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WJEC (exam board)

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WJEC
CBAC(Welsh)
Formation1948;76 years ago(1948)[1]
PurposeExamination board
HeadquartersCardiff,Wales
Region served
Wales,EnglandandNorthern Ireland
Websitewww.wjec.co.ukEdit this at Wikidata
Formerly called
Welsh Joint Education Committee
Cyd-bwyllgor Addysg Cymru(Welsh)

WJEC(Welsh:CBAC) is anexamination boardproviding examinations, professional development and educational resources to schools and colleges inWalesandNorthern Irelandunder its own name, and theEduqasbrand forEngland.

History

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WJEC was established as a consortium of WelshLocal Education Authoritiesin 1948, replacing theCentral Welsh Board.[1]It is now aregistered charity,and acompany limited by guarantee,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

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WJEC’s qualifications include traditional academic and work-related subjects atEntry Level,GCSE,AS/A Level,other level 3 qualifications such as Level 3 Diploma/Certificate in Criminology[2]or Level 3 Diploma/Certificate in Medical Science[3]as well asFunctional SkillsandKey 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.[4]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.[5][failed verification]

WJEC has introduced a computerized assessment system for some subjects to improve the examination experience and increase efficiency of marking.[6]

WJEC providesQualifications Wales-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 theGovernment of the United Kingdom.WJEC also collaborates with theUniversity of Cambridgeto offer educational qualifications.[7]

New GCSEs, AS/A levels and vocational qualifications have been developed to incorporate the changes as outlined by theWelsh Governmentin their own series of reforms.

WJEC also provides theWelsh Baccalaureate.[8]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.[9]

Eduqas

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WJEC offers qualifications regulated by England'sOfqualthrough 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 meetCCEAAccreditation's regulations. Some Eduqas qualifications are also available in Wales where noQualifications Wales-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

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Main entrance to the headquarters, built on the site of the formerTeledu Cymrustudios

WJEC runs a programme ofprofessional developmentwith their subject specialists and Chief or Principal Examiners throughout England and Wales.

National Youth Arts Wales

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WJEC previously managed theNational Youth Orchestra of Wales,National Youth Dance Wales and National Youth Theatre of Wales, under the joint brand ofNational Youth Arts Walesin partnership withTŷ Cerdd.[10]

In 2016,Welsh Governmentrecommended that the ensembles become managed under one unified body. WJEC ceased to manage the ensembles as of 2017.[11]

Welsh for adults

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WJEC provides resources for adults learningWelsh,allowing candidates to show their speaking, listening, reading and writing abilities at different levels. They also provide Welsh examinations designed for adult learners.[12]

References

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  1. ^ab"About Us".WJEC.
  2. ^"Criminology Level 3 (from 2015)".WJEC.Retrieved2018-04-18.
  3. ^"Medical Science Level 3 (from 2016)".WJEC.Retrieved2018-04-18.
  4. ^"Education Committee: Written evidence submitted by WJEC".Parliament of the United Kingdom.
  5. ^"Exam board to re-mark GCSE papers".BBC News Online.19 March 2014.
  6. ^"e-Assessment".WJEC.
  7. ^"Cambridge School Classics Project (NA)".Cambridge School Classics Project.
  8. ^"Welsh Baccalaureate".WJEC.
  9. ^"Online Exam Review".WJEC.
  10. ^"Independent report into safeguarding the future of Wales' National Youth Arts Ensembles published, 27/01/16 [W]".Children in Wales.Retrieved2020-02-03.
  11. ^"Welsh Government backs changes to youth arts infrastructure".ArtsProfessional.Retrieved2020-02-03.
  12. ^"Welsh for Adults".www.wjec.co.uk.Retrieved2019-10-04.
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