Guidance

Conditions of Recognition: Main differences at a glance (accessible)

Updated 16 April 2026

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

1. Introduction  

1.1. CCEA Regulation, Ofqual and Qualifications Wales each publish ‘Conditions of Recognition’ for the qualifications and organisations they regulate. These are known as the General Conditions of Recognition in England and Northern Ireland, and the Standard Conditions of Recognition in Wales. Every recognised awarding organisation^{[footnote 1]} must make sure that it, and all of its regulated qualifications, meet the Conditions^{[footnote 2]} of the appropriate jurisdiction.

1.2. Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Conditions are broadly similar – although there are some differences reflecting policy, legislative and national contexts. There are also Conditions that differ across regulators as a result of different policy decisions of each regulator.

1.3. This document only details differences between our 3 sets of Conditions. It does not include differences in guidance, framework or other supporting documents. It does not alter the obligation on awarding organisations to ensure that they are aware and compliant with the most up-to-date version of the relevant Conditions, and any other Regulatory Document of the appropriate jurisdiction.

1.4. This is version 2 of the Conditions of Recognition: Main differences at a glance. This document sets out the main differences between our respective Conditions as at April 2026. We plan to keep this document under review and update it as necessary. It is the awarding organisations responsibility to ensure that they remain compliant with the current Conditions.

1.5. It does not include references to Conditions that have only minor, non-substantive, differences across the 3 regulators, for example because they:

• have different numbering
• refer to the different regulators, the different IT systems they use, or the legislation that they operate under; or
• use the term “awarding body” rather than “awarding organisation”

1.6. We have produced this document in response to feedback from awarding organisations stating that it would be helpful to have the differences between our 3 sets of Conditions summarised in a document. The purpose of this document is to support awarding organisations in complying with our respective Conditions.

Conditions of Recognition: Main differences at a glance 

The sections below outline the main differences between each regulator’s Conditions as at April 2026.

PR (Ofqual) – The Principles condition

PR1.1 – PR1.4

This condition is unique to Ofqual. This condition sets out 6 overarching principles that all organisations regulated by Ofqual must comply with when offering regulated qualifications.

A1 – Suitability for continuing recognition

A1.2(d)

Ofqual’s and CCEA Regulation’s wording of this Condition refers to becoming insolvent. Qualifications Wales’s Condition refers to becoming subject to an Insolvency Event (a defined term in its Condition J).

A1.3(a)

Wording differs across the 3 regulators to reflect the different operational approaches we take to how awarding organisations submit qualifications to us and our qualifications’ registers/databases.

B2 (CCEA Regulation) – Statement of Compliance

B2.5

This Condition is unique to CCEA Regulation. It requires a report on face-to-face meetings to be submitted with an awarding organisation’s annual Statement of Compliance.

B5 – Representations regarding Qualifications

B5.1

Qualifications Wales’s wording of this Condition differs due to the 3 main categories of regulated qualifications in Wales i.e. Approved, Designated and Other Regulated.

C2 – Arrangements with Centres

C2.6

This Condition is used by all 3 regulators to set out the requirement for awarding organisations to ensure their centres are aware of the regulatory guidance on resilience arrangements.

While Ofqual’s and CCEA Regulation’s guidance differs slightly, the requirements of Condition C2.6 are the same.

Qualifications Wales references its own guidance, and the list of qualifications that Condition C2.6 applies to differs from those of CCEA Regulation and Ofqual.

D6 – Management of the change in status of qualifications or withdrawal of qualifications

D6.2 – D6.7

Qualifications Wales’s Conditions D6.2 and D6.3 include requirements around managing any change in status of Approved, Designated and Other Regulated qualifications.

Subsequent wording differs from Ofqual’s and CCEA Regulation’s Conditions to reflect Qualifications Wales’s requirements on qualification status.

D8 (Qualifications Wales) – Awarding Approved Qualifications outside Wales

D8.1

This condition is unique to Qualifications Wales. It sets out requirements for awarding Approved qualifications outside Wales.

D8 (Ofqual) – Compliance with saving and transitional provisions following cessation of accreditation

D8.1

This Condition is unique to Ofqual. It requires an awarding organisation to comply with any saving and transitional provisions made by Ofqual when the accreditation of a qualification ceases to have effect.

D9 (Qualifications Wales) – Welsh-medium Qualifications

D9.1 – D9.7

This Condition is unique to Qualifications Wales. It sets out Conditions and requirements relating to Welsh-Medium Qualifications.

