Regulated qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are either in the:
Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF)
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ)
The table shows how the most common qualifications compare. The levels show how difficult a qualification is.
There’s no simple comparison for NVQ levels 4 and 5*.
| LEVEL | RQF EXAMPLES | FHEQ EXAMPLES |
| Entry 1 to 3 | Entry level certificate Entry level Skills for Life Entry level award, certificate and diploma Entry level Functional Skills Entry level Foundation Learning | |
| Level 1 | GCSE (grades D-G) Key Skills level 1 NVQ level 1 Skills for Life level 1 Foundation diploma BTEC award, certificate and diploma level 1 Foundation Learning level 1 Functional Skills level 1 OCR National | |
| Level 2 | GCSE (grades A*-C) Key Skills level 2 NVQ level 2 Skills for Life level 2 Higher diploma BTEC award, certificate and diploma level 2 Functional Skills level 2 | |
| Level 3 | AS and A level Advanced Extension Award Cambridge International award International Baccalaureate Key Skills level 3 NVQ level 3 Advanced diploma Progression diploma BTEC award, certificate and diploma level 3 BTEC National OCR National Cambridge National | |
| Level 4 | Certificate of higher education Key Skills level 4 NVQ level 4 BTEC Professional award, certificate and diploma level 4 | Certificate of higher education HNC |
| Level 5 | HND NVQ level 4 Higher diploma BTEC Professional award, certificate and diploma level 5 HNC | Diploma of higher education Diploma of further education Foundation degree HND |
| Level 6 | Diploma of higher education Diploma of further education Foundation degree HND | Bachelor’s degree Graduate certificate Graduate diploma |
| Level 7 | BTEC Advanced Professional award, certificate and diploma level 7 Fellowship and fellowship diploma Postgraduate certificate Postgraduate diploma NVQ level 5 BTEC Advanced Professional award, certificate and diploma level 7 | Master’s degree Postgraduate certificate Postgraduate diploma |
| Level 8 | NVQs level 5 Vocational qualifications level 8 | Doctorate |