Qualification Levels
There are eight qualification levels and an entry level in the National Qualification Framework.
The levels shown opposite illustrate the qualification from the National Qualification Framework and the corresponding framework for Higher Education Qualifications.
In addition to the qualifications illustrated there is a wide variety of other vocational qualifications e.g. in IT there are qualifications offered by Microsoft, Oracle and Cisco which can be used to complement qualifcations from the framework.
In many cases it is possible to get in-work training in such qualifications.
Entry Level
Entry level qualifications recognise basic knowledge and skills and the ability to apply learning in everyday situations under direct guidance or supervision. Learning at this level involves building basic knowledge and skills and is not geared towards specific occupations.
Level 1
Level 1 qualifications recognise basic knowledge and skills and the ability to apply learning with guidance or supervision. Learning at this level is about activities which mostly relate to everyday situations and may be linked to job competence.
Level 2
Level 2 qualifications recognise the ability to gain a good knowledge and understanding of a subject area of work or study, and to perform varied tasks with some guidance or supervision. Learning at this level involves building knowledge and/or skills in relation to an area of work or a subject area and is appropriate for many job roles.
Level 3
Level 3 qualifications recognise the ability to gain, and where relevant apply a range of knowledge, skills and understanding. Learning at this level involves obtaining detailed knowledge and skills. It is appropriate for people wishing to go to university, people working independently, or in some areas supervising and training others in their field of work.
Level 4
Level 4 qualifications recognise specialist learning and involve detailed analysis of a high level of information and knowledge in an area of work or study. Learning at this level is appropriate for people working in technical and professional jobs, and/or managing and developing others. Level 4 qualifications are at a level equivalent to Certificates of Higher Education.
Level 5
Level 5 qualifications recognise the ability to increase the depth of knowledge and understanding of an area of work or study to enable the formulation of solutions and responses to complex problems and situations. Learning at this level involves the demonstration of high levels of knowledge, a high level of work expertise in job roles and competence in managing and training others. Qualifications at this level are appropriate for people working as higher grade technicians, professionals or managers. Level 5 qualifications are at a level equivalent to intermediate Higher Education qualifications such as Diplomas of Higher Education, Foundation and other degrees that do not typically provide access to postgraduate programmes.
Level 6
Level 6 qualifications recognise a specialist high level knowledge of an area of work or study to enable the use of an individual's own ideas and research in response to complex problems and situations. Learning at this level involves the achievement of a high level of professional knowledge and is appropriate for people working as knowledge-based professionals or in professional management positions. Level 6 qualifications are at a level equivalent to Bachelors degrees with honours, graduate certificates and graduate diplomas.
Level 7
Level 7 qualifications recognise highly developed and complex levels of knowledge which enable the development of in-depth and original responses to complicated and unpredictable problems and situations. Learning at this level involves the demonstration of high level specialist professional knowledge and is appropriate for senior professionals and managers. Level 7 qualifications are at a level equivalent to Masters degrees, postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas.
Level 8
Level 8 qualifications recognise leading experts or practitioners in a particular field. Learning at this level involves the development of new and creative approaches that extend or redefine existing knowledge or professional practice.
NATIONAL & LOCAL AREA LINKS
GCSEs grades D-G
All secondary schools offer GCSEs which are assessed by coursework and external examinations
Maths and English are important, and you could also consider Applied ICT or Business
NATIONAL & LOCAL AREA LINKS
BTEC First Diploma
These are job-related qualifications in vocational subjects for those who have decided on a general career area but have not yet chosen a particular job. Work experience during the course will help you to see where your skills and interests lie.
BTEC First Diplomas usually last one year full time, but you can sometimes study part time if you are working.
A suitable course would be IT for Practitioners
NATIONAL & LOCAL AREA LINKS
BTEC National
BTEC National qualifications usually last two years full-time or three part-time. You learn through a combination of classroom lessons, practicals, assignments and project work.
Your work will be assessed by your teachers/lecturers through coursework, a portfolio and some external tests.
A suitable course would be IT for Practitioners
NATIONAL & LOCAL AREA LINKS
Foundation degree
Foundation Degree courses such as Computing
(Interactive Software Development) train people in specialist skills.
All IT foundation degrees develop :
Work Skills, relevant to ICT careers
Key Skills such as communication and problem solving
General Skills such as reasoning and professionalism
You could study full-time, or part-time or by distance learning if you have a job.
Look at
www.ucas.ac.uk or
www.foundationdegree.org.uk to find computing or IT courses.
The Open University offers a Foundation Degree in ICT (FdSc) that can be taken while you are working
You can progress to an honours degree, usually by transferring into the second or third year of a related course.
NATIONAL & LOCAL AREA LINKS
Honours degree
There are many different IT degrees on offer such as
Software Engineering. Computing is often combined with other subjects such as business studies, languages and sciences.
A lot of engineering courses also have a significant IT content.
You’ll find that IT courses have a lot of different titles such as
Information Technology or
Computing so you’ll need to look carefully at each prospectus to see what it covers.
Check the UCAS website for opportunities in the South East
www.ucas.ac.uk