Accredited Qualifications

Accredited Qualifications Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) What is the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual)? The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is the regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England and the regulator of vocational qualifications in Northern Ireland. It is responsible for ensuring that all qualifications and assessment meet high quality standards by monitoring awarding organisations, assessments and examinations and taking the necessary action to ensure that the qualifications meet the needs of learners, higher education institutions and employers. The Ofqual is responsible to the Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Brief history of Ofqual In 2007, Ed Balls who was at the time the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families announced replacement of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) with a new independent regulator and in April 2008, the new regulator started its interim work. The Ofqual was officially established with the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 when it was named as the regulator for qualifications, examinations and assessments. It started its work as an independent regulator on 1 April 2010. The Ofqual Board The Ofqual Board is responsible for compliance of the regulator with its statutory responsibilities. It also provides direction and leadership to the organisation. The current Chair of the Ofqual is Amanda Page 1 of 12

Spielman. Other members of the Ofqual Board include Glenys Stacey who joined the Ofqual as Chief Executive in March 2011, Sandra Burslem acting as Deputy Chair, Ray Coughlin, Neil Watts, Dame Denis Holt, Maggie Galliers, Tim Balcon, Philip Fletcher, Barnaby Lenon, Anne Heal, Professor Julius Weinberg, Roger Taylor and Tom Taylor. What Does the Ofqual Do? The main job of the Ofqual is to ensure that the learners are provided an access to high quality qualifications which meet appropriate standards. This is achieved by monitoring the awarding bodies and taking action whenever and wherever there is a risk to quality. The Ofqual also makes sure that the qualification by awarding organisations are of comparable quality with other qualifications in the UK and overseas, that the candidates have an equal access to qualifications and assessment, and encouraging a debate about topics such as standards of qualifications. The Ofqual in Northern Ireland In addition to regulating qualifications, examinations and assessments in England, the Ofqual is also responsible for regulating vocational qualifications such as art in Northern Ireland. The Ofqual staff that is based in Belfast works closely with the Northern Ireland Government departments and organisations in order to make sure that all vocational qualifications meet the needs of the learners and employers. Ofqual Contact Information The Ofqual can be contacted via email and telephone from Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Both the email and telephone number can be found on the official Ofqual website. Its headquarters are on the B4101 road in Coventry near the Canley railway station in London, while the Ofqual office for Northern Ireland is located on 6 Murray Street in Belfast. Your Path to Accredited Qualifications: Vocational Qualifications Register of Regulated Qualifications Level Descriptors Credit Points Accumulation and Transfer UK's Credit Transfer Systems Page 2 of 12

Qualification Types in the UK Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) Vocational Qualifications Vocational qualifications refer to work-related qualifications. They are designed to enable the learner to acquire knowledge and skills that are required by the national occupational standards (NOS) to be able to perform a particular job. A vocational qualification gives the learner a proof that he or she is adequately trained for a particular workplace once the programme is completed, especially if holding an occupational vocational qualification. The latter guarantees that the held qualification complies to the national occupational standards (NOS) for a particular job or sector such as healthcare and accounting for instance. Not all vocational qualifications meet the NOS standards that are defined by the Sector Skills Council and the industry which, however, does not necessarily mean that they do not allow the learners to pursue learning or be promoted in their workplace. All accredited vocational qualifications are designed to help the learner acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for a particular job, progress in workplace or continue education. Vocational qualifications have different levels, ranging from the Entry Level to Level 8 which are very similar to other qualification levels. For example, Level 2 vocational qualification is equivalent to grades A*-C in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), while Level 3 is equivalent to grade A in the GCSE. All vocational qualifications consist of units, each of which has a credit value that allows the learner to roughly predict how long he or she will need to achieve the desired qualification considering that one credit equals 10 hours of learning. If we know that it takes 1 to 12 credits to receive an award, the learner will need from 10 to 120 hours for this qualification. Certificates, on the other hand, are awarded to learners with 13 to 36 credits which roughly equals to 130 to 360 hours. To get a diploma, a minimum of 37 credit points or 370 hours of learning are required. The title of qualification thus reveal the size of training and learning but it typically also reveals the qualification level and the subject that was studied. Page 3 of 12

