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 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, a learner must successfully complete each component in the course. The learner can complete each component one-by-one or a few at a time until s/he have completed the entire course and achieved the qualification.

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