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Awarding organisation

A body recognised by a regulator to develop, award and certificate qualifications. In everyday school use, an exam board.

Also called
AO
Used in
All four UK nations (details may differ)
Topic
Organisations

Being checked against official sources. This definition is written in our own words; always check the official guidance for your country.

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Exam board All four UK nations (details may differ)
An organisation that writes specifications, sets and marks exams and awards qualifications such as GCSEs and A levels, for example AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC/Eduqas and CCEA.
Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) England
The regulator of qualifications, exams and tests in England, including GCSEs, A levels and many vocational qualifications.
AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) England
An exam board in England offering GCSEs, A levels and other qualifications; it is an educational charity.
Pearson Edexcel England International
The exam board brand of Pearson, offering GCSEs, A levels, BTECs and international qualifications such as International GCSEs.
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) England
An exam board in England offering GCSEs, A levels and vocational qualifications, part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

More terms: Organisations

ASCL · Independent Schools Council · Joint Council for Qualifications · NASUWT · QAA

More terms starting with A · Education glossary A–Z · Get a TIP for your class

Definitions are written by Classfern in our own words for teachers in the UK and the US. They are short explanations, not legal or official definitions: always check the official guidance for your country, nation or state. Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government department, inspectorate or exam board named here.