Scottish Qualifications

The Scottish Qualifications Certificate

The Scottish Qualifications Certificate (SQC) is the individual record of all a candidate's achievements, listing all units and courses achieved in any type of qualification awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) – Standard Grades, National Qualifications (NQs), Higher National Qualifications (HNCs and HNDs) and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs).

The certificate is updated every time you achieve a new award.

A separate article on the Scottish Qualifications Certificate describes the certificate itself. 

Standard Grades

Most people are familiar with Standard Grade from school. Standard Grade was introduced in 1984 and the first certificates were awarded in 1986.

You can only take Standard Grades in schools. They are run in a wide range of subjects and are usually taken at the end of fourth year in secondary school (S4) following a two year course.

They are assessed by coursework, projects and a final external exam, set and marked by the SQA. They can be studied at Credit, General and Foundation level and are awarded on a scale of 1-7 (1 being the highest):

In most schools pupils take examinations at two levels, either General and Credit Level or Foundation and General Level.

• Standard Grades, or their equivalent, are the usual entry requirements for non-advanced courses in further education and most Modern Apprenticeships.

Standard Grades are now placed in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) - see the separate article on the SCQF for more information.

·         Foundation level is placed at SCQF level 3

·         General level is placed at SCQF level 4

·         Credit level is placed at SCQF level 5.

Read the article on National Qualifications to see how you can progress from Standard Grade.

You can get more information on Standard Grade courses from the National Qualifications section in School Zone.

Skills for Work

Some schools offer the new Skills for Work courses.

These are vocational courses for young people in the 14-16 age group, which will give them knowledge and skills to prepare them for the world of work. They include opportunities to learn core skills as well as general skills for employability. Subjects on offer can include construction, hairdressing and hospitality.

These courses are National Qualifications, and are awarded at Access, Intermediate and Higher levels. (Read the article on National Qualifications for more information about the levels.)

Skills for Work courses are placed in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) at levels 3-6 - see the separate article on the SCQF for more information.

The courses are run through partnerships involving schools, further education colleges, training providers and employers. Young people will normally spend part of their time with one of these partners, meeting new people and learning in a different environment.

National Qualifications

National Qualifications (NQs) can be the next stage in progression from Standard Grades and Skills for Work. They have been available since 1999.

• National Qualifications are available at several levels and may be used for entry to further education, higher education or employment.

They can be studied at school or college. You enter at a level depending on:

• for school pupils, your Standard Grade results
• for adults, your previous experience and qualifications.

In some schools, pupils may be able to go into National Qualification courses without doing Standard Grades. Contact your school for information.

National Qualifications usually consist of three National Units which are assessed internally by teachers and lecturers and by an external exam set and marked by SQA. National Units are stand-alone qualifications which take about 40 hours work.

As well as a grade for the subject, you get a grade for Core Skills in five key areas:

• Communication
• Working with Others
• Numeracy
• Problem Solving
• Information and Communication Technology.

Core Skills are embedded in National Units. Each Standard Grade and National Qualification course includes at least one Core Skill. There are also individual units for Core Skills at all levels.

There are National Qualifications in over 50 subjects and they are usually available at five levels:

• Access 1,2,3
• Intermediate 1
• Intermediate 2
• Higher
• Advanced Higher.

When you successfully complete a course, you can progress to the next level.

In general, the progression from Standard Grade is as follows:

Courses at Access 1, 2, and 3 are designed for students who have learning support needs or are returning to learning. They give you a chance to try new subjects. From an Access course you can go on to Intermediate 1, then to Intermediate 2. 

Access and Intermediate courses give learners from a wide ability range the opportunity to progress at a pace which suits them.

The new Higher courses are worth the same as the old ones and are the usual entry requirements for higher education (except, sometimes, for adults).

Advanced Higher replaces the former Certificate of Sixth Year Studies.

Both Higher and Advanced Higher take one year of study and are recognised for entrance to universities throughout the UK.

All National Qualifications are awarded at grades A, B, C, or D. Course work is taken into account and there is a comprehensive system of appeals. 

National Qualifications are all now placed in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) - see the separate article on the SCQF for more information.

