Qualifications can Cross Boundaries

A guide to comparing qualifications in the UK and Ireland

About this leaflet:

y This leaflet provides information that enables comparability between qualifications across the UK and Ireland, and how those qualifications are organised.
y It shows which qualifications in UK and Ireland are broadly comparable in terms of the level of challenge.
y The principal table shows the main stages of education and employment and the comparable levels of similar kinds of qualification that are used in UK
and Ireland that allows for broad comparisons in terms of the level of challenge rather then direct equivalences.
y Tables 1 and 2 illustrate how UK and Irish qualifications frameworks relate to qualifications frameworks in Europe.

This leaflet is published by QAA on behalf of the UK and Ireland Qualifications Frameworks and Policy Group

Eighth edition published August 2023


Main stages of education/employment
Qualifications can be taken at any age in
order to continue or return to education
or training
 rofessional or postgraduate education,
P
research or employment
Higher education
Advanced Skills Training
 ntry to professional
E Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate,
graduate employment
Specialised education and training
Qualified/Skilled worker
Entry to higher education
Completion of secondary education
Progression to skilled employment
Continuation of secondary education
 econdary education. Initial entry into
S
employment or further education
The table gives an indication of how you can compare qualifications across national boundaries. Examples of major qualifications at each level are provided. For further details of
qualifications that are current or no longer available to learners, you will need to consult the website given at the head of each column.
This leaflet is designed to give some information to help you begin the process to compare qualifications across national boundaries, for example, by telling you what your
qualification, or qualifications you are interested in studying, are broadly comparable to in UK countries and Ireland.
Framework for Higher Education
Qualifications in England, Wales, Northern
Ireland, and OfS sector-recognised
standards for England (SRS)
www.qaa.ac.uk
www.officeforstudents.org.uk
LEVEL
8 Doctoral Degree
Master’s Degree, Integrated Master’s
Degree, Postgraduate Diploma,
7 7
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
(PGCE), Postgraduate Certificate
Bachelor’s Degree with Honours,
Bachelor’s Degree,
6 Level 6 PGCE certificates,
Graduate Diploma,
Graduate Certificate
Foundation Degree,
5 Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE),
Higher National Diploma (HND)
Higher National Certificate (HNC),
4 4
Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE)
Technical Level Qualification
3 Access to HE Diploma*
*The Access to HE Diploma is regulated by
QAA but is not part of the FHEQ or part of
the OfS’s sector recognised standards.
Regulated Qualifications Framework
for England and Northern Ireland
register.ofqual.gov.uk
LEVEL
Vocational, Technical and Professional
8 8
Qualifications
Vocational, Technical and Professional
Qualifications
Vocational, Technical and Professional
6 Higher Diploma
Qualifications
Vocational, Technical and Professional
5 Qualifications,
Higher National Diploma (HND)
Vocational, Technical and Professional
Qualifications,
Higher National Certificate (HNC)
Vocational, Technical and Professional
3 Level 5 Certificate,
Qualifications,
GCE AS and A Level
Vocational & Technical Qualifications,
GCSE at grade A*-C and grade 9-4,
2 2
Functional Skills (England),
Essential Skills Qualification (NI)
Vocational & Technical Qualifications,
1
GCSE at grade D-G and grade 3-1,
Functional Skills (England),
Essential Skills Qualifications (NI)
Entry Level
Entry Level Certificate (sub levels 1-3),
Functional Skills (England),
Essential Skills Qualifications (NI)
Credit and Qualifications Framework
for Wales
www.qualifications.wales
www.gov.wales/cqfw
LEVEL
Doctoral Degree,
Vocational Qualifications
Master’s Degree,
Vocational Qualifications,
7 9
Postgraduate Certificate in Education
(PGCE)
Honours Degree,
6 Vocational Qualifications,
Professional Certificate in Education
Foundation Degree,
5 Vocational Qualifications,
Higher National Diploma (HND)
Higher National Certificate (HNC),
4 Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE),
Vocational Qualifications
Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales,
3 Vocational Qualifications, AS and A Level,
Access to HE
Welsh Baccalaureate National SCC,
Vocational Qualifications,
Essential Skills Wales Qualifications,
GCSE at grade A*-C
Welsh Baccalaureate Foundation SCC,
Vocational Qualifications,
1 Junior Cycle
Essential Skills Wales Qualifications,
GCSE at grade D-G
Entry Level
Entry Level Qualifications,
Essential Skills Qualifications
National Framework of Qualifications
for Ireland
www.qqi.ie
LEVEL
10 Doctoral Degree, Higher Doctorate
Master’s Degree,
Postgraduate Diploma
Honours Bachelor Degree,
8 10
7 Ordinary Bachelor Degree
Advanced Certificate,
6 Higher National Certificate (HNC),
Higher Certificate
5 Foundation Apprenticeship,
Leaving Certificate
Level 4 Certificate,
4 Leaving Certificate
Level 3 Certificate,
3 SVQ, NPA,
Level 2 Certificate,
2 Junior Cycle
Level 1 Certificate,
1 Junior Cycle
Scottish Credit and Qualifications
Framework
www.scqf.org.uk
LEVEL
Doctoral Degree, Professional
12 Apprenticeship, Professional
Development Award (PDA), Award
Master’s Degree, Integrated Master’s
Degree, Postgraduate Diploma,
11 Postgraduate Certificate, Professional
Apprenticeship, Graduate Apprenticeship,
PDA, SVQ, Award
Bachelor’s Degree with Honours,
Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate,
Professional Apprenticeship,
Graduate Apprenticeship,
PDA, SVQ, Award
Bachelor’s/Ordinary Degree,
9
Graduate Apprenticeship, Technical
Apprenticeship, PDA, SVQ, Award
Higher National Diploma (HND),
8 Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE),
Technical Apprenticeship, Higher
Apprenticeship, PDA, SVQ, Award
Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE),
7 Modern Apprenticeship, PDA, SVQ,
Scottish Baccalaureate,
Advanced Higher, Award
Higher, Modern Apprenticeship,
6 National Progression Award (NPA),
National Certificate, PDA, SVQ, Award
National 5,
Modern Apprenticeship,
5
SVQ, NPA,
National Certificate,
Award
National 4,
4
National Certificate,
Award
National 3, NPA, National Certificate,
3 Award
National 2, NPA, National Certificate,
2
Award
1 National 1, Award
 Correspondences between UK and Irish frameworks with European qualifications frameworks