In addition to allowing the learners to acquire the necessarily knowledge and skills for a particular job, vocational qualifications also allow the learners to choose from a wide range of subjects. Some of the most popular (and sought after by the employers) ones include healthcare, retail, leisure services, hair and beauty, construction, food and catering, and management. Although work-related qualifications are very similar to other qualifications, they distinguish themselves for giving the emphasis on knowledge and skills that are sought after the most by the industry and employers. Vocational qualifications are managed and regulated by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) in England and Northern Ireland, by the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) in Wales and by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in Scotland. Register of Regulated Qualifications What is the Register of Regulated Qualifications? The Register of Regulated Qualifications is a list of accredited awarding institutions and organisations with their qualifications but it also includes as a list of recognised organisations that meet the standards set by the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The Register is managed and operated by the Ofqual for the regulators of England (Ofqual), Wales (DCELLS) and Northern Ireland (CCEA). In 2010, the Register has replaced the National Database of Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ). What Information Does the Register of Regulated Qualifications Contain? The Register contains information similar to its predecessor, the NDAQ, but there are some differences. The users of the Register will still be able to see the title of the qualifications and their numbers, the structure, rule of combinations, the units that make up the qualifications, etc. But in contrary to the NDAQ, the Register does not give detailed information about accredited awarding organisations. Instead, it offers links to the awarding organisations websites. How Can the Users of the Register Find Out More about the Awarding Organisations? Page 4 of 12

The Register includes names of the awarding organisations and contact information for the users who would like to find out more about them. As mentioned earlier, the Register offers a direct connection to the awarding organisations official websites via links. What are the Benefits of the Register of Regulated Qualifications for the Users? The main purpose of the Register is to provide the learners with all the necessary information about accredited qualifications. This also includes the ability to compare the levels between different qualifications and help the learners determine which option allows them to achieve the desired qualification. Where Can the Register of Regulated Qualifications be Found? The Register can be found at the official Ofqual website. How to Use the Register of Regulated Qualifications? The register is very easy to use. For example, to find information about a particular qualification, you choose an organisation that is offered by the Register and enter the qualification type, and the register will display qualifications according to the entered search criteria. In addition to the ability to search for qualifications, the users also have the ability to search for the awarding organisations, units and diplomas. Is the Register of Regulated Qualifications Open to Everyone? Yes. The Register can be accessed by everyone free of charge at the official Ofqual website. How Frequently is the Register of Regulated Qualifications Updated? According to the Ofqual who runs the Register, the latter is updated with new information every evening. Level Descriptors The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) system foresees awarding qualifications on the basis of achievement rather than the years of study completed. And level descriptors play the key role Page 5 of 12

in the assessment of achievements required to be awarded qualification. But in order to answer what level descriptors are and what is their purpose, it is necessary to understand the QCF system. The QCF that was introduced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2011 has been developed jointly and is regulated jointly by the Ofqual, DCELLS and CCEA. Just like the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) which has been replaced by the QCF, the latter consists of 9 levels Entry Level to Level 8. The QCF works by awarding credit points (1 credit points represents roughly 10 hours of learning) and when a certain amount of credit points is gathered, the learner is awarded qualification. For example to gain a certificate, it is necessary to have 13 to 36 credits. But qualifications awards, certificates and diplomas can be awarded at any difficulty level from Level 1 to 8 and they merely reveal the amount and not the difficulty of the programme completed. To describe the difficulty of the acquired qualification, level descriptors are used. The main purpose of level descriptors is to allow the learners, awarding organisations, employers and the public to understand the range of knowledge and skills required to complete a particular level, similarly to those that were used in the NQF. Level descriptors indicate the outcome of learning and do not deal with the process of learning. Despite that, they are used as a guideline in the development of units in order to make sure that the learners knowledge and skills at completion of a particular level meet the standards of the QCF. The level descriptors thus indicate the learner s achievement at a particular level. They do not, however, indicate the learner s performance within the level. The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) has 12 levels that cover all qualification titles from Access at Level 1 to Doctorate at Level 12. Although it slightly differs from the framework in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the SCQF also uses level descriptors to outline the outcome of learning at different levels. According to the SCQF, the level descriptors are used to indicate the following five outcomes at particular levels: knowledge and understanding in regard to the subject practical knowledge and understanding cognitive skills such as critical thinking, analysis IT, numeracy and communication skills autonomy and the ability to work with others Page 6 of 12

