The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) is the framework for regulated qualifications in England, and in Northern Ireland where the awarding organisation is recognised by CCEA Regulation. It runs from Entry Level, split into Entry 1 to 3, through levels 1 to 8. Each qualification also carries a size, expressed in Total Qualification Time, and a type such as Award, Certificate or Diploma. Scotland and Wales use their own frameworks, so the RQF is not a UK-wide scale.
Level and size, not just a number
An RQF qualification is described by two things: its level, which is how demanding it is, and its size, which is how much learning it represents. The level runs from Entry Level, itself divided into Entry 1, 2 and 3, up through levels 1 to 8. The size is expressed in Total Qualification Time, and the type name, Award, Certificate or Diploma, reflects size bands rather than subject.
So "a level 3 Diploma" tells a reader both how hard it is and roughly how big it is. Getting both right at accreditation is what makes the qualification defensible.
The levels, in outline
The numbered levels line up broadly with familiar milestones. This is an outline, not a rule, and the exact placement of a qualification is set through its regulation.
| RQF level | Broadly comparable to |
|---|---|
| Entry 1 to 3 | Foundational skills below level 1 |
| Levels 1 to 2 | GCSE-level learning |
| Level 3 | A level learning |
| Levels 4 to 5 | Higher education, first years and foundation degrees |
| Level 6 | Bachelor's degree level |
| Level 7 | Master's level |
| Level 8 | Doctoral level |
Where the RQF does and does not apply
The RQF covers England, and Northern Ireland where the awarding organisation is recognised by CCEA Regulation. Wales uses the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales and Scotland uses the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework, which has twelve levels rather than eight. So an RQF level is not a UK-wide statement, and if your learners span the nations, the framework is a decision to make per nation.
Against the EU, an RQF level is no longer mapped to the European Qualifications Framework automatically after Brexit, which is why providers selling into the EU often add a Malta route for an EQF-referenced level.
Reading a qualification title
An RQF qualification title packs in more than it looks. The number is the level. The type word, Award, Certificate or Diploma, is a size band, not a subject: an Award is the smallest, a Certificate larger, a Diploma larger still, each defined by ranges of Total Qualification Time. So a level 3 Award and a level 3 Diploma sit at the same level of demand but represent very different amounts of learning.
This is worth knowing when you compare qualifications or explain one to a buyer. Two qualifications on the same subject can carry different weight because their size differs, and a buyer who reads only the level can misjudge what a learner has actually done. When we build a qualification we set the level and the size deliberately, and name it correctly, so the title tells a reader the truth at a glance rather than flattering the content.
How the RQF sits against Scotland, Wales and the EU
Because the RQF is an England and Northern Ireland framework, it helps to know roughly how its levels line up elsewhere, without treating the comparison as exact. Scotland's SCQF runs to twelve levels rather than eight, so its numbers do not map one to one onto RQF levels, and a given standard sits at a different number north of the border. Wales uses the CQFW, which shares much of the same level logic but through its own arrangements.
Against the EU, the RQF is not referenced to the European Qualifications Framework after Brexit, so an RQF level does not carry an automatic EU reading. These are the joins where providers assume more portability than exists. When a programme has to work across more than one of these systems, we map the levels deliberately rather than assuming a number means the same thing everywhere, and we say plainly where a level travels and where it does not, so nobody is surprised later.
Common questions
How many levels does the RQF have?
Entry Level, divided into Entry 1, 2 and 3, followed by levels 1 to 8, so nine numbered levels plus the Entry sublevels.
What is Total Qualification Time?
It is the RQF measure of a qualification's size, the estimated total hours a typical learner needs, including both guided learning and independent study. It sets the qualification's size alongside its level.
Is an RQF level 6 a degree?
Level 6 is broadly bachelor's-degree level, but the RQF describes regulated qualifications generally, not only degrees. The exact status of a qualification is set through its regulation.
Does the RQF apply across the whole UK?
No. It covers England, and Northern Ireland via CCEA Regulation. Wales uses the CQFW and Scotland uses the twelve-level SCQF.
How does an RQF level relate to the EQF?
It is not mapped to the EQF automatically after Brexit. Providers who need an EU-readable level often accredit through Malta for an EQF-referenced MQF level.
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