Explaining the Qualifications and Credit Framework

Thursday, 04 March 2010 13:06

Ofqual, together with its partner regulators in Wales (DCELLS) and Northern Ireland (CCEA), is responsible for regulation of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).

The QCF is a system for recognising skills and qualifications. It does this by awarding credit for qualifications and units (small steps of learning). Each unit has a credit value. This value specifies the number of credits gained by learners who complete that unit. The flexibility of the system allows learners to gain qualifications at their own pace along routes that suit them best.

The QCF system

The QCF aims to provide for a simple yet flexible structure that allows for the maintenance and continuing development of a qualifications system that is:

• inclusive
• responsive
• accessible
• non-bureaucratic

The QCF allows achievements to be recognised and recorded through the award of credits and qualifications. It supports the accumulation and transfer of credits and the easy identification of each achievement’s level and size. In this way, learners have maximum flexibility and range of opportunities and can be reliably recognised for their achievements.

Details of the QCF

Units are the building blocks of all qualifications. The development of units within the QCF is explicitly separated from the development of rules of combination, the accreditation of qualifications and the subsequent assessment of units and award of credits and qualifications. The qualifications system has eight main elements:

• developing units
• placing units in the unit databank
• developing qualifications
• accrediting qualifications
• offering units and qualifications to learners
• assessing achievement
• awarding credits
• awarding qualifications

QCF units

We maintain a unit databank. Awarding organisations can place units in the unit databank without further intervention from us. Once units are in the databank, they may be used to build rules of combination. Awarding organisations subsequently use agreed rules of combination to develop qualifications and submit these for accreditation. At this point the units included in the qualification are made available to learners and the qualification is offered for use. The awarding organisation is responsible for carrying out assessments of units and awarding credits and qualifications.

Identifying QCF qualifications

Every unit and qualification has a credit value and a level. One credit represents ten notional hours of learning, showing how much time the average learner would take to complete the unit or qualification. Levels indicate difficulty and vary from entry (1) to level 8. There are three types of qualification:

• Awards (1 to 12 credits)
• Certificates (13 to 36 credits)
• Diplomas (37 credits or more)

You can have an award of any difficulty level from 1 to 8. This is because the type indicates the size of qualification, not its difficulty.

The title of a qualification should indicate its difficulty, how long it will take the average learner to complete, and its general content, using the following information:

• Qualification level (from lowest, entry level to level 8 at the top)
• Qualification size (award/certificate/diploma)
• Content of the qualification

Simply by looking at the title of a qualification you will be able to see how difficult it is, how long it will take the average learner to complete, and its general content. To understand the level of difficulty of the units and qualifications in the new framework it might be helpful to know that GCSEs (grade A*–C) are level 2, GCE A levels are level 3 and a PhD is a level 8. Knowing this can help to position the difficulty and challenge of each level in the framework.

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QCF regulation

The regulatory requirements that apply to the organisations that operate within, and the qualifications that are accredited into, the QCF are set out in Regulatory arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit Framework.

Alongside the regulatory arrangements Ofqual and its partner regulators have made available a range of other information to support the implementation of the regulatory arrangements. This includes:

• details of the requirements that must be met for qualifications that include 'NVQ' in the title - Operating rules for using the term 'NVQ' in a QCF qualification title
• Identifying purposes for qualifications in the QCF, which sets out a list of possible purposes that can be selected for QCF qualifications and a set of rules
• Guidance on qualifications titles within the Qualifications and Credit Framework, which considers consistency of titling and additional size descriptors within the QCF
• there are other background documents which provide further guidance which are available to download from the relevant documents.

Regulatory Processes

We have in place processes for recognising organisations and accrediting qualifications to ensure organisations meet the standards set out in the document. We also monitor the performance of recognised organisations and the quality of units and qualifications they develop and/or offer to ensure that the requirements and standards set out in the Regulatory arrangements are being maintained. Further details on our regulatory processes are detailed below.

• All of the organisations that operate in the QCF must be recognised to do so. Further details of this can be found here: http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/for-awarding-organisations
• A list of all qualifications accredited into the QCF can be found here: http://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/index.aspx
• Ofqual monitors all organisations and qualifications that are recognised in the QCF in line with our policy for all qualifications. Further details can be found here: http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/how-we-regulate/90-articles/142-monitoring-and-auditing
• A full list of all organisations recognised to operate within the QCF is available.

Evaluation

Together with our regulatory partners, DCELLS in Wales and CCEA in Northern Ireland, we are currently one year into a two year evaluation of the QCF following on from the tests and trials. Further details are available.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 June 2010 15:48 Tags: Qualifications, Credit Framework