Awarding Bodies

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) acts as a single voice and a focal point for all the major awarding bodies, helping them to create common standards, regulations and guidance and assisting them to regulate themselves.

The JCQ site also has a section dealing with Access Arrangements and Special Considerations, containing a range of documents covering the Regulations and Guidance for Candidates who are eligible for adjustments in examinations.

The major exam boards in England and Northern Ireland are:

Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (Main switchboard: 0161 953 1180 in Manchester; 01483 506 506 in Guildford)

EDEXCEL (Main switchboard: 0870 240 9800)

Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR). (Main switchboard 01223 552552)

In Scotland, the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is the national body in Scotland responsible for the development, accreditation, assessment and certification of qualifications other than degrees.

For Wales: Welsh Joint Education Committee (Main switchboard: 02920 265000)

Finally, the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) is the membership body for exam boards, representing organisations that award vocational qualifications in the UK.