your machine, this NVQ documents the competence you already have — extracting, handling and loading material safely — without a day off the job.
Assessment is entirely work-based. A CTG assessor visits your site, observes real extraction and loading cycles, discusses how you read ground conditions and position for the load, and gathers photos and witness statements. There are no exams and no classroom sessions, and assessor visits are included as standard.
On completion you hold the GQA Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plant Operations (Construction), qualification code 601/0403/X, with tracked loading shovel units evidenced — the typical qualification route to the Blue Skilled Worker CSCS card.
Qualification Structure
Key information
| Full title | GQA Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plant Operations (Construction) |
| Qualification code | 601/0403/X |
| Pathway group | Extracting Plant — tracked loading shovel unit |
| Level | 2 |
| Awarding body | GQA |
| Price | £750 — fixed, no VAT |
| Typical completion | 4–8 weeks |
| Assessment | On-site evidence — no exams, no classroom |
| Typical CSCS route | Blue Skilled Worker |
What the tracked loading shovel unit covers
Within the Plant Operations Diploma, the tracked loading shovel sits in the Extracting Plant pathway group: extracting ground and loose materials, handling them and loading them out. Your certificate reflects the units you’re registered for and evidenced on — it doesn’t automatically extend to the wheeled loading shovel or other extracting machines. Operate a wheeled machine instead? That unit sits in the Plant Operations Certificate — see the Wheeled Loading Shovel NVQ.
Who this NVQ is for
Experienced operators using a tracked loading shovel in muck-shifting, demolition, waste and recycling, quarrying or bulk earthworks. You should be working with minimal supervision and have regular machine access at work. Typical evidence: assessing and preparing the working area, extracting and shifting material in poor ground, loading dump trucks and hoppers to a consistent pattern, working with banksmen and exclusion zones, and daily inspections with track and undercarriage checks.
Entry requirements
No formal entry qualifications. You must be operating a tracked loading shovel at work now, on a site where a CTG assessor can observe you. Novice operators should complete machine training first — the NVQ assesses existing competence, it doesn’t teach the machine.
CSCS card route
This Level 2 NVQ is the typical qualification for the Blue Skilled Worker CSCS card, alongside the relevant CITB Health, Safety & Environment test. CSCS issues the card, not CTG. See our CSCS cards guide.
NVQ or NPORS — what’s the difference?
NPORS covers training and testing on the machine; the NVQ proves workplace competence and supports the Blue CSCS application. If you’re not yet operating, start with the NPORS Tracked Loading Shovel course, then return for the NVQ once you’re working. CTG delivers both.
Units — mandatory and optional
You achieve the GQA Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Plant Operations (Construction), qualification code 601/0403/X, through two mandatory units plus the optional machine unit for the plant you operate — drawn from the Extracting Plant pathway group of the official GQA specification. Your assessor maps your normal shifts to these units at enrolment.
Mandatory units (all operators)
- Conforming to General Health, Safety and Welfare in the Workplace
- Conforming to Productive Working Practices in the Workplace
Your machine unit — Extracting Plant pathway
- Preparing and Operating Tracked Loading Shovels to Extract Ground and Loose Materials in the Workplace
Operate more than one machine? Additional units from the specification can be evidenced alongside — tell us at enrolment and we’ll register the right combination.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the Tracked Loading Shovel NVQ take?
Most operators finish in 4–8 weeks, depending on evidence opportunities on site.
I split my time between tracked and wheeled shovels — which NVQ do I take?
They’re different units under different plant qualifications. Tell us what you operate most and we’ll register you on the right route — don’t guess, one call sorts it.
Does site type matter — demolition, landfill, quarry?
No. Any live site where you genuinely operate the machine can host the assessment, anywhere in the UK.
Can several operators on our site be assessed together?
Yes — one assessor visit can cover multiple candidates. CITB-registered employers may also be able to claim a grant towards Level 2 Plant Operations NVQs — see our funding page.
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Live Google reviews from CTG candidates and employers across the UK. Read all 52 reviews.
Entry requirements
You are already doing the work day to day, as an employee or self-employed. There are no entry qualifications and no exams — you are assessed on the job you already do.
To start Level 2 qualification you need:
- A relevant job to be assessed in. This is a competence qualification, so you must have access to real work of the right type while you are registered. No workplace, no evidence.
- Proof of identity — a passport, driving licence or similar, as the awarding body requires.
- A National Insurance number, so we can obtain your Unique Learner Number.
- Enough English to explain your work to your assessor and to talk through your evidence.
- A device with a camera — a phone is fine. Evidence is photos and short videos of your own work, uploaded to your e-portfolio.
You do not need: any prior qualification, any classroom attendance, or to sit an exam. Assessment is entirely in your workplace via a remote e-portfolio, nationwide.
Tell us about any support need, disability or learning difficulty when you enrol and we will arrange reasonable adjustments — it does not affect whether you can take the qualification.
The awarding body sets the final entry criteria for each qualification. If you are not sure whether your current role gives you the right evidence, ask us before you book — we would rather tell you honestly than register you for something you cannot complete.
What card does this NVQ lead to?
Leads to the Blue CSCS Skilled Worker card
On completion you can apply for the Blue CSCS Skilled Worker 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
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 601/0403/X standards.
- Certification, then apply to CSCS for your card.