• Access 1, 2, 3 courses are placed at SCQF levels 1, 2, 3 respectively.
• Intermediate 1, 2 are placed at SCQF levels 4, 5 respectively.
• Standard Grade Foundation is at SCQF level 3, General at level 4 and Credit at level 5.
• Higher and Advanced Higher are SCQF levels 6 and 7 respectively.   

Scottish Group Awards (SGAs)

A number of closely related National Units and National Qualifications may be combined to lead to a Scottish Group Award (SGA). These awards are available at all levels except Access 1 and may be studied full or part time. You could gain an SGA in one year of full time study or build it up over a longer period of time.

• Not everyone needs to take an SGA. For instance, if you take four unrelated subjects at Higher, you could well achieve university entry requirements, without gaining a Group Award.

You can get more information on National Qualifications from the National Qualifications section in School Zone on PlanIT Plus.

Other Non Advanced Qualifications

At present you can also take the following qualifications, though they are gradually being replaced by National Qualifications.

National Certificates (NCs): a programme of study made up of National Units. NCs usually last one year, and do not always have formal entry requirements. They are run at further education colleges.

Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs)

SVQs are work place-based qualifications, designed to improve or broaden an employee's skills, not by sitting an exam but by demonstrating competence in tasks needed for a specific job. They mean that you can prove your practical skills and knowledge in doing a job.

They are usually made up of 6 to 10 separate units. Most SVQ courses are part time, run at college for those in appropriate jobs. There are some SVQs you can take full time.

There are SVQs for almost every job. They are available at five levels, from Level 1 for more routine jobs and tasks, to Level 5 for complex jobs with more responsibility and autonomy.

All Skillseekers training and Modern Apprenticeships include SVQ qualifications. Most Skillseekers trainees will gain SVQ Level 1/2. For successful completion of a Modern Apprenticeship you require at least SVQ Level 3.

At present, the SQA is working with partners to allocate SVQs to an appropriate level in the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). 

The following table indicates, provisionally, how SVQ qualifications compare with other Scottish qualifications.

Detailed information on SVQs is available on the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) website: http://www.sqa.org.uk/

Higher National Qualifications (HNCs and HNDs)

HNCs and HNDs are built up of HN Units. They are run in a wide range of subjects, by further education colleges, some institutions of higher education and some training centres.

• They can lead directly to work, often at higher technician or middle management level.
• They can also give entry to more advanced courses such as degrees or vocational courses such as Professional Development Awards (PDAs) (see below).
• An appropriate HNC or HND may be accepted for membership of some professional bodies.

Higher National Units (HN Units)

HN Units combine theoretical knowledge with practical skills. Like National Units, you can take them as qualifications in their own right, or as HNCs or HNDs, which can be studied full or part time.

HNCs and HNDs are made up of HN Units. These Units also form the basis of PDAs.

• Each HN Unit requires about 40 hours study to complete.
• For an HNC you need 12-15 Units, for an HND about 30 Units.

Higher National Certificates (HNCs)

To gain an HNC, you normally study one year full time, or two years part time, attending college one day or two evenings a week.

For entry you usually need 1–2 relevant Highers plus 2–3 Standard Grades, or a relevant National Certificate (NC) or an appropriate group of National Qualification (NQ) Units.

If you have suitable prior experience and skills, you may not need these qualifications. See also the information below on Access Courses and Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

If you have an HNC you will usually be able to get into Year 2 of an HND in a similar subject and you may be able to go into Year 1, or occasionally Year 2, of a degree.

Higher National Diplomas (HNDs)

To gain an HND, you normally study two years full time, or four years part time, attending college one day or two evenings a week.

For entry you usually need 1–3 relevant Highers plus 2–3 Standard Grades, or a relevant National Certificate (NC) or an appropriate group of National Qualification (NQ) Units.

If you have suitable prior experience, you may not need these qualifications. See also the information below on Access Courses and Accreditation of Prior learning (APL).

If you have an HNC in the same subject you can complete an HND in one year full time or two years part time. If you have an HND you may be able to go into Year 2, or occasionally Year 3, of a degree.

For entry to most HNC/HND courses you apply directly to the college early in the year of proposed entry.

However some colleges: Barony College, the Scottish Agricultural College and those colleges which are part of the UHI Millennium Institute (e.g. Lews Castle, Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Shetland, North Highland, Inverness, Moray, Orkney and Perth) are in the UCAS system. For these, you should apply through UCAS before 15 January of the year in which you plan to start the course.

