The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) provides the hierarchy of educational qualifications in Australia. It is administered nationally by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Few qualifications outside the system are accepted by employers or for entry to tertiary study. The main exceptions are information technology vendor certifications and the International Baccalaureate.
| AQF Level | Description | Qualifications | Time |
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| Level 10 | Graduates at this level have systematic and critical understanding of a complex field of learning, and specialised research skills for the advancement of learning or professional practice. |
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| Level 9 | Graduates at this level have specialised knowledge and skills for research or professional practice. |
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| Level 8 | Graduates at this level have advanced knowledge and skills for highly skilled professional work. |
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| Level 7 | Graduates at this level have broad and coherent knowledge and skills for professional work. |
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| Level 6 | Graduates at this level have broad knowledge and skills for highly skilled paraprofessional work. |
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| Level 5 | Graduates at this level have specialised knowledge and skills for skilled paraprofessional work. |
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| Level 4 | Graduates at this level have theoretical and practical knowledge and skills for specialised skilled work. |
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| Level 3 | Graduates at this level have theoretical and practical knowledge and skills for work. |
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| Level 2 | Graduates at this level have knowledge and skills for work in a defined context. |
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| Level 1 | Graduates at this level have knowledge and skills for initial work and/or community engagement. |
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The Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE) is the graduation certificate awarded to most students in Australian high schools, and is equivalent to the High School Diploma of North America and the A-Levels of the United Kingdom. Students completing the SSCE are usually aged 16 to 18 and study full-time for two years (years 11 and 12 of schooling). In some states adults may gain the certificate through a Technical and Further Education college or other provider.
The curriculum, assessment and name of the SSCE is different in each state and territory. The government of each determines these themselves, although the curriculum must address mutually agreed national competencies.
| State | SSCE title | Abbreviation |
| New South Wales | Higher School Certificate | HSC |
| Victoria | Victorian Certificate of Education Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning |
VCE VCAL |
| Queensland | Queensland Certificate of Education | QCE |
| South Australia | South Australian Certificate of Education | SACE |
| Western Australia | Western Australian Certificate of Education | WACE |
| Tasmania | Tasmanian Certificate of Education | TCE |
| Australian Capital Territory | Australian Capital Territory Year 12 Certificate | |
| Northern Territory | Northern Territory Certificate of Education | NTCE |
Universities Australia generates a nationally standardised final score for each SSCE student called the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. Universities and other Higher Education providers typically use this mark as the main criterion in selecting domestic students. Prior to 2010, this was called the Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER) in Victoria, and the University Admissions Index (UAI) in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, and the Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) elsewhere.
Competing qualifications outside the Australian Qualifications Framework are the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Accelerated Christian Education(ACE) Year 12 Academic Certificate. The IB is well accepted by universities. ACE has lesser support, and students may also have to additionally pass a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
There has been growing overlap between the Vocational Education and Training (VET), organised under the National Training System, and Higher Education sectors in Australia. Courses are primarily taken by those aged over 18, however in some vocational and general academic courses a minority of students enter at the minimum school-leaving age of 16, although from May 2009 Federal Government policy calls for young people to be in education, gainful employment, or training until age 17 (Year 12 qualification) with tightening of income support payments to age 20 if not undertaking further training.[1] This tends to happen particularly at Technical and Further Education colleges (TAFE), and is less likely to happen at a university or a private institution.
The two sectors form a continuum, with VET at the lower end and Higher Education at the higher. VET courses are typically short, practical in nature and delivered by a TAFE college or Registered Training Organisation at a certificate to diploma level. Higher Education courses take three years or longer to complete, are academic in nature and are delivered by universities at degree level. There is significant overlap, however; a TAFE college may offer degrees and universities may offer certificates and diplomas. A number of private institutions and community education centres cover the full range of qualifications.
There has been a strong push towards mutual recognition of qualifications, with VET or Higher Education courses recognised towards other courses (and for those under 21 towards an SSCE). A process of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) has been implemented to allow competencies gained through work and other experience to be assessed and recognised. For instance, a Diploma of Agriculture might be recognised as the equivalent of the first year of the Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree; a unit of Letter Writing in a Certificate IV of Writing might be recognised as a unit towards a Bachelor of Business degree; experience in aged care might be recognised towards a Certificate in Community Services.
Certificates I-IV are the basic post-secondary qualifications and prepare candidates for both employment and further education and training. There is no firm duration for these qualifications.
Certificates I-II provide basic vocational skills and knowledge, while Certificates III-IV replace the previous system of trade certificates and provide training in more advanced skills and knowledge. A Certificate IV is generally accepted by universities to be the equivalent of six to twelve months of a Bachelor's degree, and credit towards studies may be granted accordingly.
These courses are usually delivered by TAFE colleges, community education centres and registered private training providers.
Courses at Diploma, Advanced Diploma and Associate degree level take between two to three years to complete, and are generally considered to be equivalent to one to two years of study at degree level. Diploma and Advanced Diploma are titles given more practical courses, while Associate degree is given to more academic courses.
These courses are usually delivered by universities, TAFE colleges, community education centres and private RTO's (Registered Training Organisations).
The Bachelor degree is the standard university qualification and is recognised worldwide. Most courses take three to four years to complete.
Honours may be awarded atop a Bachelor degree after an additional year of study for three-year degrees or, in the case of four-year degrees, for performance at credit or distinction average level. An Honours degree is denoted by "Hons" in parentheses following the degree abbreviation, for example BA (Hons). Honours degrees requiring an additional of study generally involve a resarch project and require the completion of a thesis during the optional fourth year of study.
These courses are almost exclusively delivered by universities.
These qualifications are much like Certificates and Diplomas but must be completed by someone with a Bachelor degree or higher. Certificates typically take 6 months to complete, while Diplomas take 12 months.
Vocational certificates and diplomas tend to be more practically-oriented courses than their academic counterparts.
These courses are usually delivered by universities and private providers.
A Master's degree usually requires two years of full time study to complete. A completed Bachelor degree, sometimes with honours, is a prerequisite for admission. The pattern of study generally takes one the following three forms:
Masters degree (extended) are permitted to deviate from the 'Master of ...' naming convention. Those in legal practice may use the name Juris Doctor, but do not allow a graduate use of the honorific title 'doctor', whereas those in medical practice, physiotherapy, dentistry, optometry and veterinary practice are allowed to be named 'Doctor of ...' and in most cases permit a graduate use of the title 'doctor'.
Master's level courses are delivered by universities and a limited number of registered providers.
The highest qualification, a Doctorate degree is awarded by a university either "by research" or "by publication". This generally requires the completion of a major thesis, which has to be assessed externally by experts in the field of study. Additionally, there are professional doctorates, which require less research and are partially assessed by coursework or projects. Entry into an Australian Doctorate requires an honours degree or "honours equivalent", a Masters degree is usually considered equivalent.[2][3]. Holders of Doctoral degrees are permitted to use the title 'doctor'.