Vocational Qualifications can be achieved at Level 1 to Level 7. Each Level can be achieved at Award, Certificate or Diploma status depending on the credits. This determines the complexity of the qualification.
Vocational Qualifications relate to the sector requirements and experience needed for specific jobs and roles. They are set by regulatory frameworks and each Awarding Organisation has to comply with these frameworks.
You may hold an academic degree but start a career which requires you to gain a lower level qualification such as a Level 2 or 3, or you may have left School after your GCSE’s but due to your working experience you are ready to start a higher level qualification such as a Level 4.
Qualification levels compared to other qualifications
This table will give you a rough idea of how the qualifications compare to other qualifications.
| Qualification level | Roughly equates to |
| 2 |
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| 3 |
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| 4 |
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| 5 |
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| 6 |
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| 7 |
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