How To Attain A Qualification

Your Certificate

One of the most important elements of the Integrated Qualifications System is the ability to formally confirm that a person actually has the competences of a given qualification. This confirmation process is called “validation” in the terminology of the IQS. Its most important premise is that it does not matter how or where we acquire our knowledge, skills and social competences − at school, at university, at work, during training, or learning at home, but what matters is what we know and are able to do.

This allows us to more easily verify our experiences and skills to confirm our competences and be awarded a recognised certificate with the PQF level trademark, instead of signing up for a training programme of unknown quality or attending a course just to receive a “piece of paper”.

Validation

Validation is a process that assesses whether a person applying to have a given qualification awarded has the appropriate knowledge, skills and social competences for that qualification. Being awarded a certificate confirming the attainment of a market qualification listed in the IQS is reliable proof for potential employers that a candidate for a job position in their company actually knows and is able to do what is expected of him/her. Importantly, the approach to the process of assessing competences and awarding certificates does not have to be preceded by the completion of a specific course or training by the candidate. Persons who have learned everything by themselves, e.g. at home via the Internet, can also undergo validation.

How does it work?

The awarding body (AB) authorised to award a given qualification is responsible for organising the validation process for that qualification. Certain general requirements for candidates applying to have the qualification awarded are included in the description of the qualification, which is in the public database of all qualifications entered into the Integrated Qualifications System, known as the Integrated Qualifications Register (IQR). However, the way a specific validation process is conducted depends on the awarding body organising it. Each AB must provide information on validation to the public on its website.

Reminder: The awarding body is an entity with the authority to award specific market qualifications included in the IQS, i.e. to issue certificates formally confirming the attainment of a qualification.

Validation is not a typical examination, which is reflected by the age of the people who can benefit most from it and who most often undergo this process. Adults with professional experience generally undergo validation, not usually young people. Therefore, validation not only uses conventional methods to assess knowledge, but also more innovative ones that are easily adapted to the needs of adults. Validation assesses skills in practice to a much greater extent.