Qualifications can cross boundaries

A rough guide to comparing qualifications in the UK and Ireland

 

The document gives an indication of how people can compare qualifications across national boundaries. Examples of major qualifications at each level are provided. For more detail of the qualifications in another country, the important websites are given at the head of each column.

This document is a second edition, the first edition was first developed as a result of a joint UK-Irish remit in 2003. The aim was to make easier for people to see how their own qualifications linked to those in other countries. QCA and the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland managed the development process and involved Scottish and Welsh interests as well as higher education. This second edition is seen by the agencies involved as a reflection of the alignment of levels of the frameworks in the UK and Ireland.

This document is aimed at people with existing qualifications, some of which may not exist with the same titles within the emerging Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) arrangements. The arrival of the QCF is flagged in a footnote.

The document is not being distributed in printed form by the various agencies that have collaborated in its production. The reason is that all the countries are busy referencing their frameworks to the European Qualifications Framework. This referencing process will be complete later this year and may have implications for the form of the document and it is possible that it may need to be amended.