There are a host of important benefits to holding a regulated qualification and, generally, a regulated qualification is accepted as being of superior quality (technically in the UK non-regulated courses should not be referred to as qualifications).  Here is a link to a blog which provides details of the difference between the two.

The levels refer to the level of learning required to complete the qualification. Qualifications at the same level are therefore broadly similar (or equivalent) in the level of learning, or depth of knowledge, required.

This refers to the number of hours of teaching and supervised assessment you would normally need to receive in order to pass the qualification.  It is not the total learning time (which is referred to as Total Qualification Time (TQT), so you also need to allow time for self-study such as reading, revision and research. 

The qualification specifications state the total qualification time so use these to assess your self-study hours (higher-level qualifications have less guided learning and require more individual research and reading).

NQF, QCF and RQF are frameworks created by the UK government’s qualifications regulator, Ofqual.  The RQF is the current framework and the one on which current ABE qualifications sit.  

ABE offered QCF qualifications up until March 2017 with the last exam session taking place in December 2017.  The NQF was prior to the QCF.

2022 was the last year in which learners who passed some units can transition from QCF to RQF – since 2023 learners who have not completed ABE qualifications with QCF units would have to apply for credit exemptions in the usual way.