There are several examination boards (also known as awarding bodies) that are able to set and award qualifications, such as GCSEs and A levels, to pupils in state schools and colleges across the UK.
All exam boards follow strict guidelines from Ofqual (the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) to regulate standards and ensure parity, but the layout, content and format of exams varies from board to board.
Schools and colleges, therefore, have a choice of which exam board they will use for each subject, and must look carefully at each specification to decide which awarding body and qualification they will choose.
Decisions can be based on the number of papers, weightings of units and ratios of written exams to non-exam assessment, as well as on specific content covered by the course.
UK exam boards
Find in-depth guides to the major exam boards in the links below, or read on for an overview:
Read more about AQA
Read more about Edexcel
Read more about OCR
AQA
AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) is one of the main examination boards in England and currently accounts for more than half of the GCSE and A-level qualifications taken and marked in the UK each year.
AQA is a registered charity, independent of the government, and is managed by a board of trustees who have responsibility for the overall strategy and direction of the organisation.
The organisation has been around for almost 20 years, having been formed from a merger between the Associated Examining Board (the AEB) and Northern Examinations and Assessment Board (NEAB) in April 2000.
In total, AQA offers qualifications in around 60 subjects and within these subject areas there are a variety of specifications and qualification levels.
The core subjects of maths, English and science are covered, as well as numerous languages, humanities, ICT-related areas, PE and creative subjects. AQA also offers Applied General and Level 1, 2 and 3 qualifications in a variety of skills-based subject areas such as business, science, catering, and general skills, as well as independent extended projects.
Edexcel
Edexcel - its name being a portmanteau of “education” and “excellence” - is one of the largest awarding bodies in the UK alongside AQA and is the qualification brand name for publishing and education company Pearson. Edexcel was originally formed in 1996, following the merger of the Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) and the University of London Examinations and Assessment Council (ULEAC), which administered GCSEs and A levels.
Although it was initially established as a charitable organisation, Edexcel is now owned by Pearson and is the only privately owned exam board in the UK.
The company is overseen by a board, which regulates standards and monitors the overall running of the company.
It offers a variety of courses and qualifications for 14- to 19-year-olds, but is largely used for GCSE and A-level qualifications in the UK (as well as some vocational qualifications, including NVQs and Functional Skills).
Edexcel offers qualifications in around 50 subject areas, including the core subjects of maths, English and science.
However, there are more than 300 choices of topics or subjects attached to the various work-based and NVQ competency qualifications, and Edexcel is a popular choice for BTEC and NVQ qualifications.
OCR
OCR (Oxford, Cambridge and RSA) sets and assesses GCSEs, A levels and a wide range of vocational courses. It is one of the main examination boards used in the UK but is also part of Europe’s largest assessment agency, operating in more than 150 different countries.
OCR was established in 1998 following the merger of UCLES (University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate) and RSA (an exam board offering vocational qualifications since the 1850s).
Operating as a charity, OCR is governed by an executive team (led by CEO Jill Duffy), which ensures the management and day-to-day running of assessment, operations, products and sales and marketing.
OCR offers GCSEs and A levels in more than 40 subjects, including the core subjects of maths, English and science, but also a range of languages, humanities and creative arts subjects.
It also offers more than 450 vocational qualifications, spanning fields of industry including business, ICT, health and social care, and media.
