WJEC / CBAC

What WJEC / CBAC does

WJEC CBAC Ltd (Welsh Joint Education Committee / Cyd-bwyllgor Addysg Cymru) is the designated qualifications awarding body for Wales, headquartered at 245 Western Avenue, Cardiff. Founded in 1948, the company designs, develops, and assesses regulated qualifications — including GCSEs, AS/A Levels, the Welsh Baccalaureate, Essential Skills Wales, vocational and VCSE awards, and adult Welsh-language qualifications — for delivery across Welsh schools and further-education colleges. Its offering spans curriculum development, examination administration, digital assessment delivery, teacher professional learning, and student support services, with materials offered bilingually in Welsh and English.

Operationally, WJEC combines a content-publishing and assessment-authoring function with a growing digital platform suite — e-assessment delivery, e-submission, the Online Exam Review (OER) system, the WJEC Portal for exams officer administration, and WJEC Connect for materials despatch — supported by a multi-channel engagement model spanning website, email, social media, and face-to-face Professional Learning events held in Cardiff, Llandudno, and selected English cities. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is shaped by Welsh educational funding mechanisms and regulation from Qualifications Wales.

Commercially, WJEC is a private, independently governed corporation with no disclosed VC/PE backing, no parent company, no M&A activity, and no available revenue or headcount figures. It is currently navigating a major product refresh cycle — the Wave 3 Made-for-Wales qualifications programme for first teaching 2027 — alongside regulatory scrutiny from Ofqual on assessment integrity and AI-related cheating risks, which together define its near-term operational priorities.

Name

WJEC / CBAC

Legal name

WJEC CBAC Ltd

Website

https://wjec.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Short description

WJEC CBAC Ltd is Wales' designated examination board, designing and assessing regulated GCSE, A-level, vocational, and Welsh-language qualifications for Welsh schools, colleges, teachers, and students, with a growing digital assessment platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

WJEC is an examination board providing regulated academic and vocational qualifications and assessment services to schools and colleges in Wales. Its core offerings span GCSE, AS/A-level, Level 3, Entry Level, Level 1/2 vocational awards, VCSE, and Foundation qualifications, supported by digital resources, e-assessment platforms, and teacher professional learning programmes.

