Scotland has its own regulator and its own framework, separate from the rest of the UK. Qualifications Scotland Accreditation, which replaced SQA Accreditation on 1 February 2026, accredits qualifications such as Scottish Vocational Qualifications, and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework places a qualification at one of its levels. A qualification regulated in England does not automatically apply in Scotland, so if your learners are in Scotland, this is the route to plan for.
Scotland is a separate system, not a footnote
It is a common and expensive mistake to treat Scotland as covered by an England decision. It is not. Scotland has its own regulator, its own framework and its own qualification types, and they sit on a different logic to the arrangements south of the border. Any provider serving Scottish learners has to plan for the Scottish route on its own terms.
The regulator is Qualifications Scotland Accreditation. It took over the accreditation function from SQA Accreditation on 1 February 2026, so any guidance that still names SQA Accreditation as the accrediting body is out of date. The framework is the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, the SCQF, which has twelve levels and places a qualification at a level with a credit value.
What Qualifications Scotland Accreditation does
The accreditation function accredits qualifications, most visibly Scottish Vocational Qualifications, and approves the awarding bodies that offer them. As with the rest of the UK, the regulator does not deliver training and does not accredit an individual provider's course in the abstract. What gets accredited is a qualification that meets the published criteria, offered through an approved awarding body, and placed on the SCQF at a defensible level.
| Element | In Scotland |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Qualifications Scotland Accreditation (replaced SQA Accreditation, 1 February 2026) |
| Framework | Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), 12 levels |
| Typical accredited type | Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs), among others |
| Relationship to England | Separate. An RQF qualification does not automatically apply in Scotland |
What a provider needs to get right
The evidence a Scottish accreditation rests on is the same shape as anywhere else, applied to the Scottish criteria. The outcomes have to be written at the SCQF level claimed and be assessable. The credit value has to reflect the notional learning hours at that level. The assessment and internal verification have to be real and recorded, because Scottish accreditation, like the rest, is judged on the consistency of assessment over time.
- Outcomes written at the SCQF level, with credit values that match the hours.
- An assessment and internal verification approach that produces evidence.
- Delivery through an approved awarding body where the qualification type requires it.
- Current criteria confirmed with Qualifications Scotland before submission, because the body is newly reorganised.
Scotland alongside the rest of your market
Many providers do not sell only into Scotland. If your learners span the UK, you may need a Scottish route and a route for England, Wales or Northern Ireland, mapped so you are not paying twice for the same thing. And if part of your market is in the EU, accreditation through Malta gives an EQF-referenced level that a Scottish or UK qualification no longer carries automatically after Brexit. We map the whole picture so the routes fit together rather than competing.
Where we fit
We build the qualification to the SCQF level and the Scottish criteria, prepare the submission, and manage it through the approved awarding body and Qualifications Scotland Accreditation to a decision. We are a consultancy, not a regulator or an awarding body, and we do not award qualifications ourselves. We confirm the current requirements with the regulator before we submit, which matters more than usual while the body is newly established.
What changed when Qualifications Scotland took over
The change on 1 February 2026 matters for anyone reading older guidance. The accreditation function that had sat with SQA Accreditation moved to Qualifications Scotland Accreditation, part of the new body Qualifications Scotland. The framework, the SCQF, and the qualification types did not change with it, but the name of the accrediting body did, and a lot of published material, templates and third-party summaries still refer to SQA Accreditation.
For a provider, the practical effect is simple: work to the current body and its current criteria, not to whatever a dated web page describes. Because the body is newly established, this is a route where confirming the present requirements before submitting matters more than usual, and where relying on last year's process can cost you a cycle. We check the current position with Qualifications Scotland Accreditation before anything is submitted, so the submission is built to the arrangements in force now, not the ones that applied before the transfer.
Common questions
Did Qualifications Scotland replace the SQA?
Qualifications Scotland Accreditation replaced SQA Accreditation as the accreditation body on 1 February 2026. Any guidance still naming SQA Accreditation as the current accrediting body is out of date, and we confirm the current position with the regulator before submitting.
What is the SCQF?
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework has twelve levels and places a qualification at a level with a credit value. It is Scotland's own framework, separate from the RQF used in England and Northern Ireland.
Does an English qualification work in Scotland?
Not automatically. Scotland runs its own framework and regulator, so a qualification regulated in England does not carry across to Scotland by default. If your learners are in Scotland, plan the Scottish route on its own terms.
What is an SVQ?
A Scottish Vocational Qualification is a work-based qualification accredited in Scotland and placed on the SCQF. It is one of the common qualification types the Scottish accreditation function handles.
Do you award the Scottish qualification?
No. We build the qualification to the SCQF level and the Scottish criteria and manage the submission through an approved awarding body to a decision. We are a consultancy, not an awarding body or regulator.
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