The Irish awarding bodies and qualifications authorities and the UK awarding and qualifications regulatory bodies have undertaken an exercise to align/cross reference the qualifications frameworks in the UK and Ireland. The exercise was completed in June 2005 and the document, Qualifications can cross boundaries - a rough guide to comparing qualifications in the UK and Ireland was published. The leaflet is a ready reckoner for employers, learners and other interested parties, designed to enable broad comparisons to be drawn between qualifications and their levels In Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  Click here for more information.

In addition, some more detailed information about UK qualifications and their comparison to relevant Irish qualifications is available here:

General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)

General Certificate of Education (GCE) A Level/General Certificate of Education (GCE) AS Level

Higher National Diploma (HND) / Higher National Certificate (HNC) /Foundation Degree

There are a number of award recognition agreements in place between Ireland and the UK as follows: