What do the different levels mean?
With all the different levels and types of qualifications out there, it can feel like you need to do a qualification just to make sense of it all! But don’t panic, the levels are actually there to help you work out which qualification is best for you and how you can progress on to the qualification and career you want.
The National Qualification Framework (NQF)
The National Qualification Framework sets out 9 different levels of qualifications. The levels act as a guide for learners and employers to see how each qualification compares to others and how one type of qualification can lead to another. The table below shows the most common vocational qualifications available at each of the different levels.
The NQF is a good way of showing that there are vocational qualifications available at all the same levels as academic qualifications and that they are just as demanding and are officially recognised as being equal in level and quality.
Higher education has its own framework called the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) and it broadly corresponds with levels 4 to 8 of the NQF.
The FHEQ levels along with the most common HE qualifications are included on the right side of the tables below so you can see how it all fits together. (Opens in a new window)
Skills and Abilities at the different levels
(Opens in a new window)
|