Just like in the QCF, the descriptors in the SCQF allow general comparison between the outcomes of different levels. The descriptors, however, do not reveal precise requirements for individual qualifications. Credit Points Accumulation and Transfer Credit points are the core of both the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), the national credit transfer system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Although the SQCF slightly differs from the QCF, both frameworks basically work the same when it comes to credit point accumulation and transfer. But firstly, let s see why credit points are so important. The QCF and SCQF are based on units with each unit having a credit value and a level. One credit point represents about 10 hours of learning and since qualifications are awarded on basis of the amount of accumulated credit points, the learner can quickly determine how much time it will take to gain the desired qualification. Credit points indicate the size of learning but they do not indicate its difficulty. As a result, credit points are often used with level descriptors which in turn reveal the difficulty of the qualification. All QCF and SCQF accredited awarding organisations have to comply with the criteria for awarding qualifications. These foresee three types of qualifications that are awarded on the basis of accumulated credit points: awards; to gain an award, it is necessary to have 1 to 12 credits certificates foresee accumulation of 13 to 36 credit points diplomas require a minimum of 37 accumulated credits From the criteria for qualifications above, it is possible to calculate an approximation of the time required to gain a particular qualification considering than one credit equals 1 credit point. This means that an award requires 10 to 120 hours of learning, while a diploma takes at least 370 hours of learning. Since credits indicate the size, not the difficulty level, an award can be acquired at any level including Level 1. Page 7 of 12

Both the QCF and SCQF are designed to allow the learners to transfer their credit points. For example, a learner who wants to continue education or start a new learning programme therefore may not need to start all over again and repeat the learning he or she has already undertaken but simply continue the learning. The ability of credit transfer, however, does not mean that the accumulated credit points are automatically accepted by another learning institution or awarding body. How many and if any credits at all will be accepted depends on individual education institutions and of course, the acquired qualification and subject content. The decision depends primarily on relevance of the completed learning for the new programme. The more the two programmes are related the higher the chance of the entry or credit transfer being approved. UK s Credit Transfer Systems The UK s credit transfer systems can be generally divided into two types: national credit transfer system for accredited qualification in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and credit transfer system in Scotland Both credit transfer systems foresee awarding qualifications on the basis of accumulated credit points but there are a few differences between the credit transfer system in Scotland and the rest of the country. The credit transfer system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland comprises all 8 levels (9 together with the Entry Level) from secondary education to vocational and higher education qualifications with every level consisting of qualifications of similar difficulty. However, different qualifications within a particular level can cover very different subjects and can take different amount of time to complete. Also, qualifications are not necessarily accredited at every level. In 2011, the National Qualification Framework (NQF) was replaced by the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF). Just like its predecessor, the new national credit transfer system consists of 8 levels and includes only qualifications which have been accredited by England s Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), Wales Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) and Northern Ireland s Council for the Curriculum, Page 8 of 12

Examinations and Assessment (CCEA). But unlike the NQF, the QCF does not exclude vocational learning. Under the QCF, the learner is awarded credits for completing units and depending on the total amount of accumulated credits, the learner can gain three kinds of qualifications award (1-12 credits), certificate (13-36 credits) and diploma (37 credits or more). The QCF is organised in a way to be flexible and give the learner the ability to study units at own pace. Just like the NQF levels, the QCF levels vary in difficulty with each subsequent level increasing in difficulty. Higher education qualifications that are granted by universities and other higher education institutions such as Bachelor s Degree, Master s Degree and Doctorates are covered by the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ). Scotland has its own credit transfer system which is known as the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). It covers all qualification levels in Scotland including the Scottish Qualifications Certificate, Higher National Certificate, Scottish Vocational Qualification, Higher National Diploma and all academic awards that are awarded by Scottish higher education institutions. It is regulated by the Scottish Qualifications Authority, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Association of Scotland s Colleges, Universities of Scotland and Scotland s Government. In contrary to the credit transfer system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the SCQF has 12 levels. After the formal adoption of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) by the European Parliament in 2008, the UK has translated the mentioned frameworks to the EQF with an aim to make it easier for the learners, employers and the public to compare the UK s frameworks with credit transfer systems in other countries of the European Union. The EQF was designed to encourage workforce mobility and flexibility, however, the UK is only one of 6 members of the EU that have completed cross reference of the national qualification frameworks with the EQF. Qualification Types in the UK The UK education sector offers a wide range of qualification types which are given by recognised awarding bodies. The available qualifications can be academic, vocational or skills-related and are grouped into levels 9 in total in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 12 in Scotland. The levels reveal difficulty of the acquired qualification although qualifications within a particular level can cover a wide range of subjects and take different amount of time to complete. Page 9 of 12

