MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND
SPORT OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLICThe National Qualifications Frameworkof the Slovak Republic
and the referencing to the levelsof the European Qualifications Framework
for lifelong learning

The National Qualifications Framework of the Slovak Republic

Knowledge

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Level 5

Level 6

Level 7

Level 8Must have basic
general factualand theoreticalknowledge at thelevel ofremembering
andunderstanding
required for thework in familiar
conditions

Must have basic
factual andtheoreticalknowledge at thelevel ofremembering
andunderstandingrequired for thework in familiar
conditions,
including smallmodifications,with guidance ofa superiorMust be able toapply basic
factualknowledge,
principles andprocesses,
general concepts
in anoccupational
area or field ofstudy

Must be able toanalyse factual
knowledge,
principles andprocesses,
generalconcepts inbroadly definedcontexts within
an occupational
area or field ofstudy

Must be able toanalyse andsynthesise
extensive andspecialised,factualknowledge,
principles andprocesses,
general concepts
in broadly definedcontexts within an
occupational areaor field of study
and must have anawareness ofboundaries of thatknowledge

Must havecrosscutting
knowledge of afield of study,
with an emphasis
on applications,at a level
corresponding to
the current stateof knowledge

Must have deepand crosscutting
knowledge of a
specialised area
includingknowledge ofconnections andrelations torelated fields

Must have asystematic, selfcontained andcomprehensive
body of knowledgeof a specialisedarea, including theknowledge andunderstanding ofrelations to otherparts of a field andto related fields

Must be able toapply knowledgeof simple facts
and ideas

SkillsMust be able toapply basic
knowledge in an
activity taking
place in familiar
situations underunchanged
conditions
Must be able toMust be able toidentify theactivities andsequence ofparticular steps
in a work activity
Must be able tocarry out, in ahigh quality,

Must be able toapply basic
theoreticalknowledge inperforming
simple tasks
within an
occupational
area or field of
study

Must be able toorientate oneself
in routine
technical andnon- technicaldocumentation,
norms andstandards usedwithin a field of
study

Must be able toanalysetheoreticalknowledge inperforming more
complex tasks in
broadly definedcontexts within
an occupational
area or field of
study

Must be able toorientate oneself
in specifictechnical andnon-technicaldocumentation,norms andstandards usedwithin a field of
study

2

Must be able toanalyse andsynthesise
theoreticalknowledge inperforming
complex tasks
in broadly definedcontexts within an
occupational areaor field of study
and must have anawareness ofboundaries of thatknowledge
Must be able toorientate oneself ina broad range oftechnical and nontechnicaldocumentation,norms andstandards usedwithin a field ofstudy

Must have broad
knowledge andunderstanding ofa specialisedarea, including
the knowledge ofpractical
connections andrelations torelated fields

Must be able toactively acquire
information anduse it to solve
practical
problems in afield of study
Must be able tosolve practical

Must haveknowledge andunderstating oftheories,
methods andprocedures used
in a field, withpotential
applications inscience andresearchMust be able toactively acquire
new knowledge
and information,
integrate and use
it in applications
for thedevelopment of afield

Must have deep
understanding oftheories,
sophisticatedmethods andprocedures ofscience andresearch meetingthe highest
international
criteria

Must be able toactively acquire
new knowledge
and information,
critically analyseand re-evaluate it
and use it, both, intheory and inpractical
applications forcarry out simple
activities under
supervision of asuperior, withlimited
responsibility in acontrolled
processCompetences

Must be able tocommunicate in
the mothertongue, fluently
and aptly, both inwriting and orally,
and transfer theinformation
within theworking group
Must be able totake part insimpleresponsible
activities, beaware of one’s
own share ofresponsibility

simple routine
operations underfamiliar
conditions
Must be able touse simple
methods, tools,
materials infamiliar
conditions

Must be able tothink logically insimple concretetasks requiredof him or her insimple situations
Must be able toidentify aproblem inroutinesituations,formulate basic
information on
the problem andits solution forothers, and beaware of his/herown position
within a teamMust be able toapply simple,concrete,creative andlogical thinking
required to selectand useappropriate
information, work
procedures,
methods, tools,
raw materials,materials,machinery, etc.
in accordancewith routine
conditions andperformancestandards ofpartial orcomplex tasks

Must be able toapply basic
abstract logicalthinking required
to select and use
appropriate
information, work
procedures,
methods, tools,
raw materials,materials,machinery, etc. inaccordance withvarying
conditions andspecificperformancestandards ofcomplex tasks

Must be able tocomplete tasks
and adapt one’s
own behaviour
within theguidelines ofcommon work
contexts

Must be able tocomplete andtake some
responsibility forcomplex tasks
and adapt one’sown behaviour
within theguidelines ofwork or study
contexts that are
predictable, or
subject tochangeMust be able totake and assume
responsibility fortheaccomplishmentof independent
tasks within an
occupation or
field of study
Must be able toMust be able ofself-management
and supervisionof a group ofpeople, with3

