A government resolution on developing the Hungarian Qualifications Framework (HQF) and joining the European Qualifications Framework was adopted in 2008. Following that there was a period of research in order to describe the levels of a qualifications framework most suitable for the Hungarian system of education.

The development of the Hungarian Qualifications Framework (HQF) was financed by the Government from the European Social Fund. The development was performed between 2010-2015. As part of the development process, the state accredited vocational qualifications and qualifications were classified in the HQF. The referencing procedure, in which the levels of the HQF were adjusted to the levels of the EQARF was completed in February 2015.

HQF is an 8-level framework containing 4 descriptor categories. The framework is mainly of communicative function, the operation thereof does not divert governance, administrative and policy-authority functions from the sectoral responsible parties of the qualifications listed in the framework. The framework is open to the classification of the qualifications of the non-formal training sector as well.

Level descriptors are defined by the following categories:

KNOWLEDGE: Theoretical or material knowledge, organizational forms are literacy and expertise. The related elements and concepts of knowledge are organized into complex units and schemes, the complexity of which differs on successive levels. The abundance and extent of knowledge of abstract concepts differs significantly between levels.

SKILLS: It consists of action.based motor skills (dexterity and the use of methods, materials, tools and instruments) and cognitive skills (use of logical, intuitive and creative thinking).

ATTITUDES: Assessing attitude to something concrete or abstract; attitudes are about learning, working and self-action, relationships and cooperating skills. Attitudes are made up of emotional, mental and behavioural components.

AUTONOMY AND RESPONSIBILITY: Expresses the level of autonomy and responsibility a person can perform in a given activity.

The degrees and qualifications listed in the HQF

In the absence of the decree regulating the function and legal status of the framework, there is no developed, regulated, permanent rule of the procedure for classifying the formal qualifications and the certificates obtained in the non-formal sector in HQF. The current classification was performed by experts within the frameworks of European Social Fund projects. The classification targeted the listing of the qualifications and degrees available in school-system education.

In 2017, the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry classified the B programmes of the Adult Education Act: by ranging the professional requirements of other vocational trainings the certificates from non-formal trainings have been classified in accordance with the HQF.

From the area of vocational education and training, the vocational qualifications listed in the National Qualifications Register were classified. As the National Qualifications Register also has certain internal levels differing in terms of the input criteria of the trainings (e.g. required degree level or the requirement of holding vocational qualification), it was a major consideration during the classification to reference the independent hierarchic subsystem of the National Qualifications Register (OKJ) with the levels of the HQF.

In relation to the higher education sector, an agreement was stipulated during the development of the HQF levels that the various higher education qualifications will be classified into the HQF at the given levels (5, 6, 7 and 8).