NFQ Levels and QQI Explained: What They Mean for Professional Training in Ireland

The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) is Ireland's 10-level system for describing qualifications, and Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) is the body whose pages we read for it. If you are choosing professional training in Dublin, knowing how NFQ levels and QQI fit together tells you what a level number does and does not promise. This guide sets out what QQI's own pages say about the levels, the types of award, who makes awards, and how to check a qualification, with our suggestions for employers and learners clearly labelled. For the wider checks on any provider, see our guide to how to choose and check a professional training provider in Dublin.

What the NFQ is

QQI's page on the NFQ (published 14 November 2023, last modified 16 October 2025 according to the page metadata) describes it as a 10-level system used to describe qualifications in the Irish education and training system. It lists the main qualification at each level and shows pathways from one level to the next. QQI's guide to the qualifications system adds that the framework also helps compare foreign qualifications with Irish ones and supports recognition of Irish qualifications abroad.

QQI's "Brief Guide" to the NFQ (version 1.0, August 2024) makes an important point: the levels are indicators of a range of standards, not fixed standards themselves, and awards are matched to a level on an overall best-fit basis. So two courses at the same level can differ in content and in how demanding they are.

The levels and their main awards

Using the QQI NFQ page, the major awards sit at these levels:

A level number describes the qualification, not whether it suits your role.

Award classes: major, minor, special purpose, supplemental and professional

The Brief Guide explains that there are five classes of award. A major award is the main award at a level. Minor awards link to a major award but are valued in their own right. Special purpose awards cover narrow areas of learning. Supplemental awards are learning added to an earlier award, with refreshing skills or continuing professional development given as examples. Professional awards are used to resolve differences between professional or occupation-oriented awards, and the guide says an award can belong to more than one class.

The supplemental class is the one most relevant to anyone building a CPD plan. Our reading is that this is the NFQ's route for learning added after a main award, though whether a particular short course is placed on the framework at all depends on who awards it and whether it has been included.

Who makes the awards

According to the QQI NFQ page, QQI itself awards further education and training qualifications at Levels 1 to 6 and validates programmes offered by providers such as Education and Training Boards and community, voluntary and independent providers. The State Examinations Commission handles the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate. Universities, technological universities and institutes of technology make higher education awards at Levels 6 to 10, with the institutes of technology having autonomous awarding powers at Levels 6 to 9.

The page also says awards from designated awarding bodies can be included under a joint protocol with QQI. A separate QQI page, "Including awards on the NFQ", describes a category called listed awarding bodies. It mentions qualifications made by professional bodies in the areas of law and accountancy, says participation is voluntary but access to the framework is regulated, and notes that applications opened in September 2024. That page was last modified on 9 March 2026. Whether a given professional body's qualification is included is something to confirm on the register, not to assume.

How to check a qualification

QQI says the Irish Register of Qualifications (IRQ, at irq.ie) lists qualifications officially included in the NFQ, the programmes that lead to them, and the awarding bodies and providers externally quality-assured by QQI. QQI's page, last modified on 19 January 2026, calls it free to use and "the most reliable source" of this information. For foreign qualifications, QQI points to NARIC Ireland.

A practical routine, and this is our suggestion rather than a QQI rule:

• Ask the provider which body makes the award and what level it is placed at.
• Search the register for the award and the programme.
• If the provider says the training is "accredited", ask who accredited it and whether that means an NFQ award or a professional body's own CPD recognition. These are different things.
• Note the level and awarding body in your training records.

Why the level matters to employers

QQI's page on future-proofing the NFQ (published 17 October 2025, last modified 7 October 2026 according to its metadata) says the framework began as an information source but has become a filter for government funding, student grant aid and employee recruitment. It also describes a review of award types and a draft 2026 restatement of the framework's policies. Because the framework is under review, check QQI's pages for the current position before building a training policy around fine detail.

For a finance team in Dublin planning development, the framework is a useful language for comparing options. Our guide to CPD training for finance professionals in Dublin explains how that fits with professional body requirements. Remember that many professional bodies set their own CPD rules separately from the NFQ.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

How many levels are there in the NFQ?

Ten, from Level 1 to Level 10, according to QQI. Level 10 is the doctoral degree.

Is a CPD course the same as an NFQ qualification?

Not necessarily. QQI's Brief Guide gives continuing professional development as an example of a supplemental award, but a course is only on the framework if it leads to an award that has been included. Check the register.

Does a higher level always mean a harder course?

QQI says levels are indicators of a range of standards, and that awards are matched on a best-fit basis. The level is a guide, not a precise measure of difficulty.

Who decides which professional qualifications are on the NFQ?

Its page says the listed awarding body route is voluntary and regulated, and mentions professional body qualifications in law and accountancy as examples of qualifications widely used in Ireland.

How do I check a foreign qualification?

QQI points to NARIC Ireland for advice on comparing foreign qualifications with Irish ones.

A level number on a brochure is a useful starting point; the register and the awarding body are what confirm it.