COMPARE DIFFERENT QUALIFICATION LEVELS

Regulated qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are either in the:

Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)

Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ)

The table shows how the most common qualifications compare. The levels show how difficult a qualification is.

There’s no simple comparison for NVQ levels 4 and 5*.

*source

LEVEL RQF EXAMPLES

Entry 1 to 3Entry level certificate

Entry level Skills for Life

Entry level award, certificate and diploma

Entry level Functional Skills

Entry level Foundation Learning

Level 1

GCSE (grades D-G) Key Skills level 1 NVQ level 1 Skills for Life level 1 Foundation diploma BTEC award, certificate and diploma level 1 RQF Foundation Learning level 1 Functional Skills level 1 OCR National

Level 2

GCSE (grades A*-C)

Key Skills level 2

NVQ level 2

Skills for Life

Higher diploma

BTEC award, certificate and diploma level 2 RQF

Functional Skills level 2

Level 3

AS and A level

Advanced Extension Award

Cambridge International award

International Baccalaureate

Key Skills level 3

RQF level 3

Advanced diploma

Progression diploma

BTEC award, certificate and diploma level 3 RQF

BTEC National

OCR National

Cambridge National

Level 4

Certificate of higher education Key Skills level 4 RQF level 4

BTEC Professional award,

certificate and diploma level 4

Certificate of higher education

HNC

Level 5

HND

RQF level 4

Higher diploma

BTEC Professional award, certificate and diploma level 5

HNC

Diploma of higher education

Diploma of further education

Foundation degree

HND

Level 6

Diploma of higher education

Diploma of further education

Foundation degree

HND

Bachelor’s degree

Graduate certificate

Graduate diploma

Level 7

BTEC Advanced Professional award, certificate and diploma

level 7

Fellowship and fellowship diploma

Postgraduate certificate

Postgraduate diploma

RQF level 5

BTEC Advanced Professional award, certificate and diploma level 7

Master’s degree

Postgraduate certificate

Postgraduate diploma

Level 8 RQFs level 5

Vocational qualifications level 8

Doctorate