Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency

Last updated: 16 January 2009

Awarding bodies

There are five awarding bodies that offer AS/A level qualifications:

• AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance)
• CCEA (Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessments)
• Edexcel
• OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations)
• WJEC (Welsh Joint Education Committee)

The specifications are available from their websites.

 

Regulatory authorities

There are three regulatory authorities that oversee qualifications, tests and examinations. As regulators, they monitor standards and make sure that AS and A levels don’t get harder or easier each year.

In England: Ofqual (Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator)

In Wales: DCELLS (Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills)

In Northern Ireland: CCEA (Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessments)

 

QCA’s role

QCA works with awarding bodies, teachers and subject communities to develop the subject criteria and supports awarding bodies through the process of accreditation of their specifications.

Qualifications information

There are many organisations offering information, advice and guidance about qualifications in addition to that offered in schools and colleges. Two government-funded services are listed below.

NDAQ (National Database of Qualifications)
A full list of all approved qualifications, including all AS and A levels.

Connexions
Help in finding the right courses.