Qualifications and Credit Framework - Frequently Asked Questions


If you can’t find the answer to your question, please call Ray Burberry or Sue Wright at WAMITAB on 01604 231950.

What is the QCF?
The QCF is a new way of recognising skills and qualifications. It’ll be made up of qualifications and units that will replace the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) in 2010. It will include Entry Level up to Level 8, and a variety of qualifications split into 3 groups according to size – Awards (1 to 12 credits), Certificates (13 to 36 credits) and Diplomas (37 credits or more).

It will introduce a new way of recognising achievement by awarding credit for qualifications and units (small steps of learning) and allowing learners to gain qualifications at their own pace along flexible routes.

Why has it been developed?
The aim was to create a new framework of qualifications that will simplify the qualification system, making it easier to understand and making the difference between qualifications clearer. It will introduce a standard currency for learner achievement across the qualifications’ system, through the award of credit.

What’s the difference between the NQF and the QCF?
The NQF consists of qualifications only, which in the majority of cases, have no credit assigned to them.

The QCF will consist of many units and qualifications that will all have credit assigned to them. Learners can ‘bank’ or record their achievements as they complete individual units or qualifications. We have expanded on this under ‘how will learners track their achievement?’ below.

The allocation of credit to units and qualifications also means that there will be a ‘standard currency’ for all learners – so if one learner completes a 3 credit Unit, and another completes 3 one-credit Units, they’ll both end up with 3 credits. Which, can aid transition where similarities exist in other Units/Qualifications.

What is ‘credit’?
All new units developed for the QCF must have a credit level and credit value. 

The level signifies the scope of challenge or difficulty. The value indicates the amount of ‘notional’ learning time required, on average, for a learner to achieve a unit. One credit = 10 notional learning hours.

Notional learning is different to the Guided Learning Hours (GLH) figure that is currently used with NQF qualifications. As with GLH, it includes activities that learners need to do in order to complete their qualification, such as:

  • classes
  • tutorials
  • practical work
  • assessments

In addition to these however, notional learning time includes other activities such as homework, independent research, unsupervised rehearsals and work experience. 

Some qualifications transferring across from the NQF may have a higher notional learning time than their original GLH. This doesn’t mean they take longer to deliver. It just means that the additional activities your learners already carried out as part of the qualification are now included in the time recognised to complete the qualification. If you have any questions about this, please get in touch.

What are the aims of the QCF?

The aim of the QCF is to offer more flexibility, freedom, choice and opportunities for learners. It will also:

  • help improve retention and progression rates by recognising smaller steps of achievement more frequently
  • track all learners' achievements through the use of a unique learner number (ULN) and an individual's electronic learner record, giving providers standard information about each learner's past achievements
  • describe achievements to employers and learners in a language that’s easy to understand.

What are the main features of the QCF?

The main features of the QCF are:

  • a ‘unit databank’ containing all units developed by all organisations
  • unit-based qualifications
  • achievements are recognised through the award of credits (from units) and qualifications
  • the level and size of achievements can be easily identified
  • a process for accumulating and transferring credit between qualifications and awarding organisations
  • the ability to give learners flexibility and a range of opportunities to progress and receive recognition for achievements, no matter how small.

Where does the FLT fit in?
The Foundation Learning Tier (FLT) is a framework of qualifications and units at Entry Level and Level one which will be integrated into the QCF. Using the same principles as the QCF, qualifications on the FLT will allow learners to build up credit and create a ‘spiky profile’ where they achieve units at different levels, facilitating progression between levels.

How will the QCF work?
Units will be submitted into the unit databank by organisations that have been recognised to develop and submit units. Once the units are in the databank, they can then be used to build rules of combination (ROC) and qualifications by awarding organisations.

These organisations will use agreed rules of combination to develop assessment arrangements for qualifications, and submit these qualifications for accreditation. They will then be available for learners.   

How will learners track their achievement?
All credit that a learner gains on the QCF from units or qualifications they’ve completed will be ‘banked’ on a system called the ‘Learner Achievement Record’ (LAR). This is a secure system of learning records linked to individual learners, which logs achievements against a Unique Learner Number (ULN). This number is unique to each individual, and will stay with them throughout their life.

This means that no achievement is lost – if the learner isn’t able to complete their full qualification for any reason, they will still gain the credit for the units they were able to complete. This will be recorded on their individual LAR, and can be used at a later date when learning or training continues.

