Credit transfer

Use your previous HE study to help you gain an OU qualification

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Professional diploma, certificate or award

Awarded within the last 16 years

If your qualification was listed on the Ofqual register (the QCF) at the time that you studied it then you can check the details of the credit we can consider your qualification for. You can find out whether your qualification was on the QCF at the time you completed it by contacting your previous institution or by checking your certificate and notification of performance.

More information about the QCF.

BTEC/Edexcel assign a unit value (usually a multiple of 1.0 or 6.0) to each subject or module completed towards their qualifications. If you completed a qualification that was assigned unit values we may be able to consider you for an award of credit transfer for any unit that was completed at the level shown on your notification of performance.

There are two main types of unit value, the first shows unit values in multiples of 0.5. For these qualifications we can award credit at the following rates.

0.5: 6 credits
1.0: 12 credits
1.5: 18 credits
2.0: 24 credits
2.5: 30 credits

So for example if you completed three units with unit values of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 we could consider your study for an award of 36 credits at the level shown on your notification of performance (6 + 12 + 18). Please note however that all awards of credit transfer are rounded down to the nearest multiple of 30 so in this case an award of 30 credits would be made at the level shown on your notification of performance.

The second type shows unit values in multiples of 3.0. We can award credit transfer for these at the following rates.

3.0: 6 credits
6.0: 12 credits
9.0: 18 credits

So for example if you completed three units with values of 3.0, 6.0 and 6.0 we could consider your study for an award of 30 credits at the level shown on your Notification of Performance (6 + 12 + 12).

We will use the levels on your notification of performance to work out what level this credit can be transferred at.

Evidence you will need to provide

To confirm the exact amount of credit you can use you must make a formal application for credit transfer.  For more details on how credit from this previous study can be used in OU qualifications please see OU qualification.

With your application you should provide your original certificate (if the qualification was completed) together with a transcript of academic record, or equivalent, which should list all the subjects you successfully completed together with the marks or grades you achieved. Depending on the OU qualification that you wish to transfer your credit towards you may also need to provide syllabus information. When do I need to provide syllabus information?

Already studied?

 If you have already studied with the OU please sign in to make sure that you get the credit transfer information that is relevant to you. 

Contact us

If you have any queries about applying for credit transfer please feel free to contact us using the link below.

Please try to include:

  • which qualification you completed
  • the organisation you completed it through
  • when you completed it
  • which OU qualification you would like to transfer to

Contact us about credit transfer.

If you have general questions about the University feel free to contact us.

More information about The Open University.