Subject Descriptors Access Tariff

 June 2013 Access Qualification Development Group agreed that QAA should take forward work on the development of subject descriptors for the Access to HE Diploma  Pilot project – Nursing  Working group from QAA, HE, FE and NMC established  Draft Nursing descriptor developed but it was recognised that: ◦ Midwifery and Social Work were closely related

 Standards  Transparency  Equity  Titles  Consistency  Opportunity

◦ Preparation FOR Higher Education ◦ Not the end product of the degree to be studied ◦ Prepare for a specific or suite of programmes ◦ Subject content (academic) / preparation to study

 Draft Nursing descriptor developed  Ongoing work on development of Midwifery /Social Work descriptor  Planned consultation Spring 2016  Decision on implementation and status following consultation.

Julie Farmer Head of Access QAA

Aims:  to ensure equity for students  to improve consistency, clarity and transparency  to underpin the assurance of standards  to maintain some degree of local determination of details of content, delivery and assessment

45 credits from graded level 3 units concerned with academic subject content 15 credits from ungraded level 3 or level 2 units amendment to regulation on referrals GCSE-equivalents no longer regulated 60 credits total

 No student can achieve more than 60 credits  No student can achieve more than 45 credits from graded units – this is academic content, not study skills  Level 2 units may only be included if there is a clear academic justification – for example, some level 2 numeracy for nursing Diplomas  Diplomas may not be generic ‘combined studies’ – must specify disciplines included  Limited resubmission opportunities – no opportunity to ‘grade polish’

 AVAs increasingly developing generic Diploma ‘frameworks’ for customisation by providers  Number of distinct Diplomas reduced from c 1200 to c 400  Very limited use being made of level 2 units – most mainly or fully level 3  Very few combined studies Diplomas being offered  Access to HE now within Awarding Body Linkage system

 Made possible by new specification – consistency of structure and volume of academic content  Evidence from entry requirements as published that significant majority of HE courses accept Access to HE Diploma as alternative to 3 A levels  Methodology therefore treats Diploma as equivalent in size to 3 A levels for calculation purposes

 Aligns AHE grades with A level grades (eg 45 credits at Distinction = 3 As at A level, 45 credits at Pass = 3 Es at A level)  Ascribes points to grades on same ratio as used for A level A,C, E grades  Makes it possible to generate points for any AHE grade profile  Generates HEFCE determined profile of ABB+ equivalence as 30 credits at Distinction and 15 at Merit

TariffAccess to HE Diploma profiles A Level profilesBTEC ND profile 11230D 0M 15P 27D 6M 12P 24D 12M 9P 21D 18M 6P 18D 24M 3P 15D 30M 0P AAE ABD ACC BBC DMM ng-started/entry-requirements/new-tariff

Admissions Toolkit available on Access to HE website:  Updated guidance on setting entry requirements and making offers  Updated brief summary of how the Grading Scheme works  Set of PowerPoint slides that summarises all the changes to the specification and the guidance on admissions  Presenter’s notes to the slides, so that they can be used within a higher education provider to disseminate the information