How Irish and NZ qualifications compare

Find out how NZ and Irish qualifications compare

Find out how New Zealand qualifications compare to qualifications gained in Ireland.

How the comparison works

New Zealand and Ireland have agreed on a comparison of our respective qualifications frameworks.

The joint project was carried out by NZQA and Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), and compared qualifications on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF) and the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

The comparison is intended to make it easier for education providers and employers to understand the qualification and how it compares to similar qualifications in their country. Our arrangement with Ireland does not guarantee that a qualification completed in the other country will be automatically recognised as equivalent.

Comparison of framework levels

The table below compares the NZQF with the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

Qualifications on the NFQ  NFQ EQF NZQF Qualifications on the NZQF
Level 1 Certificate 1 1 Unlevelled  
Level 2 Certificate 2 1 Unlevelled  
Level 3 Certificate  
Junior Certificate
3 2 1 Level 1 Certificate 
NCEA Level 1
Level 4 Certificate 
Leaving Certificate
4 3 2 Level 2 Certificate 
NCEA Level 2
Level 5 Certificate
Leaving Certificate
5 4 3 Level 2 Certificate 
NCEA Level 3 
5 4 4 Level 4 Certificate 
Advanced Certificate
Higher Certificate
6 5 5 Level 5 Certificate/Diploma
6 Level 6 Certificate/Diploma
Ordinary Bachelor Degree  7 6 7 Bachelor’s Degree Graduate Certificate Graduate Diploma Level 7 Diploma 
Honours  
Bachelor Degree 
Higher Diploma  
8 6
  Unlevelled Unlevelled 8 Bachelor Honours Degree 
Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma 
Master’s Degree  
Postgraduate Diploma
9 7 9 Master’s Degree 
Doctoral Degree  
Higher Doctorate 
10 8 10 Doctoral Degree  
Higher Doctorate
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Read the full report

The project produced a detailed user guide that sets out how the levels of the NZQF and the Irish NFQ compare.
Comparing qualifications in New Zealand and Ireland – a guide [PDF, 1.9MB] (opens in a new window)

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