What are CATS points or credits?

The credit system used by the OU is aligned to the national Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS). The CATS system helps you to move the credits you accumulate from one institution to another.  So if you have completed some previous study at another institution, you may be able to count it towards your OU qualification.

The Scheme equates one credit (or credit point) with 10 hours of notional learning time (the time, on average, a learner takes to achieve the specified learning outcomes). A module allocated 30 credits or ‘CATS points’ should require students to commit approximately 300 hours of work to achieving the learning outcomes for the module at a particular level. OU modules carry credits normally ranging from 30 to 60 credits.

CATS points have been around since the early 1990s.