How Microsoft Certifications relate to other qualifications in the National Qualification
Framework
Most of the Microsoft certifications can be included in funded training programs. Vendor certificates,
for example Microsoft Word 2003 or Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician do not normally
attract mainstream academic funding in their own right unless part of a wider qualification See also
Qualifications & Curriculum Authority (QCA) web site http://www.qca.org.uk/. However, in some
cases unit funding for a vendor certificate is possible through local or specific schemes.
The most common way to obtain funding for a vendor certification is by delivering the certification as
part of a Certificate or Diploma. Microsoft and other vendor certificates are embedded in The National
Qualification Framework (NQF) as Units of a Vocational Qualification. For examples, refer to City and
Guilds e-quals or OCR iPRO listed in Appendix 2. As the Microsoft certifications are therefore part of
an NQF qualification, they can be delivered wherever the vocational qualification would be
appropriate. This makes the units eligible for funding, but does not make the units entitled to
funding. That decision will be made by the individual funding body.
IT User
It is possible to claim performance measurement points by delivering Microsoft and Certiport
certifications. They do not attract performance points in their own right, but can attract points as a
component of an approved NQF qualification. For example, IC3 can be fully delivered as a Level 1
Certificate for IT Users, Microsoft Office Specialist can be delivered as a Level 2 Certificate or
Diploma for IT Users, and Word and Excel Expert can be delivered as Units of a Level 3 Certificate or
Diploma. Typical qualifications for IT User are:
Level 1 Certificate for IT Users 0.5 GCSE D-G
12.5 points
Level 1 Diploma for IT Users
1 GCSE D-G
25.0 points
Level 2 Certificate for IT Users 1 GCSE A*-C
46.0 points
Level 2 Diploma for IT users
92.0 points
2 GCSE A*-C
Level 1 NVQ for IT Users (ITQ)
140.0 points
Level 2 NVQ for IT Users (ITQ)
245.0 points
Level 3 NVQ for IT Users (ITQ)
480.0 points
These Awards can be validated by Awarding Bodies who have embedded Microsoft and Certiport
certifications in to their Awards, for example City and Guilds or OCR. An example of the OCR route is
shown as an Appendix.
There are special arrangements for Academy pricing that gives a low unit cost and a discount price
for the certification exam. Refer to the Awarding Body price guides. To see a full list of approved
qualifications visit the QCA Database of Accredited Qualifications at
http://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/index.aspx
Select “Units” and enter “Microsoft” to search for Qualifications that contain Microsoft content. Not all
qualifications are entered or kept up to date so it is important to check with an Awarding Body. Key
Awarding Bodies are OCR, City and Guilds and Edexcel.
UCAS points
UCAS points are available for qualifications that include Microsoft and CompTIA professional
certifications
BTEC National Award
points depending on grade
BTEC National Certificate
points depending on grade
BTEC National Diploma
points depending on grade
OCR iPRO (from Sept 2008)
80 or 100
International Baccalaureate (from September 2008)
various depending on options
For points value http://www.ucas.com/candq/tariff/index.html
Refer to OCR and EDEXCEL for details of combinations that can include Microsoft qualifications
Microsoft certifications can be linked to ITQ, (the NVQ for IT Users), Vocational Related Qualifications
(Technical Certificates), the BECTA School Technician Framework and may other Awards and
qualifications.
IT Professional
IT Professional certifications are typically linked or embedded with Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas and
BETEC for IT Practitioners. Contact Awarding Bodies (City & Guilds, Edexcel or OCR) for current
information check the QCA web site or contact an Awarding Body