Within Europe, two overarching qualifications frameworks exist to which the national qualifications frameworks of the UK and Ireland relate: The European Qualifications
Framework (EQF) and the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area (FQ-EHEA) also known as the Bologna Framework.

Table 1 shows the correspondence of levels established between national qualifications Table 2 shows the outcome of verifying the compatibility of higher education
frameworks and the EQF frameworks for Scotland (FQHEIS/SCQF), for England, Wales and Northern
Ireland (FHEQ) and for the NFQ for Ireland (NFQ IE) with the FQ-EHEA

European Framework for Regulated Credit and The National Scottish Typical higher education FHEQ FQHEIS/ NFQ IE Corresponding
Qualifications Higher Education Qualifications Qualifications Framework of Credit and qualifications within each and SRS SCQF level FQ-EHEA cycle
Framework Qualifications in Framework Framework for Qualifications for Qualifications level level level
(EQF) England, Wales, England/ Wales (CQFW) Ireland Framework
Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland (NFQ IE) (SCQF) Doctoral degrees Third cycle (end of cycle)
8 12 10
and OfS sector- (RQF) qualifications
recognised Master’s degrees (including Second cycle (end of
standards for Integrated Master’s) cycle) qualifications
England (SRS) 7 11 9
Postgraduate diplomas Intermediate qualifications
within the second cycle
Postgraduate certificates
8 8 8 8 10 12
Bachelor’s degrees with First cycle (end of cycle)
honours /Honours Bachelor qualifications
7 7 7 7 9 11 Degrees 10 8
Irish Higher Diplomas
6 6 6 6 8/7 10/9 6
Bachelor’s degrees/
7
Ordinary Bachelor Degree
5 5/4 5/4 5/4 6 8/7 Graduate diplomas 9 Intermediate qualifications
Graduate certificates within the first cycle
4 3 3 5 6
Foundation Degrees Short cycle qualifications
(for example FdA, FdSc)
3 2 2 4 5
Diplomas of Higher
6
Education (DipHE) 5 8
2 1 1 3 4
Higher National Diplomas
(HND)
1 E3 E3 2/1 3
Irish Higher Certificates
E2 E2 2 Higher National Certificates Intermediate qualifications
(HNC) within the short cycle
4 7
Certificates of Higher
E1 E1 1
Education (CertHE)

For more information on compatibility with these frameworks, see the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and ENIC-NARIC.
 Scope of Apprenticeships across the UK and Ireland Partners

Northern
Level

Level

Level

Level

Level
England Wales Ireland Scotland
Ireland
QAA SCQF Partnership
Degree Tel: +44 (0)1452 557000 Tel: +44 (0)141 225 2922
Apprenticeship, Higher level Professional Email: Contact us form Email: info@scqf.org.uk
8 Higher 8 Apprenticeship, 8 Not yet developed 10 Apprenticeship 12 Apprenticeship, www.qaa.ac.uk www.scqf.org.uk
Apprenticeship, Not yet developed Not yet developed
Not yet developed

Degree Professional
Not yet developed,
Apprenticeship, Higher Level Apprenticeship,
7 Higher 7 Apprenticeship 7 Higher 9 Apprenticeship 11 Graduate
Apprenticeship Regulation
Apprenticeship Apprenticeship
CCEA Regulation Ofqual
Tel: +44 (0)28 9026 1200 Tel: +44 (0)300 303 3344
Degree Degree Professional Email: ccearegulation@ccea.org.uk Email: Contact us form
Apprenticeship, Higher Level Apprenticeship, Apprenticeship,
6 Higher 6 Apprenticeship 6 Higher
8 Apprenticeship 10 Graduate www.ccea.org.uk/regulation www.gov.uk/ofqual
Apprenticeship Apprenticeship Apprenticeship

Graduate
Apprenticeship,
9 Technical
Apprenticeship

CQFW, Welsh Government Quality and Qualifications

Technical Email: cqfw.enquiries@gov.wales Ireland (QQI)
Higher Higher Level Higher Apprenticeship,
5 5 5 7 Apprenticeship 8 www.gov.wales/cqfw Tel: +353 (0)1 905 8100
Apprenticeship Apprenticeship Apprenticeship Higher
Apprenticeship www.qqi.ie

Higher Higher Level Higher Modern

4 Apprenticeship 4 Apprenticeship 4 Apprenticeship
6 Apprenticeship 7 Apprenticeship

Modern
3
Advanced
3 Apprenticeships NI 3 Apprenticeship 5 Apprenticeship 6
Apprenticeship, Office for Students Qualifications Wales
Apprenticeship Foundation
Apprenticeship
Tel: +44 (0)117 931 7317 Tel: +44 (0)1633 373 222
Email: info@officeforstudents.org.uk Email: enquiries@qualifications.wales
Web: www.officeforstudents.org.uk Web: www.qualifications.wales
Intermediate Apprenticeships NI, Foundation Modern
2 Apprenticeship 2 Traineeships NI 2 Apprenticeship
4 5 Apprenticeship