Higher Nationals
Higher Nationals are a suite of internationally-recognised higher education qualifications at level 4 Higher National Certificate, (HNC) and 5 (Higher National Diploma, HND) that are equivalent to the first and second years of a university Bachelo ...
suite of qualifications, is a higher education
Higher education is tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third-level, third-stage or post-secondary education, is the education
Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge ...
/further education
Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain,Usage is mixed. The Guardian' and Telegraph' use Britain as a s ...
qualification in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain,Usage is mixed. The Guardian' and Telegraph' use Britain as a synonym for the United Kingdom. Some prefer to use Britain as shorth ...
.
Overview
InEngland
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. E ...
, Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and the Bristol Channel to the south. It ...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster-ScotsUlster Scots, also known as Scotch-Irish, may refer to:
* Ulster Scots people
The Ulster Scots (Ulster-Scots
The Ulster Scots (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster- ...
, the HNC is a BTEC qualification awarded by Edexcel
Edexcel (also known since 2013 as Pearson Edexcel) is a British multinational
Multinational may refer to:
* Multinational corporation, a corporate organization operating in multiple countries
* Multinational force, a military body from multipl ...
, and in Scotland
Scotland ( sco, Scotland, gd, Alba
Alba (Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig or Scots Gaelic, sometimes referred to simply as Gaelic) is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic languages, Celtic branch of the Indo-European ...
, an HNC is a '' Higher National'' awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority
The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA; : ''Ùghdarras Theisteanas na h-Alba'') is the of the responsible for accrediting educational awards. It is partly funded by the of the , and employs approximately 750 staff based in and .
SQA i ...
. The attainment level of the qualification is roughly equivalent to 6th year at school, or one year of university
A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities typ ...
in Scotland, and a Certificate of Higher Education A Certificate of Higher Education (Cert.H.E./CertHE) is a higher education professional certification, qualification in the United Kingdom.
Overview
The Certificate is awarded after one year of full-time study (or equivalent) at a university or oth ...
but being less extensive than that of a Higher National Diploma
Higher National Diploma (HND), part of the Higher Nationals
Higher Nationals are a suite of internationally-recognised higher education qualifications at level 4 Higher National Certificate, (HNC) and 5 (Higher National Diploma, HND) that are eq ...
(HND). Studied full-time, the qualification normally takes one year or two years part-time. Many HNCs cover the same areas as an HND and it is often possible to complete an HND with one year full-time study after successfully completing the HNC.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, an HNC (previously a level 5 qualification) is now Level 4 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework The national qualification frameworks in the United Kingdom are qualifications frameworks that define and link the levels and credit values of different qualifications.
The current frameworks are:
* The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) for ...
.
Ireland, an HNC is considered roughly equivalent to a FETAC
The Further Education and Training Awards Council ( ga, Comhairle na nDámhachtainí Breisoideachais agus Oiliúna) or FETAC was a statute, statutory qualification-awarding body for further education in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It was establ ...
level 6 Advanced Certificate – as both contain at least 8 modules/units at IRL level 6 (UK level 4)
In Scotland, an HNC is Level 7 on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework #REDIRECT Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is the national credit transfer system for all levels of qualifications in Scotland. The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework ...
.
References
External links
Directgov: Higher National Certificates and Higher National Diplomas
{{National Qualifications Framework Educational qualifications in the United Kingdom