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Qualifications and levels
Understanding qualifications and levels
Higher education (HE) is any programme of study for which the level of teaching is at Level 4 or above on the national qualifications framework. Take a look at the 
qualifications and levels diagram for a simple illustration.
Work experience and work-related Level 3 qualifications such as BTECs, NVQs, apprenticeships and A-levels provide a good starting point for entry into work-related Foundation degrees and HNDs. Many young people will now be studying the new Diplomas for 14 to 19 year-olds which combine theoretical and practical learning as preparation for higher education and work.
Getting credit for qualifications and experience
When you apply for any higher education course, remember to include any qualifications and experience that might be relevant in case you are eligible for accreditation as follows:
- APL is accreditation of prior learning – if you have completed part of a course at higher education level you can avoid repeating work you’ve already done.
- APEL is accreditation of prior experiential learning – if you have relevant work experience rather than formal qualifications, have a look at our Accreditation of prior learning information sheet. The rules for what experience can be counted in this way are set nationally by the Quality Assurance Agency for higher education and so any application has to be looked at carefully before agreement is reached by a university or college.
Counting credits towards a qualification
Each higher education qualification (Level 4 and above) requires you to gain a certain number of credits. You are awarded credits after you successfully complete each module or ‘block of learning’ during the course. Usually credits at more than one level are required and these are accumulated as you progress through the programme of study. For example, a typical Foundation degree requires a total of 240 credits across levels 4 and 5.
Many Foundation degrees can be ‘topped up’ to an Honours degree by gaining 120 further credits at Level 6. If you already have relevant credits from another course or another institution, you may be able to transfer them to your new course. Similarly, any prior experiential learning (see APEL above) could also be counted as credits towards a given award.
An example of using credit
For example, a person who has worked for many years as a team leader with some responsibilities, but without formal qualifications above Level 2 (GCSE level), could apply for this experience to be used as an alternative to having Level 3 qualifications. This could qualify them for entry to a relevant Foundation degree or HND. In some cases the work experience might be judged to equate with credits at Level 4 and so count towards the degree or HND itself.
