Australian Qualifications

What is the AQF?

The Australian Government designed the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) to ensure that qualification titles across the country are consistent and represent the same high standards of education.

The AQF regulates all Australian qualifications and provides clear rules on the level of education each qualification title represents. Each qualification generally leads into the next qualification down the list (see below) in the education framework. Having a nationally standardised system makes it easier for students to pursue their education as there is a clear pathway to follow. It also makes transferring between different states/territories and universities much easier as there is no confusion caused by differing qualification titles and education levels.

In 2011, the AQF was revised to ensure the 'national and international portability and comparability' of qualifications and that there are clear and consistent pathways between each qualification. In addition to these qualifications, the AQF issues a Statement of Attainment when a student completes only part of a qualification. Click here to see a copy of the current Australian Qualifications Framework.

The ten AQF levels

AQF level	Qualification type
Level 1	Certificate I
Level 2	Certificate II
Level 3	Certificate III
Level 4	Certificate IV
Level 5	Diploma
Level 6	Advanced diploma Associate degree
Level 7	Bachelor degree
Level 8	Bachelor honours degree Vocational graduate certificate Vocational graduate diploma Graduate certificate Graduate diploma
Level 9	Masters degree (research) Masters degree (coursework) Masters degree (extended)
Level 10	Doctoral degree Higher doctoral degree

AQF qualifications by education sector

Schools sector	Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector	Higher education sector
Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (2 years)	Vocational graduate diploma (1–2 years)	Doctoral degree (3–4 years)
	Vocational graduate certificate (6–12 months)	Masters degree (1–4 years)
	Advanced diploma (1.5–2 years)	Graduate diploma (1–2 years)
	Diploma (1–2 years)	Graduate certificate (6–12 months)
	Certificate IV (0.5–2 years)	Bachelor honours degree (1 year)
	Certificate III (1–2 years)	Bachelor degree (3–4 years)
	Certificate II (6–12 months)	Associate degree (2 years)
	Certificate I (6–12 months)	Diploma (1 year)

International students and the AQF

The AQF has advantages for international students. It makes course searches much easier as the qualification titles are the same throughout Australia. This means that you can focus on finding the best course and institution for your needs without having to spend time looking into what each qualification title means. International students who complete a qualification within the AQF will be able to understand the entrance requirements for higher qualifications; for example, if they want to progress from undergraduate to postgraduate study.

The AQF also contributes to the worldwide recognition of Australian qualifications, as it is easy for other countries to understand what level of education each Australian qualification represents. There are a limited number of courses that are not part of the AQF but are also available to international students.

Courses like foundation and bridging courses are designed to help students meet course entry requirements or gain entry to further study resulting in an AQF qualification. See the foundation studies page for more information.

Credit arrangements

The AQF also standardises credit arrangements for students progressing to higher qualification levels. Although credit needs to be negotiatied with the individual institution, the AQF recommends using the following credit arrangements as a guideline:

50% credit for an advanced diploma or associate degree linked to a three-year bachelor degree
37.5% credit for an advanced diploma or associate degree linked to a four-year bachelor degree
33% credit for a diploma linked to a three-year bachelor degree
25% credit for a diploma linked to a four-year bachelor degree.

Comparisons between overseas qualifications and AQF qualifications

To find out if your home country qualification satisfies entrance requirements for an Australian course you will need to ask your education provider. You can find more information on international qualification recognition on the Australian Education International website.

Quality assurance

A number of regulations and laws are in place to ensure the quality and consistency of Australia’s international education sector. The Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 requires institutions that offer courses to international students to meet nationally consistent standards in education quality, facilities and services. The Act ensures that international students receive the same standard of education as Australian students.

In addition, institutions that wish to offer education to international students must register with the Australian Government under the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). Registration with CRICOS requires institutions to demonstrate that their qualifications meet Australian standards.

Note: international students should carefully check the CRICOS website to make sure that courses they are interested in enrolling in are registered.

Further information

Private colleges must register with the AQF to be eligible to offer higher education qualifications.

A list of all registered courses and providers; further information on AQF qualifications and learning pathways; and direct links to other relevant websites can be found on the AQF website. The information in the above article is based on the AQF website.

You can find a list of all recognised Registered Training Organisations, accredited courses and training packages on the training.gov.au website.