NQS certification: how services are rated

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026. Checked against sections 133 to 136, 152 and 160 of the Education and Care Services National Law (Victorian authorised version 027, in force) and regulations 58 to 63 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations on 12 November 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Quick answer

There is no “NQS certification” that a service applies for or buys. Under the National Law, the regulatory authority rates each approved service against the National Quality Standard after a rating assessment, which includes a site visit and a look at the service’s QIP and compliance history. It gives a rating for each of the 7 quality areas and an overall rating, and must give the provider written notice within 60 days of the visit. The levels are Significant Improvement Required, Working Towards, Meeting and Exceeding NQS. New services are “Provisional: Not Yet Assessed”. The highest rating level, Excellent, is given only by ACECQA, on the provider’s application. Ratings are published.

What people mean by NQS certification, how a childcare service is actually rated, and what a provider can do to prepare.

How a service gets its rating

Step	What happens	Rule
Before the first assessment	A new service holds the provisional rating “Provisional: Not Yet Assessed under the National Quality Framework”	r 58
Rating assessment	The regulatory authority must consider the current QIP, any previous rating assessments and the service’s compliance history, and arrange a site visit by an authorised officer	National Law s 133; r 63(1)
Rating	The authority determines a rating level for each quality area and an overall rating, and may consider information from monitoring and the compliance history	s 135
Notice	Written notice of the outcome and rating levels to the approved provider within 60 days after the visit	s 136
Review	A provider can seek review of a rating; see NQS ratings explained	Part 5 Divisions 3 and 4
Publication	Ratings are published nationally	s 160

The rating levels

The levels below Excellent are prescribed in regulations 59 to 62.

Significant Improvement Required, the lowest level (r 59).
Working Towards NQS: the service does not meet a standard or a relevant regulation in a quality area but is not rated Significant Improvement Required; one such quality area makes the overall rating Working Towards (r 60).
Meeting NQS.
Exceeding NQS: for a quality area, the service exceeds the standards and complies with the relevant regulations. Overall Exceeding needs Exceeding in all 7 areas, or in 4 or more (at least 2 of them from educational program and practice, relationships with children, partnerships with families and communities, and leadership and service management) with Meeting in the rest (r 62).
Excellent, the name used for the highest rating level: given only by ACECQA, on an application by the approved provider that meets ACECQA’s criteria, with a fee, no more than once every 3 years unless ACECQA decides otherwise (National Law s 134(2), s 152).

What a provider can do

Know where the service stands now: the free NQS self-assessment covers all 40 elements.
Keep the QIP current, because the authority must consider it: use the QIP review checklist.
Keep the compliance history clean: see the cost of non-compliance.
For a worked plan, see the illustrative two-room centre example.

Check your QIP and policies before the visit

In the 14-day free trial, upload your QIP and policies for a gap analysis cited to the NQS and the Regulations. A research aid, not a rating prediction. No card needed.

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Frequently asked questions

Is there an NQS certification for childcare services?

No. Services are not certified; they are rated. The regulatory authority assesses each approved service and gives a rating for each of the 7 quality areas and overall (National Law s 135).

Who gives the Excellent rating?

ACECQA, the national authority, on an application by the approved provider. It is the only body that can give the highest rating level (National Law s 134(2) and s 152).

How long after the visit does a service get its rating?

The regulatory authority must give written notice of the rating within 60 days after the assessment visit (National Law s 136(2)).

Ask the question in your own words

WIDEN Law answers National Quality Framework questions with inline citations to the National Law, the Regulations and the NQS, so you can check the source provision yourself.

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This page is a research summary, not legal or compliance advice. It is written in our own words from the sources linked on the page; confirm the position with your regulatory authority before relying on it for a compliance decision.