Qualifications
This section is designed to help de-mystify the qualfications system in the UK and Ireland. Qualifications covered here are both academic and vocational.
Qualifications explained
The government skills strategy is intended to increase the take-up of qualifications and also make them more relevant to the needs of employers and the demands of the economy. A major part of the strategy is to describe qualifications by their level of 'difficulty and complexity' and by the amount of time needed to complete the qualification.
Levels and Credits
All qualifications will be allocated a 'level' from 1-8 with level 1 being entry level and level 8 being a doctorate. GCSEs at grades A-C are at level 2, 'A' levels are level 3 and undergraduate degrees start at level 4 (1st year) and end at level 6 in graduation for an 'Honours' degree.
Visit the government website 'DirectGov' for more information about 'levels'.
Credits are a measure of the amount of time required to achieve a 'Learning Outcome' or combination of 'Learning Outcomes' and is usually considered to be 10 hours study. The Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) is an attempt to allow unites of study to be built up gradually so that qualifications can be earned over a long period of time (fitting in with work and family commitments).
All the information about qualifications on this page are based on the government website DirectGov and the links are also based on the site.
Key Skills - Qualifications to help you develop skills to get on in work and life in general
Skills for Life - Qualifications to help you build your English, maths or computer skills
Entry level qualifications Ways to progress towards GCSEs and other qualifications
GCSEs The main academic qualification taken by 14 to 16 year olds, and available to adults too
GCSEs: applied and short course - short courses are equivalent to half a full GCSE
Diplomas for 14 to 19 year olds
AS and A levels Academic qualifications, available in a wide range of subjects
Advanced Extension Awards - a further challenge if you're studying A levels
BTECs, OCR Nationals and other vocational qualifications
HNCs and HNDs - vocational higher education qualifications
Foundation Degrees Higher education qualifications that combine academic study with work-based learning
Bachelors degrees - also known as 'ordinary' or 'first' degrees
Postgraduate qualifications - certificates, diplomas, masters degrees and doctorates