The National Qualifications Framework and the NQF Service Point of AQ Austria

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is an instrument for classifying qualifications in the Austrian education system. It is a transparency instrument designed to facilitate orientation in the Austrian education system and promote the comparability and comprehensibility of national qualifications in Austria and Europe. Qualifications are mapped in a framework comprising eight levels. Assignment to a level is based on learning outcomes. These are the knowledge, skills and competences that learners can prove they have at the end of a learning period.

AQ Austria is the contact for the assignment of non-formal qualifications of certain qualification levels to the NQF. Non-formal qualifications are understood to be those qualifications that are neither regulated by a law nor by a regulation.

AQ Austria has many years of extensive experience in the field of quality assurance and quality development in higher education. In its function as NQF Service Point, it therefore primarily advises and supports providers of qualifications at higher education level in the preparation and submission of assignment requests.

It should be noted that no entitlements are derived from an NQF assignment. Assignment to a specific NQF level does not mean automatic access to a qualification at the next level up. The NQF therefore only has an indicative and not a regulatory function. Qualifications are assigned voluntarily and only on the basis of a request for assignment.

For more information, please visit the German-language page of the NQF Service Point of AQ Austria.