Jess Wilder
17 Mar 2022
QUALIFICATION LEVELS
Regulated qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are either in the:
Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ)
The table shows how the most common qualifications compare. The levels show how difficult a qualification is.
There’s no simple comparison for NVQ levels 4 and 5*.
LEVEL RQF EXAMPLES
Entry 1 to 3Entry level certificate
Entry level Skills for Life
Entry level award, certificate and diploma
Entry level Functional Skills
Entry level Foundation Learning
Level 1
GCSE (grades D-G) Key Skills level 1 NVQ level 1 Skills for Life level 1 Foundation diploma BTEC award, certificate and diploma level 1 RQF Foundation Learning level 1 Functional Skills level 1 OCR National
Level 2
GCSE (grades A*-C)
Key Skills level 2
NVQ level 2
Skills for Life
Higher diploma
BTEC award, certificate and diploma level 2 RQF
Functional Skills level 2
Level 3
AS and A level
Advanced Extension Award
Cambridge International award
International Baccalaureate
Key Skills level 3
RQF level 3
Advanced diploma
Progression diploma
BTEC award, certificate and diploma level 3 RQF
BTEC National
OCR National
Cambridge National
Level 4
Certificate of higher education Key Skills level 4 RQF level 4
BTEC Professional award,
certificate and diploma level 4
Certificate of higher education
HNC
Level 5
HND
RQF level 4
Higher diploma
BTEC Professional award, certificate and diploma level 5
HNC
Diploma of higher education
Diploma of further education
Foundation degree
HND
Level 6
Diploma of higher education
Diploma of further education
Foundation degree
HND
Bachelor’s degree
Graduate certificate
Graduate diploma
Level 7
BTEC Advanced Professional award, certificate and diploma
level 7
Fellowship and fellowship diploma
Postgraduate certificate
Postgraduate diploma
RQF level 5
BTEC Advanced Professional award, certificate and diploma level 7
Master’s degree
Postgraduate certificate
Postgraduate diploma
Level 8 RQFs level 5
Vocational qualifications level 8
Doctorate