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The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications

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The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications

The Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic & Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) is an independent statutory body responsible for overseeing academic standards of degree programmes in higher education and the vocational sector.

The academic standards of degree programmes are set out in the Qualifications Framework (QF) by the Education Bureau (EDB), which prescribes standards for seven levels of education using Generic Level Descriptors (GLDs) The HKCAAVQ supports the Qualifications Framework with a Four-stage Quality Assurance Process to ensure GLDs are met.

The first two stages of the Quality Assurance Process are Initial Evaluation and Programme Validation. The HKCAAVQ provides Guidelines on Initial Evaluation and Programme Validation at QF levels 4-7.

Substantial changes to programmes, including admissions policies, assessment criteria, structure and content, must be approved by the HKCAAVQ. Guidelines on changes that are considered substantial and the HKCAAVQ process for handling such changes are outlined in the HKCAAVQ Guidelines on Substantial Change to Accreditation Status.