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the levels and qualification types are covered by the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) and the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEW) although the levels are equivalent at higher levels. Qualifications such as Bachelor s, Master s and Doctoral Degrees are still a part of the FHEQ. In Scotland, the qualifications are contained within the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) which also includes academic qualifications. Qualification types in the UK include: Functional Skills. They are qualifications which allow the learners to acquire practical skills such as English, math, and ICT. In Scotland, Functional Skills are known as Core Skills. Entry Level Qualifications. These are intended for learners who do not feel ready yet for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Entry Level Qualifications offer the ability to choose between a range of subjects but they focus on a specific subject or area of learning, allowing the learner to develop the basic knowledge and skills either for work or to continue education. The Standard Grade is equivalent to Entry Level Qualifications in Scotland. GSCEs Qualifications. The GSCEs programmes are taken by 14 to 16 year olds, however, they are also available to adults. The GSCEs Qualifications are highly desirable because they are highly valued by both the schools and employers. The Higher in Scotland is equivalent to the GSCEs. A and AS Level Qualifications. These qualifications are intended for learners who want to get a deeper knowledge of a particular subject and are usually studied by 16 and 18 years olds who have completed the GSCEs. Learners in Scotland who have completed Highers usually take Advanced Higher although some schools also offer A Level Qualifications. International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Like its name suggests, it is an internationally recognised qualification which is an alternative to the A and AS Level Qualifications. The IB programmes are selected by students who want to study more subjects at a detailed level. Although the IB programmes are grouped into Level 3 of the QCF, they are widely regarded to be more difficult than the A and AS Levels. Vocational Qualifications. They are work-related qualifications that are specifically designed to help the learners acquire work-related knowledge and skills. Vocational Qualifications are available at different levels which can be compared to other qualifications. Vocational Qualification Level 3 for instance is equivalent to A Level Qualifications. Page 10 of 12

Higher Education Qualifications. They roughly correspond to levels 4 to 8 in the QCF, however, qualifications such as Bachelor s and Master s degrees, and doctorates remain a part of the FHEQ. In the SCQF, they correspond to levels 7 to 12. Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) What is the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF)? The Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) is a new credit transfer system which has replaced the National Qualification Framework (NQF). It recognises qualifications and units by awarding credits. And since each unit has a credit value and the credits can be transferred, the system gives the learners the ability to get qualifications at their own pace. The QCF is jointly regulated by the England s regulator Ofqual, Wales DCELLS and Northern Ireland s CCEA. How Does the QCF System Work? The QCF system is based on units which have credit value and levels (from Entry Level to Level 8). One credit roughly equals 10 learning hours which allows the learners to evaluate how much time Page 11 of 12

they will need to gain the desired qualification. According to the QCF system, the learners can gain three types of qualifications: awards certificates diplomas How Credit Points are Awarded? To gain an award, it is necessary to have 1 to 12 credit points which equals 10 to 120 hours of learning. Learners who have 13 to 26 credits (130 to 260 hours) are awarded certificates, while those who have 37 credits or more are awarded diplomas. The QCF system gives awards at any difficulty level from 1 to 8 which is due to the fact that it reveals the size of qualification and not its difficulty level. The latter is indicated by the title of qualification which, however, also reveals the size of the qualification and its subject. How is Quality of Units and Qualifications Ensured? In addition to developing units, developing and accrediting qualifications, and awarding credits and qualifications, the regulators of the QCF are also responsible for maintaining a unit databank and monitoring the organisations that operate within the QCF in order to ensure that all awarded qualifications meet the regulatory requirements. These are specified in the Regulatory arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit Framework that has been developed jointly by the regulators in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. A Comparison between the QCF and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Just like the QCF, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) also covers schools, colleges, and vocational training. The SCQF too is based on awarding credit points which reveal the size of qualification and the system of levels which indicates qualification s difficulty but in contrary to the QCF, the SCQF has 12 rather than 8 levels. Just like in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, one credit point in Scotland roughly represents 10 hours of learning. The SCQF is jointly managed by the Scottish Qualification Authority, Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, Universities of Scotland, Association of Scotland s Colleges and Scotland s Government. Page 12 of 12