ILM Level 3 AwardLeadership & Management

You don't need any formal qualifications to enrol on the ILM Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management, but you must be 18 or older.

However, you'll benefit the most from the course if you're a current or potential first-line manager with at least two years' full-time (or three years' part-time) work experience.

The ILM Level 3 Award in Leadership and Management is 100% online. To achieve the Award, you'll study your choice of 2 units from the following:

• Solving Problems and Making Decisions
• Understanding Customer Service Standards & Requirements
• Managing Workplace Projects
• Planning and Allocating Work

If you'd like to develop more comprehensive first-line management skills, the ILM Level 3 Certificate offers a wider range of topics.

For full details of what you’ll learn in each unit, download your free ILM course guide.

You'll complete one ILM assessment for each unit you study, made up of short questions and written tasks.

Your assignments will be submitted online through our virtual learning platform, mystudyspace, and marked by our ILM tutors.

For more details, download your free ILM Level 3 Award course guide.  

ILM stands for the Institute of Leadership and Management, an industry-leading professional body that specialises in leadership, management, and coaching qualifications.

Part of the City & Guilds Group, ILM offers a wide range of internationally recognised qualifications designed to help people at all levels become more effective leaders and managers.

ILM qualifications focus on practical, work-based skills that improve team performance, boost confidence, and support career progression across every industry.

With over 70,000 learners choosing ILM each year, it’s one of the most trusted names in leadership development in the UK and worldwide.

ILM Level 3 qualifications are designed for first-line managers or individuals with some management responsibility, typically those who are new to managing teams or have limited experience in leadership roles:

• ILM Level 3 Award is equivalent to A Levels or the first year of a university degree in the UK education system. It offers an introductory level of management training, focusing on core management principles.
• ILM Level 3 Certificate is more comprehensive and can be considered equivalent to A Levels or the first year of undergraduate study, but with a broader coverage of management skills.
• ILM Level 3 Diploma offers the most in-depth learning at this level and is comparable to a Foundation degree or higher-level vocational qualification.

Leadership and management are both essential in any organisation, but they serve two distinct roles. 

Leadership focuses on inspiring and motivating people to achieve a shared vision. Leaders create direction, drive innovation, and guide teams toward long-term goals. They build relationships, foster trust, and encourage personal growth within their teams.

Management, on the other hand, involves organising and coordinating resources to achieve specific objectives. Managers are responsible for planning, overseeing day-to-day operations, and ensuring tasks are completed efficiently. They focus on maintaining stability, managing performance, and ensuring goals are met within a set framework.

Put simply, leaders focus on vision and inspiration, while managers focus on structure and execution. Both roles complement each other and are key to driving organisational success, and with the right training, you can develop the skills to excel in both areas.

At ICS Learn, our accredited ILM (Institute of Leadership and Management) courses are designed to help you develop both leadership and management skills.

Whether you’re looking to inspire and lead teams or effectively manage resources and operations, ILM courses offer the tools you need to excel in both areas.

ILM offer qualifications at the Diploma, Certificate and Award levels.

The main difference between a Diploma, Certificate, and Award lies in the length, depth, and number of modules included in the qualification. Here's a quick breakdown: 

• Diploma: The most comprehensive option, covering the widest range of topics and offering the deepest level of study. Ideal if you want a full qualification that builds strong, well-rounded leadership and management skills.
• Certificate: A mid-level qualification that explores fewer modules than a Diploma but still offers a solid foundation in key management concepts. Great if you're looking for a balanced and focused course.
• Award: A short, introductory qualification that covers just two or three modules. Perfect for getting a quick insight into management practices or targeting a specific skill area.

All qualifications are accredited and can help you progress in your career; it just depends on how in-depth you want your learning to be.

At ICS Learn, we offer a variety of ILM Awards and Certificates and CMI Certificates and Diplomas to help you advance in your management career.  

