Certificate in Coding Practices – Level 3

Required qualifications

No prior coding experience is required; however, we recommend a strong IT skillset and to have completed a Level 2 IT course.

Please also look at our English and maths courses to support your studies.

What skills will I develop?

While studying the NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Coding Practices, you will develop a wide range of skills and knowledge essential for a career in coding:

1. Software Development Methodologies: Understand and apply methodologies like Scrum, Kanban, Waterfall, and Agile, including their strengths, weaknesses, and suitable applications.
2. Coding Standards and Principles: Learn the importance of coding standards, good coding practices, and principles such as KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) and SOLID (Single Responsibility Principle, Open-Closed Principle, Liskov Substitution Principle, Interface Segregation Principle, and Dependency Inversion Principle).
3. Coding Design and Implementation: Gain skills in coding design, writing, and debugging both interpreted and compiled code. Understand key concepts like iterations, sequences, selection, data, methods, and object-oriented programming.
4. Software Testing: Learn different levels, types, and methods of testing, including functional and non-functional testing. Understand test-driven development and techniques for identifying and fixing bugs.
5. Deployment and Maintenance: Understand deployment planning, strategies, and the importance of maintenance documentation. Learn about configuration management and version control systems.
6. Teamwork and Project Management: Develop skills in teamwork, risk management, and project management, including capturing and documenting requirements and managing project risks.
7. Security and Database Management: Understand the principles of building security by design into software and gain knowledge of databases, including structured and unstructured data, database indexing, and querying techniques.

These skills and knowledge will prepare you for various roles in the coding and software development industry, supporting your progression into higher-level studies or relevant employment.

Careers

The NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Coding Practices equips you for several career options in the tech industry. Here are three potential career paths:

1. Junior Software Developer: With the skills and knowledge gained from this qualification, you can start your career as a junior software developer. You’ll be able to write, debug, and maintain code, work with different programming languages, and understand software development methodologies.
2. Quality Assurance (QA) Tester: This role involves testing software to identify and fix bugs, ensuring that the software meets the required standards. The course’s focus on software testing, including different levels and methods of testing, prepares you well for this career.
3. IT Support Technician: This role involves providing technical support and troubleshooting for software and hardware issues. The knowledge of coding, software deployment, and maintenance gained from this qualification will be valuable in diagnosing and resolving technical problems.

These roles provide a strong foundation for further career development in the tech industry.

Other important information

In the UK, the ‘Free Courses for Jobs’ initiative offers adults the opportunity to gain a Level 3 qualification for free. This programme is designed to help individuals improve their job prospects and earning potential by providing access to valuable skills and knowledge.

Eligibility:

• Age: 19 or over.
• Income: Earn below £25,000 or are unemployed.
• Qualifications: Do not already have a Level 3 qualification, or have one but earn less than the National Living Wage.