The Cambridge Access Validating Agency (CAVA) designs and validates Access to Higher Education Diplomas.  Access to HE Diplomas provide an opportunity for adults without the relevant formal qualifications to go to university. Like A levels, they are full level 3 qualifications. 

Around 40,000 students take Access to HE courses each year in the England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and gain a recognised entry route to university. The Access to Higher Education Diploma prepares adults for study at university. It is designed for people who left school without the qualifications they would need to progress to HE.