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COLLECTION METHODS

STANDARD QUESTION MODULE

Where the standard variable 'Highest year of school completed' is collected, the standard module for 'Highest non-school qualification' should follow directly after the question on 'Highest year of school completed'.

For some collections there may be a requirement to ask further questions relating to school completion or attendance. For example, a collection may ask why year 12 was not completed or what type of school was last attended. These additional questions may be sequenced between the standard question for 'Highest year of school completed' and the standard question module for 'Highest non-school qualification' to maintain continuity with the topic. When additional school questions are not asked and the 'Highest non-school qualification' module immediately follows the 'Highest year of school completed' question, it is recommended that the first question in the module for 'Highest non-school qualification' includes the word-sub 'other'.

The standard question module for 'Highest year of school completed' usually precedes the following question module.

Note: The word-sub [other] is used when this question directly follows the 'Highest year of school completed' question.

	Q2	The next few questions are about any [other] educational qualifications that [name has/you have] completed.
		[Has name/Have you] completed a trade certificate, diploma, degree or any other educational qualification?
		i
		Yes
		No		No more questions

In ABS Surveys, the following question uses a coder to allocate a code from the ASCED Level of Education classification to the response.

	Q3	What is the level of the highest qualification that [name has/you have] completed?
		Interviewer: Type the first three letters of the level, then select the correct level from the coding list. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms. If level does not appear, type 'Not in coder', and select 'Not in coder' in the pop-up box. i
		........................................................		Go to Q4
		If Level specified in trigram coder = School level, Statement of Attainment or Bridging course		Go to Q3A
		If Level specified in trigram coder = Not in coder		Go to Q3C

	Q3A	[Has name/Have you] completed any other educational qualifications?
		Yes		Go to Q3B
		No		No more questions

In ABS Surveys, the following question also uses a coder. Note: the coder used for this question differs from the one used in Q3 above. The coder used in Q3 includes school levels and Statements of Attainments, the coders used in Q3B excludes these levels. Both coders are required for this standard question module.

	Q3B	What is the level of the highest qualification that [name has/you have] completed?		From Q3A
		Interviewer: Type the first three letters of the level, then select the correct level from the coding list. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms. If level does not appear, type 'Not in coder', and select 'Not in coder' in the pop-up box. i
		........................................................ If Level specified in trigram coder = Not in coder		Go to Q4

	Q3C	Enter the level of the highest qualification completed
		...........................................................		Go to Q4

	Q4	What was the main field of study for that qualification?
		Interviewer: Specify main field of study. Interviewer: If 'Arts', 'Teaching/Education', 'Science', 'Engineering', 'Computing', 'Building', Applied Science', 'Business', Commerce', 'Humanities' or Nursing', ask for more detail. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms.
		............................................................................................................

	Q5	In which year did [name/you] complete that qualification?
		Prior to 1990		No more questions
		1990 onwards

	Q5A	Enter year qualification was completed (in the format yyyy)
		............................................................

For collections where there is no requirement for individual years to be ascertained, the following question module may be used:

	Q5	Did [name/you] complete that qualification before 1998?
		Yes, before 1998
		No, 1998 or later

	Q2	[Have you] [Has the person] completed any educational qualification (including a trade certificate)?
		Mark one box only
		No		No more questions
		No, still studying for first qualification		No more questions
		Yes, trade certificate/apprenticeship
		Yes, other qualification

	Q3	What is the level of the highest qualification [you have] [the person has] completed?
		For example, trade certificate, bachelor degree, associate diploma, certificate II, advanced diploma.
		Level of qualification
		.......................................................................

	Q4	What is the main field of study for [your] [the person's] highest qualification completed?
		For example, plumbing, history, primary school teaching, hairdressing, greenkeeping.
		Field of study
		.......................................................................

	Q5	In which year did [name/you] complete that qualification?
		Prior to 1990		No more questions
		1990 onwards

	Q5A	Enter year qualification was completed (in the format yyyy)
		............................................................

