The QCF (Qualifications Credit Framework) will provide a new way of recognising skills and qualifications by awarding Credit for qualifications and units enabling more bite-sized steps of learning than the current system.

Qualifications will be easier to understand and measure as each unit and qualification will have:

• a Credit value (1 Credit represents 10 hours, showing how much time it takes to complete); and
• a Level between 1 and 8 to show how difficult it is.

This means that you could have a Level 1 Award or a Level 8 Award because the qualification type represents the size of the qualification not the difficulty; the difficulty is shown by the level.

There are three sizes (types) of qualifications in the QCF:

• Awards (1 – 12 Credits)
• Certificates (13 – 36 Credits)
• Diplomas (37 Credits or more)

The title will tell you the general content of the qualification; how difficult it is and how long it will take the average learner to complete it.

Candidates will have a ULN (Unique Learner Number) against which the Credits will be recorded.  This allows students to build a lifelong record of their learning participation and achievements, which they can access and choose to share.  A Personal Learning Record (www.learningrecordsservice.org.uk) will provide valuable evidence of what has been studied and the qualifications and training achieved.