Qualifications are defined in the reference data for qualifications. Qualifications can be used to define the academic conditions of offers. Qualifications are added to applications to define the qualifications that applicants have obtained or are expected to obtain. Qualification have details as defined by the reference data and can also have additional information, such as grades, institution, duration of study, and so on. Qualifications can be used in decision making to determine if applicants meet the entry requirements for programmes.
English language test qualifications provide proof of English language proficiency for overseas applicants. Qualifications obtained by direct applicants that you do not want to be checked against the academic conditions of offers can be added to applications as freeform qualifications.
Qualifications
Qualifications are defined in the reference data for qualifications. Qualifications can be used to define the academic conditions of offers and are added to applications to define the qualifications that applicants have obtained or are expected to obtain. Qualifications can be academic or professional and have levels and mark schemes as follows:
- Level
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Qualifications have levels
.Qualifications can be weighted against qualifications of the same level. For example, an AS level has a weight of 0.5, which is equivalent to half an A level.
- Mark schemes
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Qualifications have mark schemes that define the grades that can be awarded.
- Subjects
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Qualifications can have subjects, however, the subject is typically added when qualifications are added to applications.
If the entry requirements require more specific qualifications, additional information can be included, such as the examining bodies that award the qualifications, the weight of qualifications, and so on.
Applications
The qualifications of direct applicants can be imported with new applications or added to applications manually. Qualifications added to applications have the qualifications details as defined by the reference data and can also have additional information, such as subject, grades, institutions, duration, and so on. The image Application qualifications shows a qualification on an application
Predicted grades can be added to qualifications to help make initial decisions on applications. Predicted qualifications are not checked against the qualifications used in offers.
After applicants have completed the qualifications, the actual grades that applicants have obtained can be added to the qualifications on applications. Qualifications with actual grades are checked against the conditions of offers in decision making. If required, you can change the grades of qualifications, which recalculates the qualifications against the conditions of offers, and record any previous grades obtained by the applicant for administrative purposes.
You can verify the qualifications on applications to confirm that the qualifications and outcomes are legitimate and add further information, such as the admissions agency that verified the qualification or the reason the qualification could not be verified.
For administrative purposes only, you can include additional information on qualifications, such as institution, duration of study, marks, and so on.
English language tests
For applicants that are required to provide proof of English language proficiency, you can add the overall score and individual unit scores for the listening, reading, speaking, and writing units of English language tests awarded by recognised testing systems. For example, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
The overall scores are created in the reference data for qualifications. Overall test scores are academic qualifications with a mark scheme and maximum points score defined by the testing system. The scores obtained by applicants are manually added as qualifications to applications, as shown in the image Overall score.
The individual unit scores obtained by applicants are added as individual units to the qualifications on applications, as shown in the image and Individual unit scores.
English language test scores will be made available for use with offers in a future release. However, until then, English language test scores can be added to applications as clearance checks that can then be checked against the conditions of offers in decision making.
Freeform qualifications
Freeform qualifications are qualifications obtained by direct applicants that you do not want to be checked against the academic conditions of offers, such as qualifications that have not previously been used in the decision making process.
An applicant obtains an overseas qualification that is not recognised by the institution. You research the overseas qualification to find an equivalent qualification that is recognised by the institution, which helps you to make a decision on whether the overseas qualification meets the entry criteria.
Freeform qualifications are added to applications during the application process, as shown in the image Freeform qualifications.
Freeform qualifications that are added manually must specify the subject studied. However, additional information can be included, such as the type of qualification, the awarding body, and the grade or result obtained.
Qualifications for UCAS applicants
Qualifications for UCAS applicants that have not yet been verified are imported from UCAS and added to applications as freeform qualifications. The freeform qualifications can be used to help determine the initial decisions made on applications.
The information imported from UCAS for freeform qualifications includes the following:
- Qualification
- End month and year
- National centre name and number
- Predicted grade
- Module details, if applicable
Note that academic qualifications imported from UCAS as freeform qualifications are imported with additional information about the subject, awarding body, and practical grade, if applicable.
After the results of qualifications are verified, the qualifications and grades obtained are imported from UCAS and added to applications as qualifications. Therefore, the reference data for qualifications must match the qualifications imported from UCAS. For more information on setting up the reference data to import qualifications from UCAS, go to Set up the required reference data for qualifications.