FOI24/25 081 Externals Qualifications Visits for Vocational Qualifications

Date published: 09/09/2024

I have been tasked with some research that requires information from the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

The details of my inquiry are outlined in the email below.

I am currently researching External Qualification visits for Vocational Qualifications offered multiple times throughout the year.

I am particularly interested in understanding the frequency of these visits for such qualifications.

Please advise on the typical number of External Qualification visits conducted by the Scottish Qualifications Authority in a year for vocational qualifications offered on a rolling basis. If the frequency varies depending on specific factors, I would appreciate any information you can provide on the criteria used to determine the number of visits for these qualifications.

Direct Claim Status Once a training provider becomes an accredited centre and is approved to offer a qualification. After how many years of approval, a training provider would be eligible for Direct Claim Status? For example a training provider becomes an accredited training provider to offer qualifications for your awarding organisation, how many months/years do they have to wait before they can apply for Direct Claim Status? Additionally, if any relevant resources or documentation are outlining Scottish Qualifications Authority's approach to External Qualification visits for frequently offered qualifications

Please advise on the typical number of External Qualification visits conducted by the Scottish Qualifications Authority in a year for vocational qualifications offered on a rolling basis.

Our External Verification is not conducted by qualification but by verification group, which is a group of units which are present across multiple qualifications.  Therefore, it is not possible to provide a typical number as it will be dependent on the number of qualifications/verification groups that a SQA Approved Centre is delivering.

If the frequency varies depending on specific factors, I would appreciate any information you can provide on the criteria used to determine the number of visits for these qualifications.

See above. 

Direct Claim Status Once a training provider becomes an accredited centre and is approved to offer a qualification. After how many years of approval, a training provider would be eligible for Direct Claim Status? For example a training provider becomes an accredited training provider to offer qualifications for your awarding organisation, how many months/years do they have to wait before they can apply for Direct Claim Status?

There is no set period for centres gaining direct claims status and some may be given direct claim status immediately. It is dependent on a number of factors, decisions are risk-based, intelligence-led.

Additionally, if any relevant resources or documentation are outlining Scottish Qualifications Authority's approach to External Qualification visits for frequently offered qualifications

Further information is available on the SQA website. This can be accessed using the link below.

Quality assurance - SQA