Around 2 minutes to read · Updated 6 October 2026
Published by Serious Sports Training Academy
At a glance
- Notional or total qualification time is not supervised practical time.
- Attendance days do not reveal how each day is used.
- Ask how often a tutor observes and corrects your technique.
- The Level 3 qualification SSTA teaches lists 295 guided learning hours and 390 hours of total qualification time.
Keep five time measures separate
Calendar duration, attendance, guided learning, supervised hands-on practice and independent work answer different questions. A credible comparison labels each one instead of combining them into a larger-looking total.
- Calendar duration
- Compulsory attendance
- Guided learning
- Tutor-supervised hands-on practice
- Independent study and case studies
Ask what happens during practical time
Find out whether learners watch demonstrations, practise techniques, complete full consultations, receive individual corrections and repeat improved work. Ask how group size affects access to observation and feedback.
SSTA hours status
SSTA teaches the Active IQ Level 3 Sports Massage Diploma (610/3925/1). The Ofqual Register lists it at 295 guided learning hours and 390 hours of total qualification time. Those are qualification-level figures, not SSTA’s own split between classroom, supervised practice and home study.
SSTA teaches the course in person in Chichester, in groups of up to 10. Its breakdown of contact and supervised-practical hours is not yet published, so ask admissions for the timetable before you enrol. The group size must not be used to invent an hours figure.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Are case studies supervised practical hours?
Only if they are actually observed or supervised under the provider’s defined arrangement. Ask the provider to classify them explicitly.
How many hours is a Level 3 sports massage course?
The Active IQ Level 3 Sports Massage Diploma that SSTA teaches is listed on the Ofqual Register at 295 guided learning hours and 390 hours of total qualification time. Each provider sets its own timetable within that.
How many practical hours does SSTA publish?
SSTA’s split of contact and supervised-practical hours is not yet published. Request the timetable from admissions.
Sources and further reading
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