European Qualifications Framework | Pearson qualifications
Understanding our qualifications

European Qualifications Framework (EQF)

The EQF - European Qualifications Framework - is an overarching qualifications framework and a tool to help understand and compare qualifications awarded across different countries and systems within and beyond Europe. This page provides information on the EQF and shows how its levels compare with some of the qualification frameworks used within the UK.

Read more

What is a qualification framework?

Qualification frameworks are designed to help you make informed decisions about the qualifications you need. Each framework has a set of levels from which you can identify clear progression routes.

The EQF acts as a translation device to make qualifications easier to understand across different countries and systems in Europe

What are levels?

The EQF has 8 levels, and the level of a qualification shows how difficult the learning is. Qualifications that share the same level:

  • are broadly similar in terms of the demand
  • can be very different in terms of content and duration.

How do EQF levels compare with other qualification frameworks?

The table below shows a rough comparison of the levels on the European Qualifications Framework (EQF)|, the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF), the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) and the Credit and Qualifications framework for Wales (CQFW).

EQF

SCQF

RQF

CQFW

8

12

8

8

7

11

7

7

6

10/9

6

6

5

8/7

5/4

5/4

4

6

3

3

3

5

2

2

2

4

1

1

1

3

Entry Level 3

Entry Level 3

 

2

Entry Level 2

Entry Level 2

 

1

Entry Level 1

Entry Level 1

User tabs
×

Are you sure you want to exit this session?