Ecctis benchmarks the NCUK International Foundation Year programme across five international markets
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Leading education consultancy Ecctis, has completed its latest evaluation of the NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY) programme, confirming its comparability to recognised secondary education qualifications across five major international education systems.
The 2024 assessment verifies that the NCUK IFY programme is comparable to the academic standards of the:
- GCE A Level standard (United Kingdom)
- Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) standard
- Advanced Placement standard (United States)
- Senior Secondary School Certificate of Education standard (Australia)
- Alberta High School Diploma standard (Canada)
“This comprehensive benchmarking by Ecctis reinforces what we’ve long known – that the NCUK International Foundation Year provides a world-class pathway to higher education. The addition of the Canadian benchmark further strengthens our position in North America and demonstrates our commitment to maintaining the highest international academic standards for our students worldwide.”
Professor Victoria O’Donnell, Chief Academic Officer of NCUK
This latest benchmarking exercise builds upon previous evaluations conducted in 2014 and 2019, with the notable addition of the Canadian education system to its comparative framework. The inclusion of the Alberta High School Diploma standard facilitates NCUK’s recognition in North America, further strengthening the programme’s global standing.
The independent evaluation conducted by Ecctis examined multiple aspects of the NCUK IFY, including entry requirements, duration, content and structure, modes of learning and assessment, learning outcomes, and associated outcomes. The study incorporated detailed analysis of key subject modules including Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Business Studies, and Economics.
“Our rigorous evaluation process has confirmed that the NCUK International Foundation Year is comparable to the standards of selected secondary qualifications across multiple education systems. The programme’s coverage of key academic subjects, combined with its emphasis on developing independent study and English language skills, provides students with a solid foundation for progression to NCUK partner universities.”
James Freeman, Principal Analyst at Ecctis
Developed in collaboration with NCUK’s university partners and delivered through a worldwide network of Study Centres, the IFY programme continues to prepare international students for successful entry into higher education. The programme maintains rigorous academic standards while providing additional focus on developing independent study, ICT, and English language skills within subject modules.
The IFY qualification can be considered comparable to these international standards when a minimum of grade D in all IFY modules and obtain at least 72 NCUK points are achieved, providing a foundation for undergraduate study at NCUK partner universities.
