'Levels' explained
There are many different qualifications to choose from, with varying levels of academic and/or vocational challenge. It is essential for you, and for any of your future employers or educational providers, to be able to understand easily the academic and vocational level of the courses you choose so that it is clear how they stand in relation to other courses.
To help with this, the government’s Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)produces a framework for all qualifications – the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). Here is a list of the levels in the NQF, with examples from The Manchester College's courses:
| Level | Definition and examples from The Manchester College’s courses |
|---|---|
| 8 | Specialist awards such as doctoral degrees (PhD) |
| 7 | Master’s degrees (such as the MA in Strategic Human Resources); postgraduate certificates (including the Postgraduate Certificate in Education); and postgraduate diplomas (such as the Edexcel Managing Organisational Learning and Development Advanced Professional Diploma) |
| 6 | Bachelor’s degrees (such as the BSc (Hons) Psychology) |
| 5 | Foundation degrees (such as the Foundation Degree in Sports and Coaching); higher national diplomas – HNDs (such as the HND in Business and Marketing); and diplomas (such as the TESOL LTCL Diploma) |
| 4 | Higher national certificates – HNCs (such as the HNC Business and Management); diplomas (such as the ABC Theory and Practice of Counselling Diploma Level 4) |
| 3 | NVQs (such as the Edexcel Health and Social Care NVQ Level 3); certificates (such as the BTEC National Certificate in Engineering); and A Levels |
| 2 | GCSEs grades A*-C; national vocational qualifications – NVQs (such as the Edexcel Health and Social Care NVQ Level 2); and diplomas (such as the AMSPAR Medical Reception Intermediate Diploma Level 2) |
| 1 | GSCEs grades D-G; certificates (such as the Construction Materials Distribution Foundation Certificate Level 1) |
| Entry | Entry level courses to help develop skills and increase confidence (such as the City & Guilds Entry Level Certificate in Hospitality and Catering) |
Future developments
An aspect of the QCA’s role is to ensure that the framework for qualifications stays relevant to the people who refer to it. So, the framework is constantly reviewed and updated. All qualifications that are currently accredited according to the NQF remain relevant and will be incorporated into the new framework.
The government is currently in the process of introducing a new modular approach to the way courses and qualifications are categorised in terms of their academic level. The aim is to enable people to build up a portfolio of accredited training and qualifications, which can be easily understood by employers.
By 2010, all vocational qualifications will be accredited in terms of the new Qualifications and Credits Framework (QCF). It is expected that by 2013 all general qualifications including GCSEs, diplomas and A levels will be part of the framework.
The QCF is intended to
- enable people to gain qualifications at their own pace, using flexible routes
- make it easier for employers to understand the level and content of the wide variety of qualifications that people hold
It does this by awarding credit for ‘small steps of learning’ (qualifications and units). All qualifications will be presented in terms of credits.
The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) provides guidance and a diagram showing the way the QCF works. Here is the QCA's diagram of the new QCF:
Please note that some specific vocational, academic programmes and short courses follow their own progression routes and may not fit into the NQF or QCF. If you need help deciding on what level is right for you, please contact us
- Freephone: 0800 068 8585
- Email: enquiries@themanchestercollege.ac.uk
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