The LAR is linked to the National Database of Accredited Qualifications (www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk), which means that learners can check their progress towards specific qualifications, and see what other qualifications their units could contribute to if they’d like a new goal to work towards.

Learners will have their own secure login for the system, so their record is not accessible by anyone else, however they will be able to allow centres and potential employers to view their record, as proof of their achievements.

For more information on the ULN or the LAR, please see the WAMITAB Guide to the QCF

What will QCF qualifications and units look like?
All units and qualifications will have a ‘credit level’ and a ‘credit value’. For more information on credit please see ‘What is credit?’ above.

There are 3 sizes of qualification in the QCF:
* Award – between 1 and 12 credits
* Certificate – between 13 and 36 credits
* Diploma – 37 credits and above.

Qualifications
All qualifications must be built up from units in the databank. These units must be available for use by the organisation submitting the rule of combination, and the awarding organisation submitting the qualification for accreditation.

Accreditation end dates for qualifications must not be later than any of the expiry dates for units that form part of the qualification.

There are various rules for creating qualifications relating to title, size, rules of combination and grading – please see the Regulatory arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit Framework, produced by QCA, for more information.

There are also various ‘types’ of qualification within the QCF – however the regulators have published additional regulatory requirements relating to these, which should be consulted for more information.

Units
There are certain criteria that units must meet in order to comply with the QCF design specifications. These go into detail about the title, content and structure of units. For more information on the specification of units please see the Regulatory arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit Framework on the QCDA Website: www.qcda.gov.uk

Like qualifications, units will also have credit assigned to them, which will be banked on the Learner Achievement Record (LAR). However, learners will still need to be registered on a qualification to achieve their units. They may only achieve a few units rather than the full qualification, and credit for these will be banked on their LAR. 

Who’s involved in the QCF?
Various organisations will be involved, and there are separate requirements for each of these, laid out in the Regulatory Arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit Framework.

Certain organisations will be approved to create and submit units into the databank, to be included in accredited qualifications.

Some organisations will be recognised to develop rules of combination for qualifications that meet QCF specifications and make effective use of the units available in the databank.

Some organisations will be recognised as awarding organisations, and will be responsible for:
* developing assessment arrangements for units and qualifications
* submitting qualifications based on agreed rules of combination for accreditation
* assessing learner achievement
* awarding credits to learners for the achievement of units
* supporting credit accumulation and transfer
* recording learners’ achievements in their learner records.

Organisations may be one or all of the above, except being recognised solely to develop rules of combination. In order to gain recognition in any of the ways outlined above, organisations need to meet with the specifications and standards set out in the Regulatory Arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit Framework.

Can current NQF qualifications be part of the QCF?
Not in their current format. The NQF qualifications were created in line with the NQF qualification regulations which set out their structure. New regulations were introduced for the QCF, and these determine how QCF qualifications should be structured (for more information see ‘qualifications’ above, or refer to the Regulatory Arrangements for the Qualifications and Credit Framework). While the content of most NQF qualifications will be transferred across, organisations will need to complete some development work to bring these in line with the new format and requirements.

What is WAMITAB doing about the QCF?
WAMITAB is currently working hard to transfer qualifications from the NQF onto the QCF. Most of our new qualifications will be going onto the QCF, as well as most of those which are up for accreditation in either 2009 or 2010. This may mean a change to some of the accreditation codes, and potentially an amendment to the qualification content. However we will constantly update our pages on the website with progress and information on the QCF. 
 
Funding the QCF
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is exploring how it may fund a credit and qualifications framework (initially through the demand-led funding consultation).

They’re funding a mix of the NQF and QCF provision over the next few years, and will be increasing their emphasis on the gradual shift to QCF provision as and when it becomes available. They don’t expect to fund any new provision outside of the QCF from 1 August 2010.

The LSC are also working to align the adult learner and employer-responsive demand-led funding models within the UK Vocational Qualifications Reform Programme (UK VQRP). This currently involves a working trial of unit funding, which will be expanded when more QCF provision is available.

Funding for the FLT will focus on the 4 progression pathways at Entry Level and Level 1. For more information on funding and the QCF, please see the LSC’s Qualification and Framework Reform website (http://qfr.lsc.gov.uk/).

For a free handy QCF guide designed for employers, follow this link http://www.qca.org.uk/libraryAssets/media/qca-07-3113_QCF_employers_web.pdf