University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate

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University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
AbbreviationUCLES, CA
Formation1858
Typeinactive, merged
Legal statusDepartment of the University of Cambridge
HeadquartersThe Triangle Building, Cambridge, UK
ServicesExaminations and academic assessments
CEO
 Peter Andrew Jestyn Phillips
Key people
Stephen Toope
Parent organization
 Cambridge University Press & Assessment
Subsidiaries
Revenue (2019/20 [1] )
£382m
Staff (2019)
2694
Website www.cambridge.org

University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge, [2] which operates under the brand name Cambridge Assessment, and is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. It provides educational assessments, which include the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) examination board, Cambridge Assessment International Education, Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing, and Cambridge Assessment English for learners of the English language.

Contents

Cambridge Assessment is not responsible for internal examinations at the University of Cambridge other than admissions tests.

Cambridge Assessment is based at the award-winning Triangle Building in Cambridge. [3] [4]

Products and services

Cambridge Assessment has four examination boards offering a range of assessments and a research division:

It is one of Europe's largest assessment agencies, with over eight million learners in over 170 countries and marked by over 30,000 examiners every year and over 30,000 people work with Cambridge Assessment by either attending conferences or by taking part in topical debates from their desktop. [7] [8] It is recognised by governments around the world.

History

UCLES was established in 1858 to administer examinations for persons who were not members of the University of Cambridge and to inspect schools, with the aim of raising standards in education. [9] [10] The Syndicate began examining in territories overseas, with the first held in Trinidad in 1864. [10] At the beginning of the 20th century, the Syndicate was empowered to hold examinations for commercial certificates. [11]

The Certificate of Proficiency in English (known as the CPE), the Syndicate's first examination in the field of English as a foreign language, was introduced by UCLES to deliver proof of language proficiency to native speakers of languages other than English. Over the years, UCLES adopted further English language examinations, the First Certificate in English (FCE) and the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE). On the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) ranging from A1/A2 (lower level), B1/B2 (intermediate level) to C1/C2 (advanced level), the FCE is set at B2, the CAE at C1 and the CPE at C2.

The universities of Oxford and Cambridge created the Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board which became part of UCLES. The UCLES Group absorbed several other examination boards, including the Southern Universities Joint Board, the Midland Examining Group and the RSA Examinations and Assessment Foundation. [12]

Cambridge Assessment's research division was set up in 1994. [5]

The Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) was introduced in 2001 for entry to a range of undergraduate courses at the University of Cambridge followed by the first BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) in 2003. In 2004, a dedicated unit was formally set up with responsibility for developing and administering admissions tests. [12]

Cambridge Assessment celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008. Cambridge Assessment called for "league tables [to be] taken out of [government] ministers' hands", because it felt recent reforms of the British education system had disfavoured International GCSEs offered by its Cambridge Assessment International subsidiary. [13]

Cambridge Maths was launched in 2014 [14] to improve maths teaching – a four-way partnership between Cambridge Assessment, the University of Cambridge Faculty of Mathematics and its Faculty of Education. [15]

It launched the Cambridge Partnership for Education in 2020 with Cambridge University Press and the University of Cambridge. [16]

It moved to a purpose-built building in 2018, on part of Cambridge University Press's site in Cambridge. The building was designed by Eric Parry Architects, and construction began in 2015 [17] with landscaping by Coles Nursery [18] and architectural elements such as pebble seat sculptures. [19] The building won an award in 2019 from the British Council for Offices for good corporate workplaces. [4]

In 2021, Cambridge Assessment merged with Cambridge University Press. The new organisation is called Cambridge University Press & Assessment. [20] [21] [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GCSE</span> British public examinations, generally taken aged 15-16

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 in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. However private schools in Scotland often choose to follow the English GCSE system.

The General Certificate of Education (GCE) is a subject-specific family of academic qualifications used in awarding bodies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Crown dependencies and a few Commonwealth countries. For some time, the Scottish education system has been different from those in the other countries of the United Kingdom.

An examination 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations</span> British examination board

Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) is an examination board that sets examinations and awards qualifications. It is one of England, Wales and Northern Ireland's five main examination boards.

Cambridge International Education is a provider of international qualifications, offering examinations and qualifications to 10,000 schools in more than 160 countries. It is a non-profit and non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International General Certificate of Secondary Education</span> English language based academic qualification

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is an English language based secondary qualification similar to the GCSE and is recognised in the United Kingdom as being equivalent to the GCSE for the purposes of recognising prior attainment. It was developed by Cambridge Assessment International Education. The examination boards Edexcel, Learning Resource Network (LRN), and Oxford AQA also offer their own versions of International GCSEs. Students normally begin studying the syllabus at the beginning of Year 10 and take the test at the end of Year 11. However, in some international schools, students can begin studying the syllabus at the beginning of Year 9 and take the test at the end of Year 10.

Cambridge Assessment English or Cambridge English develops and produces Cambridge English Qualifications and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The organisation contributed to the development of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the standard used around the world to benchmark language skills, and its qualifications and tests are aligned with CEFR levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia</span> Malaysian national examination

The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), or the Malaysian Certificate of Education, is a national examination sat for by all fifth-form secondary school students in Malaysia. It is the equivalent of the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) of England, Wales and Northern Ireland; the Nationals 4/5 of Scotland; and the GCE Ordinary Level of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is the leaving examination of the eleventh grade of schooling.

