International qualifications 2013 (pdf) - CUKAS

Qualifications currently offered
Uzbekistan
EVALUATION
Attestat o srednem obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary
Education)
Acceptable in lieu of GCSE on a subject for subject basis (except
English language).
O’rta Ma’lumot To’g’risida Shahodatnoma
Acceptable in lieu of GCSE on a subject for subject basis (except
English language).
GRADING SYSTEM
100 – 86% Excellent
85 – 71 Good
70 – 56 Satisfactory
55 or less Unsatisfactory
EDUCATION SYSTEM
Four years of primary education is followed by five years of lower
secondary and a further three years in an academic lyceum or a
professional college. Uzbek is the medium of instruction in the
majority of schools, although Russian is still widely used. English has
replaced Russian as the foreign language of choice for most
students. There is a wide range of HE institutions in Uzbekistan,
although those located outside the capital are generally more poorly
resourced.
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION
On completion of their secondary education (academic lyceum or
professional college), students sit a nationally administered
multiple-choice examination for entry into HE. Application can be
made to only one university in a given year. A pass mark is set by
each university and students achieving this are eligible for
government scholarships. Increasing numbers of fee-paying or
‘contract’ students are also being accepted.
Venezuela
EVALUATION
Bachillerato
Título de Bachiller
Comparable to GCSE standard (grades A, B, C) on a subject for
subject basis (except English language).
Técnico Medio
Comparable to BTEC First Diploma standard.
Técnico Superior
Considered comparable to BTEC National Diploma standard.
GRADING SYSTEM
The grading is on a scale of 20–1, with 10 as the minimum
pass mark.
The academic year is divided into three or more periods. Grades
are given for each period. At the end of the year, the grades are
averaged to form a previa grade.
EDUCATION SYSTEM
There are nine years of basic compulsory education combining
primary and secondary from the age of six to 14. At secondary
level (age 14 to 16), students can choose diversified secondary and
train for the Bachillerato in science, arts and/or humanities; or they
can train for the Técnico Medio at an Educacion Media Profesional.
Studies are divided into industrial husbandry, commercial and
health sectors. The medium of instruction is Spanish.
ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION
Admission to university level and non-university level studies
(technical/vocational type) requires students to have obtained the
Bachillerato with the minimum mark of 10, and sit the Prueba de
Apitúd Académica aptitude test. Some universities have their own
admission test in order to select the best prepared students.
A recent change for higher education access is registration on to
the national system of higher education (Registro Unico para el
Sistema de Educación Superior - RUSNIES).
Vietnam
EVALUATION
Lower Secondary School
Generally considered to be below the standard of GCSE.
Tot Nghiep Pho Thong Trung Hoc (Upper Secondary School
Graduation Certificate)
Considered to be between GCSE and A level standard.
GRADING SYSTEM
10 – 9.0 Excellent
8.0 – 7.0 Good
6.5 – 5.0 Pass
4.5 and below Fail
EDUCATION SYSTEM
The system comprises 12 grades of which the first nine are, in
principle, compulsory. The language of instruction is Vietnamese,
although some ethnic minority students receive pre-school and
primary instruction in their own language while learning
Vietnamese.
Upper school – on completion of a nine-year basic education,
pupils can either continue their studies at upper secondary school
or move to vocational training. Upper secondary education lasts
three years, covering grades 10, 11 and 12. Upper secondary
schools admit those who have completed basic education and
prepare pupils for further education. The syllabus at upper
secondary schools is a continuation of that at the basic education
schools. Examinations are taken at the end of each term.
On successful completion of upper secondary school education,
pupils are awarded the Bang Tot Nghiep Pho Thong Trung Hoc
(Upper Secondary School Graduation Certificate).
Vocational training is provided at three levels: vocational
elementary, vocational secondary and vocational diploma.
Courses are delivered by vocational training centres, vocational
secondary schools and vocational colleges.
Elementary level courses last one month, three months or six
months, depending on the demand of employers. Vocational
secondary level courses admit graduates of upper secondary
schools or lower secondary schools for one-and-a-half to two
years or three years respectively. Vocational diploma courses
admit graduates of upper secondary schools or vocational
secondary schools for two-and-a-half to three years, or one to
one-and-a-half years respectively.
The vocational system ensures good articulation between the
three levels and between the vocational and academic routes,
eg learners from lower secondary schools can take a three-year
course at vocational secondary schools to get certificates in
certain trades and upon graduation, they can sit the national
examination to enter universities.
64 INTERNATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS