QCDA has launched the Diploma Validator

Using the tool, curriculum planners can check that all of the constituent qualifications the learner is taking are compatible with the line of learning and level of the Diploma, and that the combination of qualifications is sufficient to produce a complete Diploma.

If the programme of study is shown as invalid then, as long as the check is done early enough, the learner will be able to change their programme and recover the lost time on their new course.

More information about the Diploma Validator, including a factsheet and frequently asked questions, is available from QCDA’s Diploma pages http://diplomavalidator.qcda.gov.uk/

HOW IT WORKS:

The Diploma Validator tool is designed to check that a learner's programme of study is valid so that when they complete their course they will be eligible to claim a Diploma.

Each Diploma is made up of component parts - principal learning, generic learning and additional and specialist learning (ASL) - which must be aggregated together to produce a Diploma award.

For a Diploma to aggregate successfully, the combination of qualifications selected for the learner's programme of study must meet certain requirements. The Diploma Validator will check whether an entered programme of study meets those requirements.

The tool uses data from the Diploma catalogues to check that the requirements are met. The catalogues contain information about the qualifications that are approved for each Diploma line of learning and level. The Diploma Validator will check whether the qualifications selected for the programme of study are all contained within the relevant Diploma catalogue. The Diploma catalogues are available on the National Database of Accredited Qualifications (NDAQ) at www.ndaq.org.uk.

The ASL component of the Diploma comprises a minimum number of guided learning hours specific to the level of the Diploma. The Diploma Validator checks whether this minimum requirement is met for the programme of study that has been entered into the tool.

The tool also checks that no two qualifications in a Diploma programme of study share the same barring classification codes which would prevent successful aggregation for a Diploma award.