The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level is a GCE Ordinary Level examination held annually in Singapore and is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) and the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). Students are graded in the bands ranging from A to F and each band has a respective grade point, a lower grade point indicates better performance. The number at the end of each grade corresponds to the grade point that they receive. To pass an individual O-Level subject, a student must score at least C6 or above. The highest grade a student can attain is A1.

B2 First, previously known as Cambridge English: First and the First Certificate in English (FCE), is an English language examination provided by Cambridge Assessment English (previously known as Cambridge English Language Assessment and the University of Cambridge ESOL examinations).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A-level</span> British educational certification

The A-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 authorities of British Crown dependencies to students completing secondary or pre-university education. They were introduced in England and Wales in 1951 to replace the Higher School Certificate. The A-level permits students to have potential access to a chosen university they applied to with UCAS points. They could be accepted into it should they meet the requirements of the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GCE Ordinary Level</span> British educational certification

The O-Level is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It began in the United Kingdom and has been adopted, often with modifications, in several other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ofqual</span> United Kingdom government department

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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midland Examining Group</span> Former exam board in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

The Midland Examining Group (MEG) was an examination board, operating in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It offered a range of GCSE and Certificate of Achievement qualifications. It became part of OCR in 1998.

In the UK education sector, there are a wide range of qualification types offered by the United Kingdom awarding bodies. Qualifications range in size and type, can be academic, vocational or skills-related, and are grouped together into different levels of difficulty. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, qualifications are divided into Higher Education qualifications, which are on the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) and are awarded by bodies with degree awarding powers, and Regulated qualifications, which are on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) and are accredited by Ofqual in England, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment in Northern Ireland and Qualifications Wales in Wales. In Scotland, qualifications are divided into Higher Education qualifications, Scottish Qualifications Authority qualifications and Scottish Vocational Qualifications/Modern Apprenticeships, which are on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Scottish Higher Education Qualifications are on both the SCQF and the FHEQ.

Examination boards in the United Kingdom are the examination boards responsible for setting and awarding secondary education level qualifications, such as GCSEs, Standard Grades, A Levels, Highers and vocational qualifications, to students in the United Kingdom.

The General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level, or A level, is a main school leaving qualification in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It is available as an alternative qualification in other countries.

The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level is a GCE Advanced Level examination held annually in Singapore and is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) and the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES).

Cambridge Technicals are vocational qualifications, offered by Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) in the United Kingdom, and Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) internationally; both are part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. These qualifications are intended for secondary school students age 16 to 18 who want to study a practical, work-related curriculum. In the UK's Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) a Tech Level 2 qualification is equivalent to a GCSE, and a Level 3 is equivalent to an A Level. The qualifications are designed with the workplace in mind and provide a high quality alternative to A Levels, supporting progression to higher education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambridge University Press & Assessment</span> Non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge. It was formed in August 2021, when the University of Cambridge merged Cambridge University Press, the world's oldest academic publisher, and Cambridge Assessment.

References

  1. ↑ "Annual Report". Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Colleges and Departments". University of Cambridge. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  3. ↑ "Cambridge Assessment's Triangle building wins office award". Cambridge Assessment Network and Research. 29 August 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Award for Projects up to 1500m2". BCO. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Our Research". Cambridge Assessment Network and Research. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  6. ↑ "Cambridge Assessment Network CPD Assessment training". Cambridge Assessment Network and Research. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Inside the secret location that's home to 8 million exam papers". Cambridge News. 10 September 2013. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015.
  8. ↑ "Who we are". Cambridge Assessment Network and Research. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press (online slideshow)". Cambridge Assessment.
  10. 1 2 "History of Cambridge University Press & Assessment". Cambridge University Press & Assessment.
  11. ↑ "PDF Examining The World Download Book – Best File Book" . Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  12. 1 2 Raban, Dr Sandra, ed. (2008). Examining the World. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   9780521884143.
  13. ↑ Stewart, William (4 February 2015). "Cambridge Assessment wants league tables taken out of ministers' hands" . Tes Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  14. ↑ "Who we are". Cambridge Mathematics. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  15. ↑ "Our partners". Cambridge Mathematics. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "New partnership to provide expertise on global education reform". University of Cambridge. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  17. ↑ Lomholt, Isabelle (17 September 2018). "The Triangle Building in Cambridge". e-architect. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  18. ↑ "The Triangle, Cambridge – Coles Nurseries" . Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  19. ↑ "Pebble Seats Sculptural Seating by Ben Barrell at Cambridge Triangle". Barrell Sculpture. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  20. ↑ "Cambridge University Press to join with Cambridge Assessment". University of Cambridge. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  21. ↑ Quested, Tony (22 October 2020). "Cambridge University Press to merge with Cambridge Assessment". Business Weekly. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  22. ↑ Shepard, Gabriel (5 August 2021). "Cambridge University Press and Cambridge Assessment merge". CambridgeshireLive. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
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