The address of UCAS is:

UCAS
Rosehill
New Barn Lane
Cheltenham
Gloucester GL50 3LZ
Website: www.ucas.ac.uk

Detailed information on HNC and HND courses is available on the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) website: http://www.sqa.org.uk/

Professional Development Awards (PDAs) and Customised Awards

Professional Development Awards (PDAs)

Most PDAs are intended to be taken by people who are in work or looking for employment and who wish to extend or broaden their skills. They are designed to focus on specialist skills in a particular occupational area.

PDAs are now run at different levels, all linked to levels 6-12 of the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) (see separate article on the SCQF). From January 2007, the title of the PDA award has included reference to the SCQF level – eg PDA in Administrative Management at SCQF level 8.

People taking the higher level PDAs would normally have qualifications or considerable experience in their career area.

PDAs are made up of National Units or Higher National Units and workplace assessed units. Most are run part time, either at colleges or by employers. They are available in a wide variety of occupational areas including Classroom Assistant, Database Programming, Computer Aided Draughting and Design, Renewable Energy, Professional Photography and Spa Therapies.

Some PDAs may be embedded in Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) courses.

Customised Awards

Customised Awards are qualifications designed to meet the particular skill needs of a company or organisation. They are developed in co-operation with employers, and accredited by SQA. Employees achieving the award receive an internationally recognised certificate. Customised awards have been developed for companies in the oil and gas industry, amongst others.

Access Courses

Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP)

SWAP courses are introductory courses giving a route into higher education for adults who have few or no qualifications, or out of date qualifications.

Successful completion of an Access course, can lead to a guaranteed place on an Higher National Certificate (HNC), Higher National Diploma (HND) or degree course in a wide range of subjects, including primary teaching.

Most courses are 1 year full time, but a few are also run part time and take longer.

• Courses are run at further education colleges (but not all colleges run all courses).
• You do not need qualifications for entry.
• Courses are made up of SQA Units, so most assessment is continuous and there are no final exams.
• Successful completion of a course guarantees a place on an HNC, HND or degree course.
• Full time students may be able to get a bursary through the further education college.
• You can get advice on choosing a SWAP course from a SWAP office.
• You will have a personal tutor to give you support.
• Most courses have a creche for pre-school children (but places are limited, so apply early!).

Since the SWAP programme started in 1988, over 25,000 adults have used this route to return to higher education.

For details contact:

SWAP West
300 Cathedral Street
Glasgow G1 2TA
Tel: 0800 7312 0949

SWAP East
25 Buccleuch Place
Edinburgh EH8 9LN
Tel: 0800 731 0949

SWAP North
North Forum
Room G07, Regent Building
King's College
University of Aberdeen
Aberdeen AB24 3FX

Website for all regions:
http://www.scottishwideraccess.org/

Other Pre-Entry or Access Courses

Part time Pre-entry or Access courses for adults are run by Scottish universities, usually through their Departments or Centres of Continuing Education or Lifelong Learning.

Courses are run at a number of universities, including:

• Aberdeen (part time day, evening or distance learning)
• Abertay (evening)
• Dundee (part time day, summer school)
• Edinburgh (part time day, for Arts and Social Sciences)
• Glasgow (part time day or evening)
• Glasgow Caledonian (Sciences; Science and Technology, summer school)
• Open University (Openings Programme)
• St Andrews (part time day or evening, summer school)
• Stirling (part time day or evening)
• Strathclyde (part time evenings, for Arts and Social Sciences, Business School, Law and selected departments in Education)
• The Robert Gordon University (full time, part time or distance learning)
• University of the West of Scotland (evening or distance learning).

Generally, these courses:

• do not have formal entry requirements
• run one or two half days, or one or two evenings per week, for one or two years
• are assessed on work done during the course and in examinations
• if successfully completed, can give entry to an appropriate degree course
• are designed to meet students' needs and are constantly being developed.

For up-to-date information, contact the institutions (addresses below) or consult your local Careers Scotland Centre.

