This qualification is now closed for Registrations

Certification end date: 31/07/2026

Qualification summary

Financial Traders can regularly make a significant amount of money for their employers. Trading is one of the most coveted jobs in the financial markets. A good Trader can make tens of millions of pounds for their company every year and take home vast bonuses.

The area of financial trading covers a wide range of job roles. A Proprietary Trader buys and sells financial products on behalf of the bank that employs them, whilst a Flow Trader executes trades on behalf of their bank’s clients. A Sales Trader acts as a mediator between the client and the people who are responsible for actually executing the trades.

Other ‘players’ in the market are Retail Investors. These are individual investors who buy and sell securities for their personal account, and not for another company or organisation. They are also known as an “individual investor” or “small investor”.

Regardless of their role in this fast-moving sector, typical work activities include:

• speaking with colleagues, making phone calls and making instant decisions on trades;
• making prices in their relevant products;
• executing trades electronically or by phone;
• liaising with sales traders/clients on market movements;
• predicting how markets will move and buying and selling accordingly;
• informing all relevant parties of the most relevant trades for the day;
• gathering information – critically about mispriced assets, detailed data analysis and valuation

To become a Financial Trader, you will need to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to analyse financial markets and apply trading techniques to financial products in a global market. These skills and knowledge will also enable you to identify areas for possible business development and sources of further financial support, as well as using CPD to develop your own competence.

The Level 3 Certificate in Introduction to Financial Trading (RQF) has therefore been designed to provide a combination of knowledge and skill-based units which cover:

• the principles of financial trading
• the principles of financial planning and cash flow in financial trading and
• an understanding of financial trading techniques

This knowledge-based qualification will prepare you to work as a financial trading professional and enabling a linked progression onto our complimentary sector specific qualification, the Level 5 Diploma in Financial Trading (RQF). It will also allow you possible progression onto a Level 3 or Level 5 Management qualification, depending upon your ambitions.

If you have some experience of financial trading, you could also use this qualification to enhance your CPD to develop your skills and knowledge to operate as a Flow Trader, Proprietary Trader, Sales Trader or other related roles.

Centres may find the following website helpful for materials and resources to assist with the delivery of this qualification; please click here

Related Documents:

VTCT (Skillsfirst) Level 3 Certificate in Introduction to Financial Trading (RQF) Handbook

Qualification structure

All units from Group M must be achieved to gain the qualification.

Total Qualification Time (TQT) is 169

Guided Learning Hours (GLH) are 45

Qualification number	Qualification reference
FTC3	603/2042/4

Group M – Mandatory units

RQF unit no.	Skillsfirst unit no.	Unit title
K/615/8099	FT5	Principles of financial trading
H/615/8098	FT6	Principles of financial planning and cash flow in financial trading
D/615/8097	FT7	Understanding financial trading techniques

To find out more about our registration/certification fees, contact our customer services team on 

0121 270 5100 or email us