What are we consulting on?
We would like your response to our proposal for cross-referencing the levels of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) with those of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).
In November 2007 the UK government signed up to a recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union on the establishment of the EQF for lifelong learning. The recommendation proposes that member states:
- relate their national qualifications systems to the EQF by 2010, in particular by referencing, in a transparent manner, their qualification levels to the levels of the EQF
- adopt measures as appropriate, so that by 2012, all new qualification certificates, diplomas and ‘Europass’ documents issued by the competent authorities contain a clear reference, by way of national qualifications systems, to the appropriate EQF level.
We would like to have your views on the findings of task (1). You are invited to comment on the proposed cross-referencing and what it means for you or your organisation. Later we will address task (2), however, we do not seek your feedback on this aspect of the recommendation at this time.
What is the EQF?
The EQF is a translation device that enables a European country to read across from its own qualifications levels to qualifications levels in other countries. This will help learners and workers wishing to move between countries, change jobs or move educational institutions. One aim of the EQF is to contribute to creating a European workforce that is mobile and flexible.
It is important to note the following with regard to the EQF:
- it does not replace existing national qualifications systems or require them to be adjusted in any way
- it does not include qualifications or describe specific qualifications or an individual’s competence
- implementation of the EQF is a completely voluntary process
- the EQF has no regulatory function
- it is not the intention that individual qualifications be referenced to the EQF; it is intended that the levels of a qualifications framework will be referenced to the levels of the EQF
What are the benefits of the EQF?
The EQF can add value by supporting recognition of learning and qualifications across European countries. This common understanding will help to increase the international recognition of both the learning itself and the qualifications completed.
Once systems and national qualifications frameworks have been related to the EQF, individuals, employers and education and training providers will be in a better position to compare achievements represented by individual qualifications from different countries and their education and training systems. More specifically, once cross-referencing of national qualifications frameworks to the EQF has been completed, the following benefits should be realised:
For individuals, it is hoped that the EQF will:
- make it easier to describe their broad level of competence to recruiters in other countries
- make it simpler to read across from one qualification system to another, eg when looking for further education and training opportunities.
For employers, it is hoped that the EQF will make it easier to interpret the qualifications of foreign applicants. It will also support labour market mobility in Europe by simplifying comparisons between qualifications and enabling a better match between supply and demand for knowledge, skills and competences.
For member states it is hoped that the EQF will:
- encourage links between general or academic qualifications levels and vocationa education and training qualifications levels
- enable citizens to judge the relative value of qualifications internationally
- create the basic architecture for credit transfer and allow the combination of qualifications acquired in different settings, systems and countries
- improve employers’ ability to judge the profile, content and relevance of qualifications on offer internationally
- allow education and training providers to compare the profile and content of their programmes to those of other international providers
- provide a basis for quality assurance procedures
- enhance the internal market for qualifications by using the defined levels of learning
- drive up national standards in relation to achievement of the EQF levels
How is the EQF being implemented in England and Northern Ireland?
Implementation of the EQF in the UK is being organised to correspond to the various credit and qualifications frameworks in the UK already established or in development, including the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW), the QCF in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ).
England and Northern Ireland have agreed to cross-reference the levels of the QCF to those of the EQF by March 2009. We are asking you to provide a response to the proposed cross-referencing.
Please note that we are only seeking comments on the QCF rather than any of the other UK frameworks. Other credit and qualifications framework bodies in the UK will seek responses to their own cross-referencing.
Are the levels in the NQF the same as those in the QCF?
The NQF and the QCF are structured on a common set of levels (Entry to level 8) which are based on the complexity, autonomy and/or range of what is being assessed and the achievement that is being recognised. Generic descriptions of the levels are kept under review and the most recent revisions have resulted in a set of level descriptors that are more appropriate for a unit-based framework, the QCF. Therefore the cross referencing of the QCF to the EQF will also be relevant for NQF qualifications and will be kept under review.
How can you respond to the proposal for cross-referencing?
The proposal for cross-referencing the QCF to the EQF is illustrated in the summary below. This is the result of a series of processes adopted to ensure robust and transparent cross-referencing. They have included:
- the establishment of a steering group of stakeholders and experts to advise on and oversee the task of referencing the QCF to the EQF
- commissioning an independent consultant to undertake the referencing
- the use of multiple methods in the referencing to ensure reliable findings
- verification of findings by using existing qualifications and supplementary evidence.
