September 13, 2019 - Bobby -
One of the features of the new data science qualification is that it is hierarchical, which means that you can mix and match units across levels and still gain a group award. Due to an administrative error, the original units were not coded correctly (the first four characters of the unit code must be the same for units in hierarchies). We’ve now recoded the units with the correct codes. Nothing has changed (apart from the codes) so in terms of…
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September 11, 2019 - Bobby -
I’m pleased to let you know that Emma has returned from maternity leave. She returned to work (full-time) on Monday. Emma can be contacted at emma.campos@sqa.org.uk. I’ve got Lorraine for a couple more weeks (before she returns to her substantive post in Contracts) so, for a short time, I have the luxury of three Qualifications Officers. Emma returns to her portfolio of non-advanced qualifications, which includes the recently developed NPA Data Science and the enhanced support materials for NPA Cyber…
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September 3, 2019 - Bobby -
There has been lots of interest in the new data science qualification. It’s similar to the huge interest generated by NPA Cyber Security in 2015. I’m hoping that it turns out to be equally successful. Although some schools and colleges will offer the award this year, two things appear to be holding back centres. One is the relative lateness of it being available and the other is lack of confidence (in data science) among teachers. To help with the second…
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September 2, 2019 - Bobby -
We’ve held an annual conference for Computing qualifications for a long time (going back more than 20 years) but next year (2020) we’re doing something a little different. Next year’s conference will combine vocational and academic qualifications, so it will cover the full suite of Computing awards ranging from Nationals to HNDs. The event will be a mix of keynotes, workshops and demonstrations. We’ve already thought about the workshops, which will likely include the new materials for NPA Cyber Security,…
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August 19, 2019 - Bobby -
I’m pleased to let you know that the subject page for HND Cyber Security is now available. It can be accessed here. The subject page contains important information about the qualification’s structure and assessment. It also provides a link to the Group Award Specification (direct link), which is an essential document for centres. HND Cyber Security was a large development, which involved creating 15 new (or revised) units. The publication of the subject page concludes the development. It took longer than…
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August 13, 2019 - Bobby -
I’m pleased to let you know that this development has now commenced. This is the final phase of the three part development plan that has already produced HNC Cyber Security and, recently, HND Cyber Security. This development will be managed by Hilary and the lead officer is Helen. It’s very early days in the project but we’re hoping the have the development complete by early 2020 so that centres can offer it from Spring 2020. The target audience is professional…
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August 12, 2019 - Bobby -
The subject page for NPA Data Science is now available. You can access it here. The subject page contains vital information about a qualification including information about its structure and assessment. It also contains a link to the Group Award Specification (GAS), which is the definitive description of the qualification. You can directly download the GAS here. The qualification FAQ is also available. You can download it here: Qualification FAQ (NPA Data Science) The FAQ answers common questions such as:…
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SQA regularly reviews the portfolio of qualifications to remove qualifications that are no longer current. We’re very careful about this. Once a qualification has low (or no) uptake for several years, a Business Development Manager will consult with stakeholders to ensure that removing it is OK before it comes to me to make a final decision. A number of qualifications have been recommended for withdrawal including: NPA Internet Technology PDA Web Development PDA Database Programming Diploma in Digital Application Support.…
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The units within the recently validated NPA Data Science have now been published on the SQA website. In total, we developed 12 new units as part of this development. Here is a list of the new units, along with links to each specification. Data Science (Level 4) Data Science (Level 5) Data Science (Level 6) Data Citizenship (Level 4) Data Citizenship (Level 5) Data Citizenship (Level 6) Machine Learning (Level 5) Machine Learning (Level 6) Data Science: Statistics (Level 5)…
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The Summer is a good time for the team to catch up with things, and one of the things I always do is update the portfolio diagram, which shows all of the vocational qualifications that me and my team are responsible for. You can download the portfolio via this link. It’s worth downloading and printing the diagram so that you can see what’s coming, what’s going and what’s just arrived. We have a few new arrivals. HND Cyber Security has…
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