Level Descriptors Level descriptors, as the nomenclature suggests, provide a description of each of the eight levels on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The purpose of such description is to assist a writer of standards or qualifications in designing a qualification by allocating a level to a unit standard or a qualification, and to formulate outcomes and criteria for assessment that could clearly indicate the level of knowledge of a learner required to successfully achieve the unit standard or qualification. The NQF consist of three bands, namely General Education (level 1 – schooling up to grade 9 and ABET), Further Education and Training (levels 2 – 4: grade 10 – 12), and Higher Education (levels 5 – 8). After completion of level 1 of the NQF, a learner could achieve a GETC and after completion of level 4 of the NQF, an FETC. | NQF LEVEL | BAND | QUALIFICATION TYPE | | 8 | HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING | - Post-doctoral research degrees
- Doctorates
- Masters degrees
| | 7 | - Professional Qualifications
- Honours degrees
| | 6 | - National first degrees
- Higher diplomas
| | 5 | - National diplomas
- National certificates
| FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING CERTIFICATE | | 4 | FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING | | | 3 | | 2 | GENERAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING CERTIFICATED | | 1 | GENERAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING | Grade 9 | ABET Level 4 | | In line with the level descriptors, qualifications and unit standards are registered at the specified level of the NQF with a number of credits allocated to it. This means that a learner could accumulate credits for successful completed unit standards towards a qualification making learning more flexible to meet learner needs. The NQF is organised as a series of levels of learning achievement, arranged in a soon to be adopted ascending order from one to ten. Each level on the NQF is described by a statement of learning achievement known as a level descriptor. A level descriptor provides a broad indication of learning achievements or outcomes that are appropriate to a qualification at that level. The content of the level desriptors will be developed and determined by SAQA in agreement with the three Quality Councils (QCs). Communique 3: Procedures and guidelines for academic programme applications: 2009 and 2010 [PDF] Joint communiqué No. 2 on implementation of the HEQF [PDF] Joint communiqué on the implementation of the HEQF [PDF] FAQs on the HEQF [PDF]
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