Credits, Sizes and Levels

Our QCF-accredited qualifications are available to learners in two sizes. Each size has a credit value which indicates the number of learning hours required.

Award: 1–12 credits*

Certificate: 13–36 credits*

*1 credit = 10 total learning hours

Our QCF qualifications are available in up to five levels: Entry Levels 2 and 3, and Levels 1, 2 and 3.

The difficulty of a qualification is indicated by its level, not its credit size.

CCEA’s QCF qualifications are extremely flexible:

  • Learners can build, record and transfer credits to suit their needs
  • Units are bite-sized to ease both study and delivery
  • Levels allow for stepped progression
  • Learners can gain units within timescales that suit them