University Departments of Adult and Continuing Education

University of Aberdeen
Centre for Lifelong Learning
Regent Building
Regent Walk
Aberdeen AB24 3FX
Tel: 01224 273528

University of Abertay Dundee
Wider Access Centre
40 Bell Street
Dundee DD1 1HG
Tel: 01382 308114

University of Dundee
Centre for Learning and Teaching
Nethergate
Dundee DD1 4HN
Tel: 01382 384809

University of Edinburgh
Office of Lifelong Learning
11 Buccleuch Place
Edinburgh EH8 9LW
Tel: 0131 650 4400/4376

Glasgow Caledonian University
Centre for Continuing Education
(Access Course)
Cowcaddens Road
Glasgow G4 0BA
Tel: 0141 331 3000

University of Glasgow
Department of Adult and Continuing Education
St Andrew's Building
11 Eldon Street
Glasgow G3 6HN
Tel: 0141 330 1830

St Andrews University
St Katharine's West
The Scores
St Andrews KY16 9AX
Tel: 01334 462346

University of Stirling
Department of Academic Innovation and EDucation (DIACE)
Pathfoot B33
University of Stirling
Stirling FK9 4LA

Strathclyde University
Centre for Lifelong Learning
Graham Hills Building
40 George Street
Glasgow G1 1QE
Tel: 0141 548 4389

The Robert Gordon University
Study Skills and Access Unit
Faculty of Health and Social Care
Garthdee
Aberdeen AB10 7QG
Tel: 01224 262728

University of the West of Scotland
Centre for Lifelong Learning
High Street
Paisley PA1 2BE
Tel: 0141 848 3193 or 0800 0271000

Other Higher Education Qualifications

Certificates in Higher Education (CertHE)

CertHE courses require 1 year full time study. They are sometimes available part time. They are awarded by universities and institutes of higher education.

• The CertHE is usually equivalent to the first year of a degree course and may give direct entry to year 2 of a degree course in an appropriate subject.

For entry to most CertHE courses you need 1-2 Highers and some Standard Grades, or a relevant Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ), National Qualification (NQ) or National Certificate (NC). Relevant experience may also be considered.

You should apply for CertHE courses through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), before 15 January of the year in which you plan to start the course.

Diplomas in Higher Education (DipHE)

DipHE courses usually require 2 years full time study. They are sometimes available part time. They are awarded by universities and institutes of higher education.

Note: the DipHE in all Nursing subjects requires 3 years full time study, including clinical experience

• The DipHE in many subjects is equivalent to the second year of a degree course and may give direct entry to year 3 of a degree course in an appropriate subject.

For entry to most DipHE courses you need 1-3 Highers and some Standard Grades, or a relevant Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ), National Qualification (NQ) or National Certificate (NC).  Relevant experience may also be considered.

For most DipHE course (except those in Nursing), you apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), before 15 January of the year in which you plan to start the course.
The address of UCAS is:

UCAS
Rosehill
New Barn Lane
Cheltenham
Gloucester GL50 3LZ
Website: www.ucas.ac.uk

For entry to a DipHE in Nursing subjects, apply through the Nursing Board for Scotland CATCH unit.
The address of CATCH is:

PO Box 21
Edinburgh
EH2 2YS
E-mail: careers@nes.scot.nhs.uk
Website: www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/nursing/recruitment/catch
More details are given in the Career Area ‘Health and Medical Services’, section on Nursing.

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Degrees

Degree courses are run by universities, institutes of higher education, some colleges and the Open University.  

You would normally study:

• 3 years full time for an Ordinary, Pass or General degree
• 4 years full time for an Honours degree
• longer for a degree in Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, the MEng degree in Engineering and certain other degrees such as MPhys or MChem.

Some degree courses are available part time.

For entry to a degree course you usually need 3-5 Highers, depending on the institution and the subject to be studied.

You might get into a degree course by taking an Access Course (see above) or by gaining Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) (see below, Credit for Previous Experience and Qualifications).

You can progress to a degree from other qualifications such as HNC or HND.

• If you have a relevant HNC you may get into Year 1, or possibly Year 2, of a degree.
• With a relevant HND you may get into Year 2, or possibly Year 3, of a degree.

Some colleges of further education have formal ‘articulation’ arrangements with universities or institutes of higher education. These can link specific HNC, HND or Access courses to a particular level of entry into a particular degree course. Contact college and universities for details.

For most full time degree courses you apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS – address above), before 15 January of the year in which you plan to start the course.

Open University (OU) Degrees

For an Open University degree, you do not need formal entry requirements (although many entrants do have Highers or have taken a preparatory course). Degree courses are available in a wide range of subjects including arts, modern languages, social sciences, maths, computing, science, technology.

