A guide to qualifications

Qualifications in Northern Ireland

Choosing the right qualification pathway is a big decision. There are many reasons why you should think hard about what qualifications will be best suited to you, including

• The facts show that adults without any qualifications have more difficulty in getting well paid jobs than people who do have them.
• People with higher level qualifications generally earn above average wages and are able to afford a better standard of living.
• Gaining qualifications gives you confidence in yourself – you know you’ve made the grade and can hold your own against anyone else.

The type of job and the level at which you enter that job depends on qualifications gained through exam passes, training and experience.

A number of qualifications currently exist within Northern Ireland. Click on the links below to find out more: 

• GCSE
• GCE AS and A2 Level
• VCE and AVCE
• NVQ
• GNVQ
• BTEC
• Key Skills
• HND and HNC
• Foundation Degree
• Degree
• Postgraduate

 

GCSE

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is the means of assessing the National Curriculum at Key Stage 4. Pupils around the age of 16 normally take this exam. Results are issued in the form of lettered grades A*-G in descending order of merit. A* grade recognises outstanding achievement. For a full list of GCSE subjects contact the Joint Council for General Qualifications.

GCE AS and A2 Level

The GCE AS (Advanced Subsidiary) level was introduced, both as the first year of GCE A (A2) level and as a qualification in its own right. A-levels enable those who wish to remain in school or college after the age of compulsory schooling to continue their education for another two years. A-levels are considered academic, with the exception of a few such as Business Studies that have a more vocational theme.

All A-levels are composed of six elements, which are referred to as units. The first three units comprise the AS-level with the final three studied as A2. If you choose the modular route, units may be taken throughout the course in both January and June of the first and second years. If you choose the linear course, units are all assessed at the end of the two years.

As well as contributing to the full GCE A level award, the GCE AS is recognised as a separate qualification. Students normally study four and sometimes five subjects. The number of subjects then reduces to two, three or four in the second year of the course (called A2), which are carried on to the full A-level.

However, the A2 units only contribute to the full GCE A level and are not a separate qualification. Both the AS and the A2 are graded on an A-E scale, E being the lowest pass grade awarded, with U being unclassified which is not certificated. For the purposes of higher education one AS would equate to approximately half a GCE A level.

For more information on GCE level of study please talk to your careers adviser.

VCE and AVCE

VCE qualifications enable students to develop skills, knowledge and understanding in the vocational area they are studying and prepare them for both the world of work and progression to higher education.  

An AVCE is awarded on a grading system of A-E making it comparable with GCE A/AS level. AVCEs were developed from GNVQs.

AVCE: Double Award - the former Advanced GNVQ has been replaced by the Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education: Double Award and is equivalent to two GCE - levels and would normally be taken over two years.

NVQ

NVQs are related to real work and test how competent you are in the actual tasks involved in a job. There are NVQs for almost every industry and employment sector.

Every NVQ is divided into units, each covering a particular part of your job. You can study for NVQs at any age or stage of your career. They start at whatever level suits you. There are no formal entry requirements. However, you need experience for the higher levels. There are no strict time limits to finish the course.

There are difficulties in providing exact equivalencies between (G) NVQs and GCSEs and A- levels as there are differences between the structures of the types of course. The following may be taken as a general guideline for broad equivalencies in Northern Ireland.

• NVQ Level 1/GNVQ Foundation equivalent to four GCSEs, grades D-G.
• NVQ Level 2/GNVQ Intermediate equivalent to four GCSEs at grade C or better.
• NVQ Level 3/GNVQ Advanced equivalent to two GCE A-Levels.
• NVQ Level 4 is at a higher level than two GCE A-Levels and would equate approximately to the BTEC Higher National as stated above.

GNVQ

GNVQs are offered at foundation level (equivalent to 4 GCSEs: Grades D-G) and intermediate level (equivalent to 4 GCSEs: Grades A-C). Many students who complete an intermediate GNVQ progress to VCE.

BTEC

These are nationally recognised work-related qualifications. There are three main BTEC qualifications:

First Certificate/Diploma: is generally recognised as being equivalent to 4/5 GCSEs at grade C or better.

National Certificate/Diploma: meets the standard university entrance requirements and is equivalent to two GCE A Levels.

Higher National Certificate/Diploma: is accepted by many employers as equivalent to pass degree for recruitment purposes. Higher Education Institutions may accept Higher National holders to Years 2 or 3 of their degree course.

At each of the levels BTEC Certificates and Diplomas are of the same standard. Certificates are normally taken part-time by candidates in employment, recognition is given for the knowledge, skills and understanding gained at work. Diplomas are normally taken on a full-time basis.

Key Skills

Key Skills are the essential skills you need to do well in education and training, to succeed at work and to get on in life. They cover: -

• Communication
• Application of number
• Information technology
• Working with others
• Improving your own learning and performance
• Problem solving

You can use these skills in a whole range of situations, from checking that you’ve been given the correct change to working in a team, or organising your holiday.

Key skills are an important part of every course, from A Levels and VCEs to NVQs. You can also take specific key skills qualifications. They are designed to develop your skills in communication, application of number and information technology – each of these is a qualification in its own right. You can take them alongside other courses, whether you are in full-time education or on a work-based training programme such as a Modern Apprenticeship. Like other qualifications, you can study key skills at the level, which best suits your needs.

If you want to know about Key Skills, please talk to your careers adviser.

HND and HNC

These are nationally recognised qualifications, well known and well regarded in industry, as they tend to have a more vocational focus than degrees.

HNDs are full-time and last for two years. They consist of 16 modules. You may progress to a degree.

HNCs are of the same standard as HNDs, but are studied on a part-time basis over two years. They consist of 10 modules.

Foundation Degree

The Foundation Degree is an innovative degree course, which focuses on developing the work-related skills that employers require. It is developed in partnership with employers and a university and is delivered in an FE College. The course takes two years to complete when taken full-time, but can also be taken part-time and both include accredited work experience. The degree is a qualification in its own right, but graduates may then "top-up" to a relevant honours degree course.

Degree

There are five main types of degree courses, which can vary in length from three to five years (full time) depending on the subject or the course arrangements:

Single Honours

On single honours courses you will graduate in one subject. In the second and third year of your course you will be able to choose subject options depending on your special interests. Each institution offering the same subject is likely to offer slightly different options.

Joint Honours

These courses involve the study of two subjects. In some cases the subjects will be related, such as Computing and Business; in others they will be quite different such as History and Music. In all cases the length of time taken to study each subject will be the same.

Combined Honours

These courses can involve two or three subjects, each of which is studied equally usually within the framework of the same faculty.

Major/Minor

In these courses students choose two subjects to study, one of which is studied over a longer period than the other.

Sandwich

These involve alternating periods of study and work-related experience, which usually extends the course to four years.

Postgraduate

Postgraduate certificates and diplomas offer vocational training or a professional qualification. Courses usually last for one or two years of full-time study and can lead to qualifications or may be integrated into Masters degree programmes. A Masters degree can be obtained by pure research or by a course of instruction, which will include a short research project and an examination.

Doctorates are normally awarded after at least three years of supervised research.

 

Last modified: 16 Dec 2008