The right ILM course depends on your current role, experience, and career goals. ILM offers qualifications from Level 2 to Level 7, so there’s a course for every stage of your leadership journey:

• ILM Level 2 qualifications are designed for current or aspiring team leaders and supervisors. They're perfect if you're just starting out in your management career. You could study the comprehensive ILM Level 2 Certificate in Leadership & Team Skills or the shorter ILM Level 2 Award.
• ILM Level 3 qualifications are for junior and first-line managers. They're ideal if you have (or will have) management responsibilities but have no formal training. Choose between the wide-ranging ILM Level 3 Certificate in Leadership and Management or the bite-sized ILM Level 3 Award.
• ILM Level 5 qualifications are designed for middle managers and department heads. They're set at an undergraduate level and will develop and extend your existing leadership skills. Study three units on the ILM Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management, or two on the ILM Level 5 Award.
• ILM Level 7 qualifications are suited for senior leaders and executives who want to master high-level strategy, organisational leadership, and complex decision-making.

If you're not sure which ILM course is best for you, contact our Course Advisors for more guidance. 

As the world’s most experienced distance learning provider, we’re committed to helping you build a career you’re proud of. That’s why we offer flexible online courses designed with you in mind, so you can study anywhere, any time, and on your terms. 

Our courses are perfect for you if you have a full-time job, kids, a busy schedule, or if you simply want to be in control of your learning.

From our self-paced course structure to our extended study periods and expert tutor support, we give you the flexibility to develop your career, no matter what life throws at you.

That’s why every year, we help thousands of students gain the qualifications they need to succeed.

We offer leadership and management qualifications from two world-class awarding bodies, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM).

Both are highly prestigious, internationally recognised, and will give a huge boost to your skills and career – so how do you choose which one is right for you?

Firstly, it depends on where you are in your management career. We offer the following CMI and ILM qualifications:

• ILM Level 2 courses are for supervisors
• ILM Level 3 courses are for first-line managers
• ILM Level 5 courses and CMI Level 5 courses are for mid-level managers
• CMI Level 7 courses are for senior managers and directors

If you’re a manager choosing between ILM and CMI, there are a few things to consider.

If you’re looking to become a Chartered Manager, then CMI is right for you. The CMI is the only professional body in the world that can bestow Chartered Manager status.

CMI qualifications are also ideal if you want to deep dive into professional leadership theory and practice. You’ll study fewer modules than on an ILM qualification, but you’ll cover each topic in greater depth.

CMI courses are highly strategic in focus, making them perfect if you want to develop your high-level strategic management knowledge.

ILM qualifications, on the other hand, are highly practical, focused on helping you apply your workforce management skills in real-life situations.

They’re great if you want to touch on a broader range of hands-on management topics, as the modules are shorter than CMI, allowing you to study more subjects in less depth.

Still not sure? Get in touch with our course advisors by email, phone, or online chat – we’ll be happy to help.

Right away! When you enrol, you’ll be able to log in to your course and get started within an hour.

There are no set start dates or schedules – everything is shaped around you.

As an ICS Learn student, you'll always have a real person on hand to help you when you need it. From the moment you enrol, you'll have:

• Unlimited support
• Interactive online learning designed by leadership experts
• 24/7 access to the Student Community, your all-in-one learning platform
• Student forums to network and share advice with other learners
• In-house student services team, so you’re never more than a message or phone call away from a helping hand

If you’re funding the course yourself, our flexible payment plans allow you to spread the cost with monthly instalments. 

If your employer is funding all or part of your course, we can invoice them directly for your course fees – just let your course advisor know and we’ll arrange everything.

Your payments will be charged in GBP. The monthly payments listed in your local currency are an estimate based on the current exchange rate from xe.com.

This means that the amount you’ll pay each month in your local currency may vary based on the current exchange rate.

Your bank may use a different exchange rate from the one listed here, or charge a fee for converting your payments into GBP; we’d advise that you speak to your bank directly for more details.

Enrol online or contact our Course Advisors! 

If you have any disabilities which you think might affect your studies or assessments, please tell your Course Advisor before you enrol so we can advise you on whether reasonable adjustments can be made to accommodate your needs.