Last updated: 04 Apr 2008

Background

QCA's statutory remit requires it to monitor examination fees. We aim to ensure that fees charged for the qualifications we accredit are fair, proportionate, transparent and published in a timely manner.

This section of the website outlines:

• the work that we have already completed on examination fees to ensure that they are fair
• the work that is being undertaken on examination fees
• information on what examination fees are spent on
• practical guidance on how centres can spend less on examination fees

Completed work

As part of our work, we commissioned a study on A level and GCSE fees. This study concluded that:

"At the highest level the fees charged by the Awarding Bodies are considered to be reasonable as there are no significant profits being made. Minimal profitability is made by the Awarding Bodies on GCSEs and A levels, with GCSEs being more profitable than A levels. A levels are generally loss making. For both GCSEs and A levels there are only a few profitable subjects that subsidise the rest of the loss making subjects."

Extract taken from PKF's "Review of Awarding Bodies' Fees". View a copy of the executive summary of the report.

Current work

QCA is currently undertaking a programme of work that includes:

• analysing and reporting publicly on the fees for the new revised A levels which will be first taught in September 2008
• looking at how and when awarding bodies publish their examination fees for A levels and GCSEs
• monitoring the implementation of the pricing principles for the Diploma qualifications
• investigating the reasonableness of fees for widely used qualifications including vocational qualifications

AQA, OCR and WJEC have indicated their fees for the new revised A levels beginning in 2008 and notional fees for 2009/10. Edexcel meanwhile has published both its 2008/09 GCSE fees and its 2008/09 A level fees in a full price-list. OCR has also provided notional fees for their 2008/09 GCSEs. QCA welcomes the early publication of these fees as it enables centres to budget more accurately and make informed decisions about the qualifications they offer. Following discussions with QCA, the awarding bodies have agreed to publish A level and GCSE fees one year in advance of them coming into effect. This will further assist centres with their budgeting.

The costs of A levels and GCSEs

Our investigations showed that there are a number of key areas that awarding bodies spend examination fees on, for example:

• Setting, marking and examining - One of the most significant costs involved in producing and marking examination papers is the cost of employing examiners. It is vital that awarding bodies are able to recruit sufficient high-quality examiners to set and mark the exams each year.
  
• Question paper production and results -Awarding bodies also need to spend a significant amount of money to ensure that examination papers are produced and distributed, results and certificates are issued on time, and a pre and post results service is available to centres.
  
• Staff - In addition to examiners, awarding bodies employ permanent staff to ensure that the examination process runs smoothly, that new qualifications can be developed, that centres receive appropriate support and comply with regulatory requirements.
  
• IT and Development - Awarding bodies develop materials for teachers and centres to assist them in the delivery of qualifications. Also awarding bodies invest considerable resources in IT to support the administration of their qualifications.
  

Breakdown of an A level

The following pie chart shows the typical costs incurred by awarding bodies:

There are a number of elements that affect the long term fees for A levels and GCSEs:

• Examiner fees - In order to recruit and retain high quality examiners awarding bodies must offer rates of pay which are in line with market rates.
• Increase in assessment opportunities - Many qualifications are now unitised which offer students the flexibility of taking their examinations at different times of the year, for example in January and June. This requires the production of additional examination papers to cover the range of assessment opportunities.
• Development of new qualifications - Awarding bodies need to develop new qualifications such as the revised A level specifications that will be taught from 2008 and the new Diploma qualifications. Awarding bodies need to fund the development of these qualifications and arrangements to support them.
• Changes to assessment structure - Changes in how a qualification is assessed can affect its fees. For example, an increase in the amount of external assessment may make the examination more expensive to deliver.
• IT and Development - The amount awarding bodies spend on IT and development is expected to increase as awarding bodies continue to invest in e-assessment and modernising the way examinations are delivered and administered. For example, awarding bodies have begun developing on-screen tests for some exam components and an increasing number of exams are now being marked on-screen. It may take a number of years for these costs to be recouped.

How to reduce examination bills

Schools and colleges have expressed concern about the amount of money their institution has to spend on examination fees. There are some simple steps that schools and colleges can consider to help manage the amount of money that is spent on examination fees:

• Reduce late and very late entries and ensure that entries are submitted accurately for A levels and GCSEs. Entries made after the awarding body deadline will incur a penalty fee, sometimes up to double the cost of the original entry, so it can make a difference to your overall exam bill if you do not get entries in on time. Awarding bodies charge these higher fees to discourage centres from submitting their examination registrations late and to cover the additional processing costs. The NAA has several tools that can help with this including: the Exam Fees Estimator, the key dates calendar and a team of field support officers who are available to provide guidance to exam officers around the country.
  
• When choosing which awarding body to use, consider and compare the fees involved in addition to the specification and centre support provided. Awarding bodies include different service offerings and levels of support in their fees; so it is worth checking what is included in the examination fee. Also check the fees for late and very late entries as awarding bodies do not all charge the same.
  
• Ensure that candidates are only entered for resits when it is appropriate.