Product overview

WJEC (Welsh Joint Education Committee / CBAC) is Wales' primary examination board, providing a comprehensive portfolio of educational qualifications and assessment services. The core offerings include GCSE qualifications across academic, scientific, linguistic, creative, and technical subjects; AS/A Level qualifications for pre-university study; Level 3 applied and vocational qualifications; Entry Level and Foundation qualifications for differentiated learning; and Level 1/2 Vocational Awards and VCSE qualifications for technical education pathways. Supporting services include the WJEC Professional Learning programme offering teacher training, the Digital Resources platform, Online Exam Review (OER) system, Past Papers archive, e-Assessment platform, Portal for centre administration, and student support services. The Welsh Baccalaureate is a flagship cross-curricular qualification, while Essential Skills Wales and Welsh for Adults programmes address specific national educational priorities. WJEC is actively developing Wave 3 Made-for-Wales qualifications under the 'Qualified for the future' initiative in partnership with Qualifications Wales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WJEC GCSE Qualifications General Certificate of Secondary Education qualifications across multiple subjects including sciences, languages, humanities, arts, and technical subjects for students typically aged 14-16 in Wales.
• WJEC AS/A Level Qualifications Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level qualifications across academic subjects for students typically aged 16-18, preparing them for higher education.
• WJEC Level 3 Qualifications Advanced Level 3 applied and vocational qualifications including Criminology, Art and Design, Business, Food Science and Nutrition, Medical Science, and Extended Project.
• WJEC Entry Level Qualifications Entry level qualifications providing foundational education pathways in various subjects for students requiring additional support or starting at lower academic levels.
• WJEC Level 1/2 Vocational Awards Technical and vocational qualifications at Level 1 and 2 covering areas such as ICT, Hospitality and Catering, Engineering, Retail Business, Performing Arts, and Sport and Coaching Principles.
• WJEC VCSE Qualifications Vocational Certificate of Secondary Education qualifications at Level 1/2 in Engineering, Built Environment, Hospitality and Catering, Creative and Media Production, Travel and Tourism, Performing Arts, Public Services, Sport and Leisure, and Retail and Customer Service.
• WJEC Foundation Qualifications Entry Level and Level 1 foundation qualifications in English, Design and Technology, Cymraeg, Travel and Tourism, Built Environment, Health and Social Care and Childcare, Creative and Media Production, and Engineering.
• WJEC Welsh Baccalaureate The Welsh Baccalaureate is a mandatory qualification in Wales combining individual qualifications with Skills Challenges, available at National/Foundation and Advanced Levels.
• WJEC Essential Skills Wales Essential Skills qualifications covering Application of Number, Communication, Digital Literacy, and Employability skills at entry level through Level 3.
• WJEC Welsh for Adults Qualifications Qualification suite for adults learning Welsh, ranging from entry level to advanced proficiency, including Pathways Work Welsh for workplace language skills.
• WJEC Language Pathways Language proficiency qualifications in French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, and Cornish at multiple levels, covering spoken and written communication in personal, social, and professional contexts.
• WJEC Professional Learning Expert-led training opportunities for teachers including online and face-to-face courses, assessment feedback sessions, specification briefings, and classroom practice workshops across all subject areas.
• WJEC Online Exam Review (OER) Online platform for reviewing past examination papers, mark schemes, and examiner reports for students and teachers.
• WJEC e-Assessment Electronic assessment platform enabling computer-based examinations and digital submission of student work.
• WJEC Portal Secure online portal for exams officers to manage entries, results, grade boundaries, and centre information.
• WJEC Connect Digital platform for centres to receive and manage examination materials and despatch.
• WJEC Wave 3 Made-for-Wales Qualifications New suite of GCSEs and qualifications developed specifically for Wales under Qualifications Wales' 'Qualified for the future' initiative, including Personal Project, Skills Suite, Foundation, and VCSE qualifications for first teaching September 2027.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AQA: AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) is England's largest awarding body, offering GCSEs, A-levels, and vocational qualifications. It is the most direct peer to WJEC in terms of product (regulated qualifications) and customer base (UK schools), though it serves England rather than Wales.
• NCFE: NCFE is a UK educational charity and awarding body offering vocational qualifications, Functional Skills, and Essential Skills. It is comparable to WJEC for its Essential Skills Wales, vocational qualifications, and regulated qualification design.
• City & Guilds: City & Guilds is a UK vocational awarding body offering technical and professional qualifications. It overlaps with WJEC's Level 1/2 Vocational Awards and VCSE qualifications portfolio, particularly in technical and applied subjects.
• Pearson Edexcel: Pearson Edexcel is a major UK awarding body offering GCSE, A-level, BTEC vocational, and other regulated qualifications. As one of England's three primary exam boards alongside AQA and OCR, it is a direct competitor to WJEC for cross-border students and qualification recognition.
• OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA): OCR is part of Cambridge Assessment and offers GCSE, A-level, and vocational qualifications in England. It is one of the three major English exam boards alongside AQA and Pearson Edexcel, competing with WJEC for UK qualification standards recognition.
• Eduqas: Eduqas is WJEC's own English-market brand, offering GCSE and A-level qualifications in England. It is directly comparable to WJEC because it uses shared content, examiner networks, and qualification design but serves a separate regulatory jurisdiction (Ofqual).

Regional players

• SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority): SQA is Scotland's national awarding body, administering National 5, Higher, and Advanced Higher qualifications. It is comparable to WJEC as a UK regional exam board serving a distinct national curriculum and student population.
• CCEA (Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment): CCEA is Northern Ireland's awarding body, providing GCSE, A-level, and vocational qualifications within Northern Ireland. Like WJEC, it operates as a regional awarding body tied to a specific UK nation's curriculum and regulatory framework.

Emerging players

• International Baccalaureate (IB): The International Baccalaureate offers the IB Diploma and related programmes for students aged 16-19, serving a global school network. It competes with WJEC at the upper-secondary level for schools seeking internationally portable qualifications.

Broad incumbents

• Cambridge Assessment International Education: Cambridge Assessment International Education offers IGCSE, International A Level, and other globally recognized qualifications. It is comparable to WJEC as a major international exam board with overlapping assessment products serving schools worldwide.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wjec_cbac
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CBACWJEC
• Facebookfacebook.com/wjeccbac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wjeccbac
• Instagraminstagram.com/wjecofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@wjec_cbac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WJEC / CBAC