The Foundation Program

The Foundation Program Unit at the Community College of Qatar (CCQ) is dedicated to preparing students of the Qatari Community for academic and professional success by offering a variety of learner-centered language courses and fostering a high-quality, innovative, and distinctive learning environment. Accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA), the program ensures internationally recognized standards in English language education. With four levels of instruction, students progress through structured courses designed to enhance their language proficiency and prepare them for their academic journey at CCQ.

Accreditation

The Community College of Qatar Foundation Program Unit and Foreign Languages is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation for the period April 2025 through April 2035 and agrees to uphold the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency for English language programs and institutions in the U.S. For further information about this accreditation, please contact CEA, 1001 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 630, Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 665-3400, www.cea-accredit.org.

For CEA standards, click here.

To file a complaint to the CEA, click here.

Courses

The Foundation Program covers four levels of English language instruction which are taught across four courses. These courses are Foundation English 1, 2, 3 and 4. Course durations, days per week, and hours per week are shown in the table below:

Course	Duration	Days per week	Hours per week
Foundation English 1	16 weeks	4 (full-time)	20
Foundation English 2	16 weeks	2 (part-time)	10
Foundation English 3	16 weeks	4 (full-time)	20
Foundation English 4	16 weeks	2 (part-time)	10

Admission and Progression

Students enter the Program on one of the four courses depending on their score in the Accuplacer test delivered by the CCQ Testing Center or equivalent (consult the Testing Center for more details). Students move to the college level on completion of Foundation English 1 or 2 (Arabic track) or Foundation English 3 or 4 (English track).

Contact

For further information and inquiries about the Foundation Program, please contact: fp.admin@ccq.edu.qa

All Foundation Programs Courses are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). For CEFR levels and descriptors please visit this Link.

Foundation Program/CEFR Course Alignment

Level	CEFR range
1	A2 Basic user
2	A2 Basic user
3	B1-B2 Independent User
4	B2 Independent User

Foundation Program Achievement Scale

Grade	%	Foundation English 1	Foundation English 3	Grade	%	Foundation English 2	Foundation English 4
A	90–100%	Clearly exceeds the notional CEFR level	Clearly exceeds the notional CEFR level	A	90–100%	Clearly exceeds the notional CEFR level	Clearly exceeds the notional CEFR level
B	80–89%	Exceeds the notional CEFR level	Exceeds the notional CEFR level	B	80–89%	Exceeds the notional CEFR level	Exceeds the notional CEFR level
C	70–79%	Meets the notional CEFR level	Meets the notional CEFR level	C	70–79%	Meets the notional CEFR level	Meets the notional CEFR level
D	60–69%	Partially meets the notional CEFR level	Partially meets the notional CEFR level			-	-
F	Below 60%	Does not meet the notional CEFR level	Does not meet the notional CEFR level	F	Below 70%	Does not meet the notional CEFR level	Does not meet the notional CEFR level

English, French and Spanish courses in the Foreign Languages Unit (FLU) are also accredited by the CEA. For FLU Achievement Scales click here.

A student passes a course with a grade of A/B/C.
Being awarded an ‘F’ grade in any course means that the course will need to be repeated.
If a ‘D’ grade is awarded in Foundation English 1, the student is required to study Foundation English 2.
If a ‘D’ grade is awarded in Foundation English 3, the student is required to study Foundation English 4.