Qualifications: what the different levels mean

A qualification shows employers, teachers and learners what you have learnt and what you can do as a result of that learning. There is a large variety of qualifications available so they are grouped together into levels to show how they compare and what other qualifications they can lead to.

Qualification frameworks 

In the UK, most qualifications taken through work, school, college or university, fit into one of nine levels (12 in Scotland). The higher the level, the harder the qualification. The levels are based on the standards of knowledge, skill and competence needed for each qualification. Qualifications at the same level can be very different in terms of content and the length of time they take to complete. 

Knowing about the different levels means that you can compare qualifications and identify what you need for your chosen career.

Four qualifications frameworks are in use within the UK:

  • Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) for England and Northern Ireland
  • Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW)
  • Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF)
  • Framework for Higher Education Qualifications for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ)

Qualification levels

The table below shows some examples of qualifications at each level under the various frameworks. The list is not exhaustive.

Qualification level Examples of qualifications What they give you
Entry
  • Entry level awards, certificates and diplomas
  • Essential skills at entry level
  • basic knowledge and skills
  • ability to apply learning in everyday situations
  • not geared towards specific occupations
One
  • GCSE grades D-G (and grades 3 to 1 in England)
  • level one awards, diplomas and certificates
  • Key Skills level 1
  • NVQs
  • Essential Skills
  • Music grades 1 to 3
  • basic knowledge and skills
  • ability to apply learning with guidance or supervision
  • may be linked to job competence
Two
  • GCSE grades A*- C (and grades 4 to 9 in England)
  • intermediate apprenticeships
  • Level 2 awards, diplomas and certificates
  • OCR Nationals
  • NVQs
  • Essential Skills
  • Music grades 4 and 5
  • O level - grades A-C
  • good knowledge and understanding of a subject
  • ability to do a variety of tasks with some guidance or supervision
  • suitable for many job roles
Three
  • AS and A levels
  • Access to Higher Education diploma
  • advanced apprenticeship
  • International Baccalaureate
  • NVQs
  • BTEC diplomas, certificates and awards
  • BTEC Nationals
  • OCR Nationals
  • Music grades 6 to 8
  • ability to gain or apply a range of knowledge, skills and understanding at a detailed level
  • appropriate if you plan to go to university, work independently or (in some cases) supervise and train others in their field of work
Four
  • NVQs
  • BTEC Professional diplomas, certificates and awards
  • HNCs
  • Certificaties of Higher Education (CertHE)
  • Higher apprenticeship
  • specialist learning, involving detailed analysis of a high level of information and knowledge in an area of work or study
  • ​suitable for people working in technical and professional jobs, and/or managing and developing others
Five
  • HNDs
  • NVQs
  • BTEC Professional diplomas, certificates and awards
  • Foundation degrees
  • Diploma of higher education (DipHE)
  • ability to increase the depth of knowledge and understanding of an area of work or study, so you can respond to complex problems and situations
  • involves high level of work expertise and competence in managing and training others
  • suitable for people working as higher grade technicians, professionals or managers
Six
  • Bachelor's degrees
  • Professional Graduate Certificate in Education
  • Graduate diplomas
  • BTEC Advanced Professional diplomas, certificates and awards
  • degree apprenticeship
  • a specialist, high-level knowledge of an area of work or study, to allow you to use your own ideas and research in response to complex problems and situations
  • suitable for people working as knowledge-based professionals or in professional management positions

 
Seven
  • Master's degrees
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Education
  • BTEC Advanced Professional diplomas, certificates and awards
  • highly developed and complex levels of knowledge, enabling you to develop original responses to complicated and unpredictable problems and situations
  • suitable for senior professionals and managers

 
Eight
  • Doctoral degrees
  • specialist awards, certificates and diplomas
  • opportunity to develop new and creative approaches that extend or redefine existing knowledge or professional practice
  • suitable for leading experts or practitioners in a particular field

More information on the frameworks and associated levels, including comparisons with other countries can be found on the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessments (CCEA) website.

Comparing qualification levels from outside Northern Ireland

There are 12 qualification levels in Scotland. These are set out in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework.

Irish qualifications are set out in the Irish National Framework of Qualifications.

You can compare European qualification levels and also get information on specific qualifications that occupy those levels in national frameworks.

You can also contact the UK National Academic Recognition Information Centre (UK NARIC) to compare a UK qualification with any non-UK qualification (there may be a fee for this subject to your request).   

Useful links

Share this page


What do you want to do?
What is your question about?
Do you want a reply?
Your email address
To reply to you, we need your email address
Your feedback

We will not reply to your feedback.  Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

This feedback form is for issues with the nidirect website only.

You can use it to report a problem or suggest an improvement to a webpage.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly as we don’t have access to information about you held by government departments.

You must be aged 13 years or older - if you’re younger, ask someone with parental responsibility to send the feedback for you.

The nidirect privacy notice applies to any information you send on this feedback form.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

Plain text only, 750 characters maximum.
Plain text only, 750 characters maximum.

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

What to do next

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

What to do next

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

What to do next

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

What to do next

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

What to do next

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

What to do next

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

What to do next

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

What to do next

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

What to do next

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

What to do next

For queries about:

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

What to do next

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

What to do next

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

What to do next

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

What to do next

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

What to do next

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

What to do next

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

What to do next

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.