Equivalent qualifications

Thursday, 04 March 2010 13:22

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) set out the levels for recognising qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Qualifications that aren’t accredited by us aren’t recognised in England.

These frameworks help learners decide which qualifications they need, and help employers and education providers compare candidates.

More about the QCF and NQF

Using qualifications

Qualifications show learners, teachers and employers what someone has learnt and can do as a result of that achievement. They are best understood by their size, content and level of difficulty. Levels are a standard way of comparing how challenging a qualification is and what learners should be able to do upon completion.

Higher education qualifications

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) is responsible for the system or framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ). This describes the level of achievement and attributes represented by qualifications including certificates of higher education, higher national diplomas, bachelor's degrees (with and without honours), master's degrees and doctorates. The FHEQ covers academic qualifications from Level 4 to Level 8.

More about the FHEQ at the QAA website.

Comparability and assessing equivalence

To assess how similar one qualification is to another we must compare size, content and level as closely as possible.

Each qualification on the NQF or QCF has a level. Qualifications with the same level are broadly similar in terms of the demand they place on the learner: effectively they have the same difficulty. On the NQF, different qualifications at the same level can be very different in terms of content and duration. On the QCF all qualifications have a credit value, so it’s easy to see which qualifications at the same level may take longer to achieve. This makes it easy to compare the difficulty and size of qualifications.

How to assess equivalence

To compare two qualifications you will first need to determine whether the qualifications are accredited by us. You can check this on The Register.

Here you can see the level of each qualification, from entry level to level 8. The size of QCF qualifications can easily be identified, as their credit value is based on the time each takes to complete. NQF qualifications are less easy to compare in terms of size.

Each qualification is made up of units – these describe specific areas of learning within a qualification. Some qualifications have optional units, and some have specific approved pathways. Depending on the qualification and requirements, you may need to consider unit options and pathways. If two qualifications contain the same unit, you can tell that part of the learning required for the two qualifications is similar.

Fixed equivalences

We have specifically equated some qualifications to GCSEs and A-levels to ensure that qualifications for 14 to 19-year-olds are comparable.

GNVQs

• A foundation GNVQ is equivalent to four GCSEs at grades D to G
• An intermediate GNVQ is equivalent to four GCSEs at grades A*to C
• An advanced GNVQ is equivalent to two full A-levels

Diplomas

• A foundation diploma is equivalent to five GCSEs at grades D to G
• A higher diploma is equivalent to seven GCSEs at grades A* to C
• An advanced diploma is equivalent to 3.5 A-levels

Comparing qualifications in the UK and Ireland

The NQF and QCF include qualifications recognised in England, Wales and Northern Ireland only. Information on how our frameworks compare to the Scottish Qualifications and Credit Framework and the National Framework of Qualifications for Ireland, can be found at the University of Warwick website.

Comparing overseas qualifications

The NQF and QCF don’t include qualifications obtained overseas. The organisation UK NARIC offer a paid service regarding information on how overseas qualifications compare to UK qualifications.

Equivalence of CSE and O levels

As CSE and O levels have not been accredited onto the NQF or QCF we can’t provide official information on their equivalence with current qualifications.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) has information about the history of GCSEs which may be useful. It explains that O levels at grades A to C were used as the basis for GCSEs grades A to C, and CSE grades 2 to 5 were the basis for GCSE grades D to G. A grade 1 CSE was equivalent to a grade C at O-level.

More information about the introduction of GCSEs on the QCDA website.

Last Updated on Monday, 25 October 2010 12:01 Tags: Ofqual, education, examination regulation, qualifications, assessments