For self-completed collections where there is no requirement for individual years to be ascertained, the following question module may be used:

	Q5	Did [you] [the person] complete this qualification before 1998?
		Yes, before 1998
		No, 1998 or later

Q2.	The next few questions are about any [other] educational qualifications that [name has/you have] completed.
	[Has name/Have you] completed a trade certificate, diploma, degree or any other educational qualification?
	Definition: 'Completed' a qualification means having successfully passed all of the requirements for the qualification. Including: Study that led to a formal qualification such as a Bachelor Degree, Certificate II, Advanced Diploma. Qualifications completed overseas or through distance education. Qualifications resulting from pre-apprenticeship courses. Fellowships (e.g. Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons). Excluding: Secondary school qualifications. General training, adult education courses, hobby courses and recreational TAFE courses.
	Yes
	No		No more questions

Q3.	What is the level of the highest qualification that [name has/you have] completed? Definition: 'Completed' a qualification means having successfully passed all of the requirements for the qualification. Including: Qualifications completed overseas or through distance education. Qualifications resulting from pre-apprenticeship courses. Fellowships (e.g. Fellow of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons). Excluding: Secondary school qualifications. General training, adult education courses, hobby courses and recreational TAFE courses. Note: If the level is unknown, type 'Unknown' in Other (please specify)
	Doctorate (i.e. PhD, EdD, LLD)
	Professional fellowship qualification (e.g. medical fellowship)
	Master Degree
	Graduate Diploma
	Graduate Certificate
	Bachelor Degree with Honours
	Bachelor Degree
	Advanced Diploma
	Associate Degree
	Diploma
	Certificate level		Go to Q3A
	Other (please specify) ......................................................		Go to Q3C

Q3A.	What is the level of the highest Certificate that [name has/you have] completed?
	Note: Trade certificates completed from 1995 will have a certificate level, i.e, Certificate III in Construction, Certificate II in Plumbing.
	Certificate IV		Go to Q4
	Certificate III		Go to Q4
	Certificate II		Go to Q4
	Certificate I		Go to Q4
	Trade certificate (completed prior to 1995 only)		Go to Q4
	Unknown		Go to Q4

Q3C	Note: If the level is unknown, type 'Unknown' Enter the level of the highest qualification completed
	........................................................

Q4	What was the main field of study for that qualification?
	Definition: The 'main field' of study for a qualification is the subject that the majority of assessments relate to. This can also be referred to as the 'Major' of a qualification. For example, plumbing, history, primary school teaching, hairdressing, greenkeeping. Notes: Do not use abbreviations or acronyms. Type the full name of the main field of study. For example, instead of 'Engineering' enter 'Mechanical Engineering', or 'Journalism' instead of 'Arts'. For Bachelor degrees and above, please include the major for this qualification. If completed a double degree, record the field of the qualification [name considers/you consider] most important. If completed more than one qualification at the same level, enter the field of the qualification [name considers/you consider] most important.
	........................................................................................................

Q5	Did [name/you] complete this qualification before 1990?
	Yes, before 1990		No more questions
	No, 1990 or later

Q5A	In which year did [name/you] complete this qualification? Please specify in the format yyyy. If unsure, give your best estimate.
	............

Q5	Did [name/you] complete this qualification before 1998?
	Yes, before 1998		No more questions
	No, 1998 or later

IF Non-Remote

	Q2	The next few questions are about any [other] educational qualifications that you have completed.
		Have you completed a trade certificate, diploma, degree or any other educational qualification?
		Yes
		No		No more questions

In ABS Surveys, the following question uses a coder.

	Q3	What is the level of the highest qualification that you have completed?
		Interviewer: Type the first three letters of the level, then select the correct level from the coding list. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms. If level does not appear, type 'Not in coder', and select 'Not in coder' in the pop-up box. i
		........................................................		Go to Q4
		If Level specified in trigram coder = School level, Statement of Attainment or Bridging course		Go to Q3A
		If Level specified in trigram coder = Not in coder		Go to Q3C

	Q3A	Have you completed any other educational qualifications?
		Yes		Go to Q3B
		No		No more questions

In ABS Surveys, the following question also uses a coder. Note: the coder used for this question differs from the one used in Q3 above. The coder used in Q3 includes school levels and Statements of Attainment, the coders used in Q3B excludes these levels. Both coders are required for this standard question module.

	Q3B	What is the level of the highest qualification that you have completed?		From Q3A
		Interviewer: Type the first three letters of the level, then select the correct level from the coding list. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms. If level does not appear, type 'Not in coder', and select 'Not in coder' in the pop-up box. i
		........................................................ If Level specified in trigram coder = Not in coder		Go to Q4

	Q3C	Enter the level of the highest qualification completed
		........................................................		Go to Q4

	Q4	What was the main field of study for this qualification?
		Interviewer: If 'Arts', 'Teaching/Education', 'Science', 'Engineering', 'Computing', 'Building', Applied Science', 'Business', Commerce', 'Humanities' or Nursing', ask for more detail. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms.
		............................................................................................................

