The “Qualifications can cross Boundaries” leaflet is published by the regulators in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The document itself states under ‘how to use this leaflet’: “This makes it possible to draw broad comparisons, rather than direct equivalences, between qualifications and their levels for each country.”

It is a useful guide for comparing standards and difficulty of qualifications across frameworks but it is not intended to not make definitive statements about direct equivalence or specific exemptions.

While it provides a comparison for levels, the “Qualifications can cross boundaries” chart does not compare credit values, i.e. the length or size of the qualification, the amount of time that it would take a typical learner to complete the qualification or learning programme. This varies between qualification types and between specific qualifications.

The leaflet also states: “Entry requirements for jobs and courses often vary within a country. This means you will need to check the specific requirements with the employer or institution for the job or course that you are interested in”. It is ultimately the decision of the receiving organisation involved as to deciding whether or not to accept a particular qualification for exemption and the equivalent credit value they assign to an exemption for a specific programme.