NQF, among others, was created to enhance the quality of education and training in South Africa. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is an organization that was established to provide oversight of the NQF and its implementation.
NQF comes in various levels. There are 10 NQF levels in South Africa described. Each level has specific qualifications that fall into them. We will explore each of these levels and how they are achieved:
- NQF Level 1: Is achieved once students complete Grade 9
- NQF Level 2: Is achieved once students complete Grade 10 or N1 in a National Qualification Course, or NATED course
- NQF Level 3: Is achieved once students complete Grade 11 or N2
- NQF Level 4: Is achieved once students complete Grade 12 or N3
- NQF Level 5: Is achieved once students complete a Higher Certificate, Advanced National Vocational Certificate or an N4-6 National Qualifications
- NQF Level 6: Is achieved once students complete a National Diploma or an Advanced Certificate
- NQF Level 7: Is achieved once students complete a Bachelor’s Degree, Advanced Diploma, Post Graduate Certificate, or a Bachelor’s of Technology
- NQF Level 8: Is achieved once students complete an Honours Degree, Post Graduate Diploma, or Professional Qualification
- NQF Level 9: Is achieved once students complete a Master’s Degree
- NQF Level 10: Is achieved once students complete a Doctor’s Degree
As you can see, NQF level 1 is the completion of basic Education. Up to 4 falls under a student’s high school education (Further Education and Training) culminating in matric at NQF level 4 and must be achieved sequentially. While NQF levels 5 to 10 fall under higher education or tertiary education, South Africa, with some levels being possible to skip such as from matric to a bachelor’s degree.
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