Must be able toapply abstract
logical thinking
required togenerate anddevelop creative
solutions ofspecificinformation,
abstract work
procedures andproblems underunpredictableconditions
Must be able toperform complex
specific activities
and, progressively,
use methods,tools, equipment
and materials inpartially
unpredictableconditions andpropose simple
methods andprocedures
Must be able tocomplete andmanage complex
tasks, including
supervision incontexts of workor study activities
where there isunpredictablechangeMust be able totake and assume
full responsibility
for themanagement,
limitedresponsibility forthe evaluation anddevelopment ofproblems in afield using
current researchand developmentprocedures,
exercising criticaljudgement oftheir expediency
and adequacy

Must be able tocreatively solve
theoretical andpracticalproblems in afield, using thetheory, andresearch anddevelopment
procedures
Must be able tocontribute to thedevelopment of afield of study byacquiring new
knowledge insolving relevant
tasks

Must be able tosolve
professionaltasks andcoordinate partial
activities andtakeresponsibility forthe performanceof the teamMust be able toidentify andevaluate ethical,
social, and other
implications ofinvestigatedproblems
Must be able toMust be able tosolve problems,coordinate thecourses ofactions in teams,
and takedecisions,autonomously
and responsibly,
in a changing
environment
Must be ready totakeresponsibility for
one’s own activity
and decisions,with accounttaken of broadersocialthe developmentof a field of study
Must be able toapply andcreatively refine
and develop
theories andresearch,development andinnovation
procedures in afield of study anddevelop new ones
Must be able toidentify the world
scientific andinnovation
developments in afield of study andin related fields
and use it insteering anddeveloping a field,
while integratingknowledge fromdifferent fields
Must be able toplan for andinitiate solutions ofcomplexproblems/projects,
includingformulating ofobjectives, tools,and methods inthe area of thedevelopment of afield
Must be able toassess and modify
own professional
activity in a
broader context, in
relation to longterm impact on theLink to the relevant
level of the system offormal education

Completion of
the first stage ofprimary school
education;

Completion of
the second stageof primary school
education;

Completion of
the last grade ofprimary school inpupils withmental disability;

Completion of
the first grade ofa five-year
programme at asecondary school
to which areenrolled pupils
from the eighth
grade of primaryschool;

Non-completionof education at a
primary school;

Completion of
the fourth gradeof an eight-year
educational
programme at asecondaryschool;

manage asmaller group ofpeople, withsome degree ofautonomy incommoncontexts

some degree ofautonomy, incontexts that areusuallypredictable, but
may be subject tochange

activities, evaluate
and develop one’s
own performanceand that of others
in unpredictable
work or study
contexts

acquire newknowledge
independently
and actively
extend one’s own
knowledge

Completion of
the educational
programme in a
vocational
apprenticeschool that ends
with a final
examination;

Completion of afour-year or
maximum eightyear educational
programme at a
Gymnasium(=academicallyorientedsecondary
school),Completion of atleast a two-year
and maximum
three-year
educational
programme of an
upper secondary(post-Abitur)further education
at a secondary
vocational school,of special-subject
study or upper
vocational study;

Completion ofstudy of a firstdegree higher
education
programme

Completion of athree-year ormaximum fouryear educational
programme at asecondaryvocationalschool;

Completion of afour-year ormaximum fiveyear educational
programme at asecondaryvocationalschool;

Completion of a
six-yeareducational
programme at aconservatory;
Completion of acontinuous eightyear educational
programme at a
dancing
conservatory;

Completion of
the third grade ofan educational
programme of apractical school

4

implications
Must be able toformulate
information on
the progress andoutcomes of thesolution of tasks,
discuss
professionalviews withexperts

Completion of
study of asecond-degreehigher education
programme

field and from the
aspect of social,ethical,environmental andother criteria
Must be able toformulate
information on
outcomes andconclusions of thescientific, researchand development
work at aninternational level,
and manage
comprehensive
research tasks
and teams
Completion ofstudy of a thirddegree higher
education
programmeCompletion of a
two-yeareducational
programme at asecondaryvocational
school;Documentofeducation attained at
a given level of thequalifications
framework

Pupil’s school
report with asupplement

Student’s school
report with asupplement;
Certificate of finalexamination

Certificate ofapprenticeship

Certificate of
School Leaving
Examination(=maturita,Abitur, A-level),
Certificate ofapprenticeshiponly in cases
where theeducation ended
with the School
LeavingExamination(Abitur) as well

5

Certificate of thegraduation
examination

Higher education
diploma and a
supplement to
the diploma
received uponcompletion of
study in a firstdegree highereducation
programme

Higher education
diploma and a
supplement to
the diploma
received uponcompletion of
study in asecond-degreehigher education
programme

Higher education
diploma and a
supplement to thediploma received
upon completionof study in a thirddegree higher
education
programmeReferencing of the National Qualifications Framework of the Slovak Republic to thelevels of the European Qualifications framework for Lifelong Learning

Levels of the European
Qualifications
Framework for Lifelong
Learning

Levels of the National
Qualifications
Framework of the SlovakRepublic

Level 1

Level 1

Level 2

Level 2

Level 3

Level 3

Level 4

Level 4

Level 5

Level 5

Level 6

Level 6

Level 7

Level 7

Level 8

Level 86