	Q5	Did you complete this qualification before 1998?
		Yes, before 1998
		No, 1998 or later

IF Remote

	Q2	The next few questions are about any [other] educational qualifications that you have completed.
		Since leaving school have you finished any (other) course?
		Yes
		No		No more questions

In ABS Surveys, the following question uses a coder.

	Q3	What was the name of this course?
		Interviewer: Depending on what the course name is, prompt for the level attained. If there is more than one course, ask for level of highest course. Type the first three letters of the level, then select the correct level from the coding list. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms. If level does not appear, type 'Not in coder', and select 'Not in coder' in the pop-up box. i
		........................................................		Go to Q4
		If Level specified in trigram coder = School level, Statement of Attainment or Bridging course		Go to Q3A
		If Level specified in trigram coder = Not in coder		Go to Q3C

	Q3A	Have you completed any other educational qualifications?
		Yes		Go to Q3B
		No		No more questions

In ABS Surveys, the following question also uses a coder. Note: the coder used for this question differs from the one used in Q3 above. The coder used in Q3 includes school levels and Statements of Attainments, the coders used in Q3B excludes these levels. Both coders are required for this standard question module.

	Q3B	What is the level of the highest qualification that you have completed?		From Q3A
		Interviewer: Type the first three letters of the level, then select the correct level from the coding list. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms. If level does not appear, type 'Not in coder', and select 'Not in coder' in the pop-up box. i
		........................................................ If Level specified in trigram coder = Not in coder		Go to Q4

	Q3C	Enter the level of the highest qualification completed
		..........................................................		Go to Q4

	Q4	What did you study?
		Interviewer: If 'Arts', 'Teaching/Education', 'Science', 'Engineering', 'Computing', 'Building', Applied Science', 'Business', Commerce', 'Humanities' or Nursing', ask for more detail. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms.
		............................................................................................................

	Q5	Did you finish this course before 1998?
		Yes, before 1998
		No, 1998 or later

Valid ASCED (and Supplementary codes), as coded by the ASCED Coder, are the standard input categories for Level and Field.

Level of highest non-school qualification

The standard input categories are the same as the categories of the ASCED. For operational reasons, supplementary codes also exist to enable inadequately described responses to be coded. Valid ASCED codes for standard input categories for Level of highest non-school qualification are listed in the 'Education Standard Variables Guide'.

Main field of highest non-school qualification

The standard input categories are the six-digit Field of Education categories of the ASCED, except for 120101 General Primary and Secondary Education Programmes. For operational reasons, supplementary codes also exist to enable inadequately described responses to be coded. A full list of ASCED codes is available in the Australian Standard Classification of Education (ASCED), 2001 (cat. no. 1272.0) on the ABS website.

Year non-school qualification completed

When individual years are collected, the standard input categories are single complete years.

EDITING PROCEDURES

'Year non-school qualification completed' is essential for coding 'Level of highest non-school qualification', as qualifications at the Advanced Diploma/Diploma and Certificate Levels were renamed with the introduction of the AQF in 1995.

Diploma Edit

The coding index will code most responses of 'Diploma' to code 400 (Advanced Diploma and Diploma Level n.f.d.). This edit modifies code 400 to either 411 or 421 based on the year of award. Diplomas issued before 1998 are coded to 411 Advanced Diploma and those issued in 1998 or later are coded to 421 Diploma.

The standard edit:

If ASCED level = 400 and Year non-school qualification completed <1998 then recode ASCED code = 411
If ASCED level = 400 and Year non-school qualification completed >1997 then recode ASCED code = 421

The ABS uses the following edit procedure when coding the response of 'certificate' from ASCED Level of Education code 500 to either 510 Certificate III & IV or 520 Certificate I & II based on the year of the award and the ABSCQ code assigned:

If ASCED level = 500 and ABSCQ Level code = 6 and Year non-school qualification completed <1998 then new ASCED code = 510
If ASCED level = 500 and ABSCQ Level code = 7 and Year non-school qualification completed <1998 then new ASCED code = 520

Where the ASCED Coder is used to code responses to 'Level of highest non-school qualification' it can code some responses to Broad Levels 6-9. These codes relate to levels of education that are not valid to the variable 'Level of highest non-school qualification'. They should be re-coded to 000 (not applicable).