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 person 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 someone can enrol in a course for a qualification at level 1, s/he will need to have completed year 10 at secondary school. Sometimes additional entry requirements apply.

If a person does not meet the entry requirements, s/he can discuss with the provider what the alternative options are. One alternative is 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 a person is not yet able to enrol at the level that s/he would like to, s/he can set out a Path for her or himself 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 someone needs to do, by reading VQF Credit Values.

A Credit is a measure of how much time a learner is expected to spend to successfully complete a course that will give them the qualification.

One credit stands for 10 hours of work for the learner. That includes classroom time, or other time when a learner directly interacts with a trainer or lecturer. It also includes time the learner spends on practical work, doing an assessment, studying at home, or at a work placement.

Each qualification has a credit value, which indicates the total amount of work for this qualification. One year of full-time study normally involves 1200 hours of learning, or 120 credits. Degrees often have a higher credit number than a Diplomas or Certificates. For example, Certificates have a minimum of 40 credits (400 hours or four months full-time), but a Bachelor Degree has a minimum of 360 credits (or 3 years of study full-time).

Each course is split up in smaller components. Each component also has a credit value, which can be anything from 1 to 15 or 20 credits. To achieve the qualification, you must successfully complete each component in the course. You can complete each component one-by-one or a few at a time until you have completed the entire course and achieved the qualification.

To find out more about the VQF, read the full document: Vanuatu Qualifications Framework document.

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