[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-316190-105":59,"doc-detail-316190-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","comparing-different-types-of-qualifications-an-alternative-comparator","Comparing different types of qualifications - An alternative comparator","","Returns to qualifications quantify how much more, on average, people earn when they hold a particular qualification compared with similar peers without it. The article examines how this method can support qualifications comparability research for cases where customary comparators are unsuitable, enabling comparisons across qualification types, occupations, sectors, and progression routes. It also outlines limitations and contrasts returns to qualifications with other comparator approaches, noting data and sample requirements.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/comparing-different-types-of-qualifications-an-alternative-comparator/316190/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/comparing-different-types-of-qualifications-an-alternative-comparator/316190.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Kurz","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-04","2026-09-20",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":29},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does returns to qualifications measure?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It measures the average earnings difference between people with a given qualification and people with similar demographic characteristics who do not have the qualification.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why are customary comparators sometimes inadequate?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"They can require specific kinds of evidence—such as robust samples of items, learners’ work, or large datasets of attainment measures—and may fail when qualifications are not predominantly assessed by national examinations or when physical work examples are unavailable.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How does the alternative comparator help comparability studies?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Returns to qualifications supports comparisons that other methods cannot adequately achieve, including comparisons across different qualification types, occupations, sectors, and progression routes.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},316190,1790270290,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":29,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":39,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":46,"preview_page_count":4},2336478945635,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","This is a single article from Research Matters: A Cambridge Assessment publication. [http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/research-matters/](http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/research-matters/)© UCLES 2011  \nRETURNS TO QUALIFICATIONS  \nComparing different types of qualifications: An alternative comparator  \nJackie Greatorex Head of the Core Research Team, Assessment Research & Development  \nIntroduction  \nReturns to qualifications measure how much more is earned on average by people with a particular qualification compared to people with similar demographic characteristics who do not have the qualification. Awarding bodies and the national regulator do not generally use this research method in comparability studies. This article considers what returns to qualifications comparability research can offer awarding bodies and shows that it enables researchers to make comparisons which cannot be satisfactorily achieved by other methods, for instance, comparisons between different types of qualifications, occupations, sectors and progression routes. However, as with all research approaches, returns to qualifications has its limitations.  \nBackground  \nThe English qualification system is complex and for some time government reports have noted this complexity (Foster, 2005; Leitch, 2006; Wolf, 2011). There are thousands of qualifications of several types and at different levels; for details see Isaacs (2010) and Ofqual (2010a toc, 2011a). A glossary of qualifications and qualification types is given in Appendix 1, and a glossary of technical terms, common abbreviationsand acronyms relevant to this article is given in Appendix 2.  \nDifferent types of cognate qualifications can lead to the same job or programme of study. The results of comparability studies contrasting such qualifications can highlight easy or difficult routes to jobs or further study, and the results may be provided to appropriate authorities who determine what action is necessary to reduce any disparity.  \nResearch methods for comparing the quality of examinees’performance are frequently considered in the literature (e.g. Newton et al., 2007) and used in comparability studies. Many of these methods are unsuitable when comparing qualifications that are not predominantly assessed by national examinations. For these comparisons an alternative comparator is required. An example of an alternative comparator, and the focus of this article, is returns to qualifications.  \nCustomary comparators  \nThe comparators listed below have often been used in comparability research:  \n● The demand of the examination items (e.g. QCA, 2006; Crisp and Novakovic´, 2009a and b)  \n● The quality of learners’ performance as illustrated by their responses to examination items (D’Arcy, 1997; Bramley, 2005; Yim and Shaw, 2009)  \n● Prior measures of attainment (Bell and Dexter, 2000; Schagen and Hutchinson, 2007)  \n● Concurrent measures of attainment (Bell and Dexter, 2000; Murphy, 2007) .  \nEach of the customary comparators has different requirements. A robust sample of examination items is needed if their demand is being contrasted. Similarly, a robust sample of learners’ work is needed to compare their examination performance. Prior and concurrent measures of attainment both require large datasets with multiple measures of educational attainment.  \nThe studies listed above compare the same type of qualification. Few studies comparing different types of qualifications utilise the customary comparators. Exceptions are that Guthrie (2003) and Arlett (2002; 2003) compared the quality of learners’ performance in GCE versus VCE qualifications and Bell and Vidal Rodeiro (2006) used prior and concurrent measures in attainment to compare GCSE versus VGCSE performance in similar subjects.  \nThere are some circumstances in which these customary comparators cannot be used. For example, studies based on comparing the quality of work produced require physical examples of that work, which might not be avail","cbCaihfYcOkuvCBp","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihfYcOkuvCBp","pdf",237081,"English","# Introduction\n## Background\n## Customary comparators\n## Returns to qualifications","[{\"question\":\"What does returns to qualifications measure?\",\"answer\":\"It measures the average earnings difference between people with a given qualification and people with similar demographic characteristics who do not have the qualification.\"},{\"question\":\"Why are customary comparators sometimes inadequate?\",\"answer\":\"They can require specific kinds of evidence—such as robust samples of items, learners’ work, or large datasets of attainment measures—and may fail when qualifications are not predominantly assessed by national examinations or when physical work examples are unavailable.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the alternative comparator help comparability studies?\",\"answer\":\"Returns to qualifications supports comparisons that other methods cannot adequately achieve, including comparisons across different qualification types, occupations, sectors, and progression routes.\"}]","Comparing different types of qualifications - An alternative comparator | PDF",1789910917]