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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
  • National certificates
3
2

GENERAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING CERTIFICATED
1 GENERAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Grade 9

ABET Level 4

  • National certificates

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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