The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is Scotland’s lifelong learning framework and was developed in 2001.

It is designed to help you understand and compare the range of qualifications available in Scotland, bringing together the main Scottish qualifications offered in schools, colleges and universities.  Read more...

Lifelong Learning

Helping you compare different qualification and training programmes in Scotland.

 

A Qualification System Easy to Understand

What is it for?

The SCQF makes qualifications easier to describe and understand. Before the SCQF, there was no easy way to compare qualifications of different types. Now there’s an easier way to show that – for example, an Advanced Higher is at the same level as a Higher National Certificate, or HNC (though there is less time spent learning). The SCQF is being used more and more to measure achievement in schools, colleges and universities.

How does the SCQF work?

The SCQF is designed to help people understand and compare different qualifications and training programmes in Scotland. Qualifications and learning programmes are given an SCQF level that shows how difficult it is, and are also given credit points that shows how long it takes to complete.

There are 12 levels in the SCQF - level 1 is the least difficult and level 12 is the most difficult.

The SCQF makes qualifications easy to describe and understand. It shows how qualifications relate to each other and how different routes can be taken to get the skills and qualifications you need.

Benefits of the SCQF:

The SCQF can benefit you by:

• Taking on the right staff with the right skills needed for the job
• Recognise what skills your employees need
• Get your own in-house training programmes recognised

Useful publications:

Information for parents
Information for employers
Information for learners
Scotland’s framework for lifelong learning