European Qualifications Framework
Encyclopedia
European Qualifications Framework (EQF) is a European Union
initiative to create a translating facility for referencing academic degree
s and other learning qualifications among EU member states. It is designed to allow national qualifications frameworks, for example the UK Qualifications and Credit Framework
(QCF), to be cross referenced.
The EQF was formally adopted by the European Parliament
and the Council on 23 April 2008.
The EQF is a common European reference framework which links countries’ qualifications systems together, acting as a translation device to make qualifications more readable and understandable across different countries and systems in Europe
. It has two principal aims: to promote citizens’ mobility between countries and to facilitate their lifelong learning.
The EQF has eight reference levels. The learning outcomes on these levels are depicted in the following table.
{| class="wikitable"
Descriptors defining levels in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF)
|----
!Level
!Knowledge
!Skills
!Competence
!Example
|----
|Level 1
|Basic general knowledge
|basic skills required to carry out simple tasks
|work or study under direct supervision in a structured context
|
|----
|Level 2
|Basic factual knowledge of a field of work or study
|basic cognitive and practical skills required to use relevant information in order to carry out tasks and to solve routine problems using simple rules and tools
|work or study under supervision with some autonomy
| lower secondary school (FI)
|----
|Level 3
|Knowledge of facts, principles, processes and general concepts, in a field of work or study
|a range of cognitive and practical skills required to accomplish tasks and solve problems by selecting and applying basic methods, tools, materials and information
|take responsibility for completion of tasks in work or study; adapt own behaviour to circumstances in solving problems
|
|----
|Level 4
|Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work or study
|a range of cognitive and practical skills required to generate solutions to specific problems in a field of work or study
|exercise self-management within the guidelines of work or study contexts that are usually predictable, but are subject to change; supervise the routine work of others, taking some responsibility for the evaluation and improvement of work or study activities
|Abitur
, vocational school
|----
|Level 5
|Comprehensive, specialised, factual and theoretical knowledge within a field of work or study and an awareness of the boundaries of that knowledge
|a comprehensive range of cognitive and practical skills required to develop creative solutions to abstract problems
|exercise management and supervision in contexts of work or study activities where there is unpredictable change; review and develop performance of self and others
|HND
|----
|Level 6
|Advanced knowledge of a field of work or study, involving a critical understanding of theories and principles
|advanced skills, demonstrating mastery and innovation, required to solve complex and unpredictable problems in a specialised field of work or study
|manage complex technical or professional activities or projects, taking responsibility for decision-making in unpredictable work or study contexts; take responsibility for managing professional development of individuals and groups
|Honours Bachelor Degree, vocational university
(Fachhochschule
) Bachelor
|----
|Level 7
|
|specialised problem-solving skills required in research and/or innovation in order to develop new knowledge and procedures and to integrate knowledge from different fields
|manage and transform work or study contexts that are complex, unpredictable and require new strategic approaches; take responsibility for contributing to professional knowledge and practice and/or for reviewing the strategic performance of teams
|Masters
, vocational university
(Fachhochschule
) Masters,NVQ5
|----
|Level 8
|Knowledge at the most advanced frontier of a field of work or study and at the interface between fields
|the most advanced and specialised skills and techniques, including synthesis and evaluation, required to solve critical problems in research and/or innovation and to extend and redefine existing knowledge or professional practice
|demonstrate substantial authority, innovation, autonomy, scholarly and professional integrity and sustained commitment to the development of new ideas or processes at the forefront of work or study contexts including research
|Doctorate
City and Guilds Senior Awards - Fellowship
|----
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
initiative to create a translating facility for referencing academic degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
s and other learning qualifications among EU member states. It is designed to allow national qualifications frameworks, for example the UK Qualifications and Credit Framework
Qualifications and Credit Framework
The Qualifications and Credit Framework is the national credit transfer system for education qualification in England, Education in Northern Ireland and Wales. The QCF replaces the National Qualifications Framework which closed for accreditations at the end of 2010...
(QCF), to be cross referenced.
The EQF was formally adopted by the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
and the Council on 23 April 2008.