Nearly all OU students are part time and most are in full time employment throughout their studies.

The OU television and radio programmes are well known - but you do have to do more than just watch these!

As an OU student you would:

• work through specially prepared course materials
• attend a local study centre and complete a number of assignments
• follow the TV and radio programmes
• perhaps attend a residential summer school
• pass the exam at the end of the course.

If you have an HNC or HND, you may get credit points from the OU. This process is called 'credit transfer' and means you could get a degree in less time than it would normally take. Further information is available at www.open.ac.uk/credit-transfer/
For further details contact:

The Open University in Scotland,
10 Drumsheugh Gardens,
Edinburgh EH3 7QJ
Tel: 0131 226 3851
E-mail: scotland@ open.ac.uk  
Web: www.open.ac.uk/scotland   

Postgraduate Qualifications

Taught courses leading to a Postgraduate Diploma or a Masters degree are run at universities and some colleges.

• A Diploma normally takes 9 months full time study.
• A Masters degree normally takes 12 months full time. 

Many postgraduate courses are available part time.

For entry you usually need an appropriate degree, or, in some cases, an HND. For direct entry to a Masters course, you will probably need an Honours degree.

You apply direct to the university or college you wish to attend, early in the year you plan to start the course.

As well as taught postgraduate courses, most universities and some colleges offer the opportunity to take higher degrees, such as MSc, MPhil and PhD by research.

Contact the university or college direct for further information.

Credit for Previous Experience and Qualifications

If you would like to take an advanced qualification, you may be able to gain credit towards it.

• You may get credit from qualifications you already hold, through the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) credit points - see below.
• You may be able to get some credit for learning which you have gained through experience at work or elsewhere, through Accreditation of Prior Learning or Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APL or APEL - see below).

Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) credit points 

Through SCQF credit points you may gain credit at degree level for certain formal qualifications you hold. All Scottish universities and institutes of higher education are involved in this scheme.

You can build on these credit points with further courses, to gain a degree.

For instance, you could progress from an HNC to an HND, then an Ordinary, General or Pass degree and then to an Honours degree.

SCQF credit points are awarded for recognised learning. You can build them up by full or part time study.

• 120 points are awarded for the equivalent of 1 year of full time study.
• To gain a degree you need 120 at Level 1 (equivalent to the first year of a degree or an HNC) plus 120 points at Level 2 (equivalent to the second year of a degree or an HND) plus 120 points at Level 3 (equivalent to the third year of a degree) - 360 points altogether.
• For an Honours degree you need a further 120 points at Level 4 (equivalent to the fourth year of a degree) - 480 points altogether.

Holding an HNC or HND gets you off to a good start!

You will probably have to pay a fee for the courses you take to add to your existing credit.

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) or Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). 

This process may be available in further education colleges, universities and institutes of higher education.

• To gain credits, the college or university must assess and accredit what you have learned through experience (your 'experiential learning').
• If the learning is accepted, you may be able to use it to gain entry to a course or put it towards the qualification you want to take.

(Note: it is what you have learned through experience that is accredited, not the experience itself.)

You may be able to get credit for skills and knowledge gained:

• at work
• through leisure interests
• through community activities

and count it towards a qualification.

If you apply to a further education college you would:

• meet with a college adviser to discuss what you have learned and what you can do
• with the adviser, match up your learning with the skills needed for SQA National Units or Higher National Units in an appropriate subject
• with guidance from the college, assemble a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate your learning - you may have to do quite a lot of work to get this together - you may have to write additional essays or reports 
• then have the portfolio assessed by the college, and do any additional work still required, so that your assessor can recommend what credit to award.

If you apply to a university or institute of higher education, you must:

• with guidance from the university, provide evidence of your learning, usually by assembling a portfolio.

Gaining credit for relevant learning from experience may help you shorten a course, but you cannot gain a whole award, whether it is a certificate, diploma or degree, by APL or APEL alone. APL and APEL are not available for all subjects.

You will probably have to pay a fee for the accreditation of prior learning.

• Find out more about APL in a college of further education by contacting your local college and asking to speak to the Student Adviser for APL.
• Find out more about APL and APEL in universities by contacting the university Departments or Centres of Continuing Education or Lifelong Learning.