WJEC () is an

examination board An examination board (or exam board) is an organization that sets examinations, is responsible for marking them, and distributes the results. Some are run by governmental entities; some are run as not-for-profit organizations. List of national ex ...

providing examinations, professional development and educational resources to schools and colleges in

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

under its own name, and the Eduqas brand for

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

History

The Welsh Joint Education Committee was established as a consortium of Welsh

Local Education Authorities Local education authorities (LEAs) were defined in England and Wales as the local councils responsible for education within their jurisdictions. The term was introduced by the Education Act 1902, which transferred education powers from school bo ...

in 1948, replacing the Central Welsh Board. It is now a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definitio ...

, and a

company limited by guarantee A company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of company where the liability of members in the event the company is wound up is limited to a (typically very small) amount listed in the company's articles or constitution. Most have no share ca ...

, led by a group trustees drawn from the local authorities in Wales and independents from both England and Wales. The organisation is based in Cardiff with a subsidiary company, WJEC CBAC Services Limited, providing specialist printing and publication services. WJEC is run on a day-to-day basis by a senior management team with experience in both the education and commercial sectors.

Qualifications

WJEC’s qualifications include traditional academic and work-related subjects at

Entry Level Entry Level is the lowest level in the National Qualifications Framework in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Qualifications at this level recognise basic knowledge and skills and the ability to apply learning in everyday situations under d ...

GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...

, AS/

A Level The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...

, other level 3 qualifications such as Level 3 Diploma/Certificate in Criminology or Level 3 Diploma/Certificate in Medical Science as well as Functional Skills and Key Skills. As competition between examination boards on qualifications syllabuses and educational standards for GCSE and A Levels is often discussed in the media, WJEC was interrogated by the British House of Commons on this matter and published a written declaration where it responded to the questions asked by the UK Parliament. A recent report by the BBC shows that there is an increasing trend for exam papers to be remarked because of growing allegations of inefficiency in grading under WJEC. WJEC has introduced a computerized assessment system for some subjects to improve the examination experience and increase efficiency of marking. WJEC provides

Qualifications Wales Qualifications Wales () is a Welsh Government sponsored body, responsible for the recognition of awarding bodies and the review and approval of non-degree qualifications in Wales. It was established by the Qualifications Wales Act 2015 and beca ...

-regulated qualifications to all state schools and colleges in Wales. Independent schools in Wales may choose between qualifications regulated by Welsh Government or those regulated by the

Government of the United Kingdom His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

. WJEC also collaborates with the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

to offer educational qualifications. New GCSEs, AS/A levels and vocational qualifications have been developed to incorporate the changes as outlined by the

Welsh Government The Welsh Government ( ) is the Executive (government), executive arm of the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of Cabinet secretary, cabinet secretaries and Minister of State, ministers. It is led by the F ...

in their own series of reforms. WJEC also provides the Welsh Baccalaureate. This offers a programme of study incorporating working with employers, community activities, individual investigations and key skills, as well as students’ GCSEs, GNVQs or A level studies. WJEC offers more than 13,000 past papers, mark schemes and marked exemplars free of charge via their website, along with digital resources in English and Welsh. WJEC also provides an Online Exam Review (OER) in order to provide instant exam results analysis.

Eduqas

WJEC offers qualifications regulated by England's

Ofqual The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is a non-ministerial government department that regulates qualifications, exams and tests in England. Colloquially and publicly, Ofqual is often referred to as the exam "watchdog ...

through the brand Eduqas. The brand was developed as a response to diverging qualifications between England and Wales. Existing specifications being taught in schools and colleges in England continued to be branded WJEC until they were reformed (first teaching from 2015, 2016 or 2017) and relabelled Eduqas. Eduqas qualifications are also available in Northern Ireland, providing they meet CCEA Accreditation's regulations. Some Eduqas qualifications are also available in Wales where no

-regulated equivalent exists. The WJEC brand is used only for qualifications regulated by Qualifications Wales. Some WJEC qualifications are also available in Northern Ireland and a very small number of vocational qualifications are available in England.

Professional development

WJEC runs a programme of

professional development Professional development, also known as professional education, is learning that leads to or emphasizes education in a specific professional career field or builds practical job applicable skills emphasizing Praxis (process), praxis in addition t ...

with their subject specialists and Chief or Principal Examiners throughout England and Wales.

National Youth Arts Wales

WJEC previously managed the National Youth Orchestra of Wales, National Youth Dance Wales and National Youth Theatre of Wales, under the joint brand of National Youth Arts Wales in partnership with . In 2016,

recommended that the ensembles become managed under one unified body. WJEC ceased to manage the ensembles as of 2017.

Welsh for adults

WJEC provides resources for adults learning Welsh, allowing candidates to show their speaking, listening, reading and writing abilities at different levels. They also provide Welsh examinations designed for adult learners.

References

External links

WJEC

Eduqas

WJEC Resources

Eduqas Resources

WJEC Online Exam Review

National Youth Arts Wales
{{Education in Wales, state=collapsed Education in Wales Education in England Education in the United Kingdom Examination boards in the United Kingdom Qualification awarding bodies in the United Kingdom Companies based in Cardiff Educational organisations based in Wales