Learners & Employers
Zambia Qualifications Authority provide services specifically for learners and employers. Whether it is to check the credibility and level of higher education courses for yourself or your team, or issuing e-certificates to prove authenticity of qualifications.
Verification & Evaluation Services
What is Verification?
Verification verifies the authenticity of a qualification that one holds. It involves checking whether the awarding body has a mandate to award qualifications, that it forms part of the qualifications approved to be offered, and that the qualification has actually been issued.
What is Evaluation?
Evaluation determines the comparability of a foreign qualification to the Zambia Qualifications Framework by comparing specific learning outcomes of a programme or national level descriptors of a foreign country’s qualifications framework.
What is a qualification?
It is a package of standards or units judged to be worthy of formal recognition in a certificate. This means that a qualification may be a single module or unit, if that is deemed to be worthy of formal recognition. However, it should be noted that sometimes the term ‘qualification’ is used to refer only to substantial programmes leading to a well-recognised and historically grounded form of certification – such as a degree – or to a form of certification associated with the capacity to undertake a defined occupational role.
What is the Importance of Verification and Evaluation of Qualifications?
Verification provides surety to various stakeholders that an individual holds a genuine qualification and ethics expected from the educational programme. Evaluation shows the level at which a qualification is recognised on the Zambia Qualifications Framework. ZAQA carries out verification and evaluation of Zambian and foreign qualifications to their equivalent on the Zambia Qualifications Framework.
Who is required to Verification and Evaluate their qualification?
An individual who is required to prove that their qualification(s) are genuine, or person who holds a foreign qualification and wishes to demonstrate the level at which their qualifications is comparable to the Zambian Qualification Framework. An individual can submit an application on their own or a stakeholder (employer, University etc) can submit an application to confirm if a particular person holds authentic qualification(s).
Processing of applications
Processing of local qualifications takes about 14 working days, although this process could be shorter or longer depending on how proactive the awarding body is at responding to validation requests. Foreign qualifications take about 30 working days. ZAQA commits to making results available on the first working day after the relevant processing period.
Register, Login & Apply Today
The Qualifications Management Information System (QMIS) is the online system used by ZAQA to manage a database of learner achievements in Zambia.
The QMIS allows users to apply for validation and evaluation of qualifications online and make payments.
Learners can obtain the e-certificate to share with potential employers or further education institutions. Universities and other higher education institutions can register their courses for assessment against the international standards.
| Service | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Verification of qualifications under General Education | Local | K50 |
| Verification of qualifications under Trades and Occupations | Local | K200 |
| Verification of Degrees | Local | K500 |
| Verification of Professional Qualifications | Local | K500 |
| Verification and Evaluation of all Foreign Qualifications | Foreign | K1200 |
What is an E-Certificate?
The ZAQA E-certificate confirms the outcome of the verification or evaluation of your qualification (s) digitally.
Benefits of the E- certificate to you
- It confirms the ZAQA feedback in real – time securely accessed from the ZAQA Qualifications Management Information System (QMIS)
- The ZAEC comes together with a digital seal which can be inserted into your email signature, social media profiles and website to confirm the outcome of your ZAQA evaluation/ verification in real-time.
- It can easily to shared and accessed from any smart gadget anywhere in the world as the ZAEC Speeds up and simplifies receipt and sharing of the outcome of the evaluation/verification of your qualification(s).
- Assists to decrease real or perceived fraud, loss of certificates and the associated risks of poor service and costly mistakes.
- ZAQA’s digital certificates and seals cannot be misrepresented, they are revoked and re-issued automatically by reference to ZAQA’s QMIS
How to Access your E- Certificate (ZAEC)
- When your application has been processed. You will receive a notification email from ZAQA;
- Sign into your account using your log in details;
- Go to processed applications ;
- Then click on to qualification to download your E – certificate
Recognition of Prior Learning
The aim for recognising prior learning (RPL) in Zambia is to allow learners who have not been able to attend formal education but have managed to gain significant experience in a particular field to be given an opportunity to earn a qualification or to upgrade an existing qualification, which can be at any level of education and training. The following types of learning shall be considered for RPL:
Formal – learning obtained through organised training in a school system from pre-school to a university leading to an award.
Non-formal – learning obtained through organised training not leading to an award (e.g. an agriculture training, college, faith – based institution, etc.)
Informal- learning obtained through experience.
Revised RPL Document Download…Revised Recognition of Prior Learning Policy
Revised Credit Accumulation Transfer Document Download. Revised Credit Accumulation and Transfer System Policy
Benefits of RPL
A learner should be able to establish the value of his or her competences through an assessment of prior learning for the purpose of:
- Personal development by gaining credits towards a qualification
- Progression into a learning programme
- Seeking acceptance to higher studies
- Promotion or a salary enhancement in an organisation
- Changing a career path
Necessity to abide to a new regulation to protect employment Industry:
- Fast tracking workers through the skills recognition process
- Reduction in costs of training
- Reduction in down time while workers are in training
- Efficient identification of skills gaps allowing for more focused training
Honorary Degrees
An honorary degree is conferred as a way of honouring individuals for their outstanding contribution to a specific field or to society in general. These are mere decorations for contributions made to society and not earned through academic achievements. In the absence of clearly defined learning outcomes, approved learning programme and set assessment protocols for issuance of honorary degrees, such degrees cannot be designated as qualifications but as honours. Given that the Zambia Qualifications Framework is a portfolio of qualifications, honorary degrees do not qualify to be registered and accredited on the Framework.
PROFESSORSHIP
A Professor is a lecturer of the highest academic rank in a department of a University. Even though institutional criteria exist for appointment or promotion to the rank of Professor, such criteria do not constitute a defined level description or learning outcomes as required of qualifications. ZAQA therefore wishes to state that Professorship is not a qualification but an academic rank conferred by a competent awarding body. Professorship shall not be registered and accredited on any level of the Zambia Qualifications Framework.
USE OF HONORARY DEGREES
The recipient of an honorary qualification may use it on the curriculum vitae but list it under awards and honours and not under the section for qualifications. Whenever the title ‘Dr’ is used in the case of an honorary doctorate, the abbreviations “h.c.” (honoris causa) should be used or the recipient should state “Honorary Degree” in full against his or her name. The Authority therefore wishes to advise the recipients of honorary degrees or doctorates as commonly referred, to use “h.c” or “Honorary Degree” to avoid misleading the general public and to preserve the integrity of earned degrees.
P.O. Box 51103, Finsbury Park, Ground Floor,
Kabwe Round-About, Lusaka, Zambia
- +260 211 843 050
- +260 963 922 730
- +260 956 037 185
- +260 972 559 301
info@zaqa.gov.zm
Open Monday - Friday 0800h - 1700h
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