E3 – Publication of a qualification specification

E3.6 – E3.8 (application Conditions)

These Conditions allow for the phased introduction of requirements relating to the inclusion of information about the qualification level, size and credit values in qualification specifications. Ofqual and CCEA Regulation have not yet introduced all these requirements for all the qualifications they regulate.

These transitional arrangements are no longer needed in Wales, so Qualifications Wales does not have these particular Conditions.

E5 (CCEA Regulation) – Assurance that qualifications comply with the Conditions

E5.2

This Condition is unique to CCEA Regulation. It sets out the procedural requirements for submitting qualifications to CCEA Regulation and awaiting an accreditation decision before uploading to the Register.

E7 – Total Qualification Time

E7.3

This Condition is used by Ofqual and Qualifications Wales to set out the requirements for assigning TQT. Ofqual’s Condition E7.3 requires an awarding organisation to apply Ofqual’s TQT Criteria; Qualifications Wales’s Condition E7.3 requires an awarding organisation to have regard to relevant information and to record its determination for TQT.

CCEA Regulation does not have any equivalent requirements.

E7.6 – E7.8 / E7.5 – E7.7 – (CCEA Regulation Conditions) (application Conditions)

These Conditions allow for the phased introduction of requirements relating to Total Qualification Time (TQT). Ofqual and CCEA Regulation have not yet introduced these requirements for all the qualifications they regulate.

These transitional arrangements are no longer needed in Wales, so Qualifications Wales does not have these particular Conditions.

F1 (Ofqual) – Information on fees

F1.5

This Condition is unique to Ofqual. It sets out Ofqual’s requirements for making fee information available to potential purchasers outside England.

G2 – Language of assessment

G2.2 – G2.3

All 3 regulators set out the same requirements in these 2 Conditions with the exception of the languages specified. This reflects the different contexts in which each regulator operates, including legislation and national policy around the language(s) used in qualifications.

G4 – Maintaining confidentiality of assessment materials

G4.2 – G4.3

All 3 regulators set out the same requirement in Condition G4.2 for awarding organisations to maintain assessment confidentiality when providing training or training materials.

Ofqual’s Conditions G4.2 and G4.3 include unique requirements which prohibit individuals with access to confidential assessment information from participating in training events. CCEA Regulation and Qualifications Wales do not have equivalent requirements.

H2 – Centre Assessment Standards Scrutiny where an assessment is marked by a Centre

H2.3 – H2.5

Each regulator has taken a slightly different approach in setting out its requirements for Moderation and this is reflected in the numbering and wording of Conditions H2.3 – H2.5.

Both Ofqual and CCEA Regulation’s Condition H2.3 set out requirements for the use of Moderation. These requirements differ slightly in that only Ofqual will publish a list of those assessments which must include Moderation.

Qualifications Wales’s Conditions require awarding organisations to have centre assessment scrutiny strategies in place, and these may include Moderation and/or other forms of quality assurance. If there are instances where we require Moderation for particular qualifications, these will be set out in qualification-specific conditions or criteria. For example, Approval Criteria for specific qualifications.

I3 – The design and content of certificates

I3.1

Condition I3.1 allows all 3 regulators to specify requirements which an awarding organisation must follow when designing Certificates.

Qualifications Wales has included these detailed requirements within Condition I3.

I3.4

All 3 Regulators set out the same requirements in this Condition with the exception of the languages specified. This reflects the different contexts in which each regulator operates, including legislation and national policy around the language(s) used in qualifications.

Term	Definition
Change of Control	Qualifications Wales‘s definition provides additional information to capture all relevant legislative provisions and clarifies what control means where the awarding organisation is a partnership or sole trader.
Insolvency Event	Qualifications Wales’s definition provides additional information to set out more clearly in the Conditions when awarding organisations must notify them if the awarding organisation is likely to be, or has cause to believe that it is likely to be, insolvent or subject to such proceedings.
Learner	Qualifications Wales’s definition reflects the way it is defined in the Qualifications Wales Act 2015.
Level	Qualifications Wales‘s Conditions include a defined term for Level as it relates to the national qualifications framework used in Wales – The Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW).
Approved, Designated and Other regulated Qualifications	These defined terms are unique to Qualifications Wales and explain the different statuses that can be assigned to qualifications in Wales.

1. ‘Awarding bodies’ is the term used by Qualifications Wales and in the Qualifications Wales Act 2015. ↩

2.  Awarding organisations must also comply with any other requirements the regulators specify, such as those set out in Regulatory Documents. ↩