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Qualifications and Credit Framework

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The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) was the national credit transfer system for education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales between September 2011 and October 2015. The replacement was the Regulated Qualification Framework.

The QCF replaced the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), which closed for accreditations at the end of 2010.

Scotland has its own system, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

Overview

Every unit and qualification in the framework has a credit value (where one credit represents 10 hours of learning time). There are three different sizes of qualification:

  • awards (1 to 12 credits)
  • certificates (13 to 36 credits)
  • diplomas (37 credits or more)

In addition, each qualification has a level of difficulty from Entry level at the bottom to Level 8 at the top.

The title of each qualification within this framework contains details of the size (award/certificate/diploma), level of difficulty (Entry to Level 8) and the general content of the qualification.

The QCF is a national framework, referenced to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). The EQF is a meta-framework intended as a reference so that qualifications in nation frameworks such as the QCF are understood across member states. (Note that QCF levels 1-3 are equivalent to EQF levels 2-4.)

The QCF does not include previous qualifications that are now defunct, such as the O Level which was replaced by GCSEs in 1988. Officially, defunct qualifications are not part of the QCF and therefore have no level, but are still as valued as their replacement equivalent.

QCF levels for common English and Welsh qualifications (secondary/tertiary)

See also

References

  1. "Qualifications and credit framework: requirements". www.gov.uk. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  2. Courses Plus Qualification Comparison Tool
Qualifications and Credit Framework in England and Wales and Northern Ireland
Level 8Doctorate
Level 7Master's degree, Postgraduate Certificate in Education
Level 6Bachelor's degree
Level 5Bachelor's degree, Foundation degree, Diploma of Higher Education, Higher National Diploma
Level 4Bachelor's degree, Foundation degree, Certificate of Higher Education, Higher National Certificate
Level 3A-Level, BTEC Extended Diploma, BTEC National Certificate
Level 2GCSE (grades 9–4 or A*–C), BTEC First Diploma
Level 1GCSE (grades 3–1 or D–G), BTEC First Diploma, Foundation Diploma
Entry 3Key Stage 3, E3 Diploma
Education in England
Key Stages
Foundation Stage
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
Key Stage 5
Schooling
Exams and qualifications
Regulation
Other
Former


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