Advancing Learning, Changing Lives

Edexcel is the UK's largest awarding body offering academic and vocational qualifications and testing to schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning in the UK and internationally and a part of Pearson, the world’s largest education business and the owner of the Financial Times group and Penguin.

In 2008, Edexcel delivered 8.2 million exam scripts in over 85 countries, with 4.3 million marked onscreen using the groundbreaking ePen technology. Their general qualifications taken internationally include GCSEs, AS and A Levels, IGCSEs and O Levels. Their vocational qualifications include NVQ and BTEC from Entry level to Masters Level (Level 7). The entire vocational portfolio had over one million registrations across 45 countries.

Edexcel was formed in 1996 by the merger of the Business & Technology Education Council (BTEC), the country’s leading provider of vocational qualifications, and the University of London Examinations & Assessment Council (ULEAC), one of the major exam boards for GCSEs and A levels since 1905.

The name ‘Edexcel’ whose name derives from ‘educational excellence’. The Edexcel Foundation, which ran the organisation, was a charity, managed by board of trustees. Since the merger, the business has grown considerably. In 1998, they acquired the Institute of Health Care & Development (IHCD), in order to grow business in the health care industry. In June 2001, they acquired the awarding body, intelect, to grow business in the telecommunications and call-handling industry.