Transfer of Credits & Withdrawal
DAIS-POL-014
Transfer of Credits, Exemptions, and Withdrawal Policy
Data and AI School of London, NCFE Approved Centre
Policy Owner: Examinations Officer
Version: 1.0 | Date: April 2026 | Review: April 2027
NCFE Risk Level: Medium
Mode of Delivery: Fully Online
14.1 Purpose and Scope
This policy covers the processes for transferring credit between qualifications, granting exemptions from units based on prior achievement, and managing the formal withdrawal of learners from NCFE qualifications.
14.2 Credit Transfer
Where a learner has previously achieved a unit with NCFE or another recognised awarding organisation that is directly equivalent to a unit in their current qualification, the centre will:
1. Review the equivalency in line with the NCFE Qualification Specification.
2. Record the credit transfer on the learner's NCFE Portal record.
3. Inform the learner in writing of the units credited.
All credit transfer decisions are recorded digitally and are subject to IQA oversight.
14.3 Exemptions
Where an exemption from a unit is permitted by the NCFE Qualification Specification, the Examinations Officer will follow NCFE's published exemption process and update the learner's record on the NCFE Portal accordingly.
14.4 Learner Withdrawal
A learner may be withdrawn in the following circumstances: they request withdrawal; they have been non-responsive for 20 or more working days and all support interventions (Policy 9) have been exhausted; they have been disqualified for malpractice (Policy 10); or they are unable to continue due to personal circumstances.
Withdrawal Process
1. The Learner Support Lead attempts contact through all available digital channels.
2. If the learner confirms withdrawal, the Examinations Officer processes it on the NCFE Portal.
3. The learner is informed in writing of their withdrawal and partial achievement record.
4. Where appropriate, the learner is signposted to alternative provision.
5. The learner's VLE access is suspended within 3 working days, but their records are retained.
14.5 Protecting Learner Records
Partial achievement records are preserved in line with the data retention schedule (Policy 6). Learners retain the right to request their records for up to 7 years following qualification award or 24 months following termination of the centre agreement, whichever is later.
14.6 Exit Feedback
Digital exit feedback forms are offered to all withdrawing learners. The Learner Support Lead reviews feedback from all withdrawals annually to identify patterns and inform quality improvements.
This policy is reviewed annually. Next review: April 2027. Approved by: Head of Centre. © Data and AI School of London, April 2026. NCFE Approved Centre.