The EQF is a common European reference framework which links countries’ qualifications systems together, acting as a translation device to make qualifications more readable and understandable across different countries and systems in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It has two principal aims: to promote citizens’ mobility between countries and to facilitate their lifelong learning.
The EQF has eight reference levels. The learning outcomes on these levels are depicted in the following table.
{| class="wikitable"
|----
!Level
!Knowledge
!Skills
!Competence
!Example
|----
|Level 1
|Basic general knowledge
|basic skills required to carry out simple tasks
|work or study under direct supervision in a structured context
|
|----
|Level 2
|Basic factual knowledge of a field of work or study
|basic cognitive and practical skills required to use relevant information in order to carry out tasks and to solve routine problems using simple rules and tools
|work or study under supervision with some autonomy
| lower secondary school (FI)
|----
|Level 3
|Knowledge of facts, principles, processes and general concepts, in a field of work or study
|a range of cognitive and practical skills required to accomplish tasks and solve problems by selecting and applying basic methods, tools, materials and information
|take responsibility for completion of tasks in work or study; adapt own behaviour to circumstances in solving problems
|
|----
|Level 4
|Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work or study
|a range of cognitive and practical skills required to generate solutions to specific problems in a field of work or study
|exercise self-management within the guidelines of work or study contexts that are usually predictable, but are subject to change; supervise the routine work of others, taking some responsibility for the evaluation and improvement of work or study activities
|Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
, vocational school
Vocational school
A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job...
|----
|Level 5
|Comprehensive, specialised, factual and theoretical knowledge within a field of work or study and an awareness of the boundaries of that knowledge
|a comprehensive range of cognitive and practical skills required to develop creative solutions to abstract problems
|exercise management and supervision in contexts of work or study activities where there is unpredictable change; review and develop performance of self and others
|HND
Higher National Diploma
A Higher National Diploma is a higher education qualification in the United Kingdom. This qualification can be used to gain entry into universities, and is considered equivalent to the first or second year of a university degree course....
|----
|Level 6
|Advanced knowledge of a field of work or study, involving a critical understanding of theories and principles
|advanced skills, demonstrating mastery and innovation, required to solve complex and unpredictable problems in a specialised field of work or study
|manage complex technical or professional activities or projects, taking responsibility for decision-making in unpredictable work or study contexts; take responsibility for managing professional development of individuals and groups
|Honours Bachelor Degree, vocational university
Vocational university
A vocational university is an institution of higher education and sometimes research, which provides both tertiary and sometimes quaternary education and grants academic degrees at all levels in a variety of subjects...
(Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
) Bachelor
|----
|Level 7
|
- Highly specialised knowledge, some of which is at the forefront of knowledge in a field of work or study, as the basis for original thinking and/or research
- Critical awareness of knowledge issues in a field and at the interface between different fields
|specialised problem-solving skills required in research and/or innovation in order to develop new knowledge and procedures and to integrate knowledge from different fields
|manage and transform work or study contexts that are complex, unpredictable and require new strategic approaches; take responsibility for contributing to professional knowledge and practice and/or for reviewing the strategic performance of teams
|Masters
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, vocational university
Vocational university
A vocational university is an institution of higher education and sometimes research, which provides both tertiary and sometimes quaternary education and grants academic degrees at all levels in a variety of subjects...
(Fachhochschule
Fachhochschule
A Fachhochschule or University of Applied Sciences is a German type of tertiary education institution, sometimes specialized in certain topical areas . Fachhochschulen were founded in Germany and later adopted by Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Greece...
) Masters,NVQ5
|----
|Level 8
|Knowledge at the most advanced frontier of a field of work or study and at the interface between fields
|the most advanced and specialised skills and techniques, including synthesis and evaluation, required to solve critical problems in research and/or innovation and to extend and redefine existing knowledge or professional practice
|demonstrate substantial authority, innovation, autonomy, scholarly and professional integrity and sustained commitment to the development of new ideas or processes at the forefront of work or study contexts including research
|Doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
City and Guilds Senior Awards - Fellowship
|----
External links
- http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/eqf/index_en.html - web page of the European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
- http://ec.europa.eu/eqf/ - Portal dedicated to the implementation of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning
- http://ec.europa.eu/eqf/compare_en.htm -compare national qualifications systems or frameworks of countries