During a Self-Review the Registered Provider must evaluate its outcomes and processes across all its operations, over its entire period of current registration. The Self-Review is conducted in preparation for the External Review. This process is built on the key audit principle that the provider is responsible for its own quality.

The Self-Review is normally conducted between 18 and 12 months before the expiry of the provider's registration. It is a large-size project that should not be underestimated and must be carefully planned and executed. The Self-Review must be completed and its findings reported to the VQA before the VQA will conduct the External Review.

During the External Review, the VQA will identify the quality of the provider's outcomes and processes, based on the Self-Review Report and an independent investigation which includes an extensive site visit. As a result of an External Review, a provider will be assigned a Quality Assurance Status (Refer to the Quality Audit Policy for further details).

Providers must read the documents listed below in detail before they begin their Self-Review.

Relevant documents are found in the Self-Review and External Review documents section.

The VQF is divided into 10 levels from basic study at level 1 all the way up to Master's and PhD degrees at levels 9 and 10. The more complex the study and the more skilled the learner will be, the higher the level.

Levels 1 to 3 are equivalent to years 11 to 13 of secondary school. This means that most of the time, before you can enrol in a course for a qualification at level 1, you will need to have completed year 10 at secondary school.

There are a lot of study opportunities in Vanuatu at level 1 to level 2, for which often completion of year 10 is sufficient. So even if you did not complete year 11 or higher, then you still have plenty of courses to choose from.

It is also possible, to first complete a lower level qualification, for example a Certificate II in Tourism, and then continue with study at a higher level, like a Certificate III in Tourism. This is what is called a Pathway. If you are not yet able to enrol at the level that you really would like to, then you can set out a Path for yourself on how to get there, starting with a qualification at a lower level.

The levels of the VQF are:

For a more detailed description of each Level, see the VQF Level Descriptors document.

Find out more about what Credits are, so you know how much work you need to do, by reading VQF Credit Values.