The full report and appendices are available at to download from this page. A summary of the consultant's report which includes the proposal for cross-referencing the QCF to the EQF is illustrated within the consultation.
Your responses will be used to inform the final, agreed cross-referencing between the QCF and the EQF. This cross-referencing will be published as the official link between the QCF and the EQF and used to facilitate the comparison of qualifications and promote their transparency and portability across national systems. The final decision on cross-referencing lies with the steering group who have overseen this work.
How long have you got to respond?
If you wish to comment on the proposed cross-referencing, you can do so from 3 November 2008 to 3 February 2009. Please submit your response by 3 February 2009, which will be confidential to QCA and CCEA. If you require further information or have any queries, email cegerton@ccea.org.uk. Please note your submission will not be anonymous, as we may need to contact you for further information
A summary of the outcomes and information about how your responses have informed the final and agreed cross-referencing will be available here during February 2009, subject to agreement with other UK NCPs.
The final cross-referencing will be published at the end of March 2009.
To respond to the consultation follow the Online consultation link.
Supporting information
There are a range of other documents that can provide you with further information about the EQF. The following documents are available to download from this page:
- The full report on the proposed cross-referencing; linking the QCF to the EQF
- The level descriptors for the QCF
- The European Commission's overview of the EQF and its aims
- Frequently asked questions about the EQF
- Recommendations of the European Parliament and Council on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning, including the EQF level descriptors.
Summary of the findings on the cross referencing
An exercise was undertaken in August and September 2008 on behalf of the England and Northern Ireland referencing group to cross-reference the levels of the QCF with those of the EQF. This is a summary of the main report, which will be made available on the website of QCA and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), the Northern Ireland regulator.
Methodology
The primary methodology used to cross-reference the frameworks involved making direct comparisons at different levels of abstraction between levels in the two frameworks. This approach was chosen because
- it provides a high level of validity in that it compares factors that are central to defining level in the QCF with comparable ones in the EQF
- assuming that the results from each set of comparisons are consistent, it should give a good level of confidence in the outcome.
Three cross-referencing comparisons were made, each taking the QCF levels as its starting-point:
- Overall descriptor level: comparing the full descriptor (ie the overall set of statements describing the level) for each QCF level with the EQF levels and identifying the level that provides a best fit.
- Domain level: for each QCF level, comparing each of the three domains (ie knowledge and understanding, application and action, autonomy and accountability) with corresponding statements from the relevant EQF levels, and identifying the level that provides a best fit in each domain before aggregating to give an overall result.
- Indicator level: comparing each level indicator (i.e. individual statement or 'bullet-point') in each QCF level descriptor with corresponding statements from the relevant EQF levels, and averaging to give a 'score' against the EQF levels.
The findings were cross-checked by mapping backwards from the EQF, by mapping a small sample of qualifications against both frameworks and by examining findings from three other projects that allowed the QCF and EQF to be compared via a third framework.
Findings
The findings from each of the methods were consistent, suggesting a clear relationship between each of the QCF levels and corresponding levels in the EQF as summarised in the table below. These findings were also supported by the secondary methods used to cross-check the results.
| QCF level |
Match to EQF level using: |
EQF Level |
| Overall descriptor |
Domains |
Indicators |
| Entry 1 |
Below 1 |
- |
'0' |
- |
| Entry 2 |
Below 1 |
1 |
0.5 |
- |
| Entry 3 |
1 |
1 |
1.0 |
Level 1 |
| Level 1 |
2 |
2 |
1.8 |
Level 2 |
| Level 2 |
3 '-' * |
3 |
2.7 |
Level 3 |
| Level 3 |
4 |
4 |
3.9 |
Level 4 |
| Level 4 |
4 '+' * |
4 |
4.3 |
Level 4 |
| Level 5 |
5 |
5 |
5.0 |
Level 5 |
| Level 6 |
6 |
6 |
5.9 |
Level 6 |
| Level 7 |
7 |
7 |
7.0 |
Level 7 |
| Level 8 |
8 |
8 |
7.9 |
Level 8 |
* The results are generally expressed as a good fit to a level, however where there is a minus or plus sign present it means that the results were judged to be at the higher or lower end of a particular level. also supported by the secondary methods used to cross-check the results.
Conclusions
The above findings indicate that, while there are legitimate differences in emphasis between the QCF and the EQF, there is a consistent relationship between the levels of the two frameworks which is as follows:
