The education system in Australia is different from other countries due to Australia Qualifications Framework. The AQF is national policy introduced by Australian Government in 1935 that relates qualifications with each other the schools, vocational education and training and higher educations.
AQF is also a system of seventeen national qualifications of Australia in 3 different sectors:
- Schools,
- Vocational Education and Training (TAFE and private providers),
- Higher Education Sector (mainly universities ).
The qualifications shown below are grouped according to the educational sector in which they are most commonly issued.
Schools Sector Accreditation |
Vocational and Technical Education Sector Accreditation |
Higher Education Sector Accreditation |
---|---|---|
Doctoral Degree | ||
Masters Degree | ||
Vocational Graduate Diploma | Graduate Diploma | |
Vocational Graduate Certificate | Graduate Degree | |
Bachelor Degree | ||
Advanced Diploma | Associate Degree, Advanced Diploma |
|
Diploma | Diploma | |
Senior Secondary Certificate of Education | Certificate IV | |
Certificate III | ||
Certificate II | ||
Certificate I |
Students might package their studies to combine a preliminary course with their main course of study on the one visa subclass. The subclass that applies to the package would be the one that corresponds to the main course. The student's Assessment Level depends on the package of courses they might apply for study in Australia.
- If student opts for study a package of courses, their Assessment Level relies on the country of their passport and therefore the highest Assessment Level that applies to any of the courses in their package.
- If student includes an ELICOS course in their study package, their assessment level depends on the country of their passport and therefore the highest Assessment Level that applies to any of the courses in their package with exception of the ELICOS course.
- If student opts for only main course in their study, their assessment level depends on the country of their passport and the Assessment Level applicable to the visa subclass of the main course.