Regulatory actions and interventions by Ofqual

This collection explains what we are currently doing to deal with problems at the organisations we regulate, and selected recent actions.

When one of the organisations we regulate does something wrong, or has a problem that impacts on its qualifications, then we may need to take action to put things right.

There are several different things we can do. We might:

• put extra, temporary rules (“special conditions”) in place for that organisation, or for some of its qualifications
• require the organisation to do certain things, or to stop doing certain things
• fine the organisation
• withdraw the organisation’s recognition – so it can no longer offer regulated qualifications

Our policy document Taking Regulatory Action describes these options – and how we will use them – in more detail.

We also use special conditions for new regulated organisations, or organisations that have started offering new regulated qualifications. This might be because we want to check the organisation can produce valid qualifications, or that it follows through on commitments it made in its application.

Current actions

1. Monetary penalties and costs imposed on AQA
   • 29 January 2020
   • Regulation
2. OCR Undertakings and Letter of Concern
   • 5 November 2019
   • Notice
3. Notice of Monetary Penalty – CILEx
   • 5 November 2019
   • Notice
4. Notice of Costs Recovery – CILEx
   • 5 November 2019
   • Notice
5. Cambridge Assessment: Special conditions: March 2018
   • 11 April 2018
   • Notice

Previous (closed) actions

1. Regulatory actions against AQA
   • 29 January 2020
   • Regulation
2. AoFA Qualifications (AOFAQ) Special Conditions: 28 February 2019
   • 31 October 2019
   • Decision
3. OCR undertaking, marking arrangements conditions: August 2018
   • 17 September 2019
   • Notice
4. British Wheel of Yoga Qualifications (BWYQ) undertaking: December 2018
   • 1 August 2019
   • Decision
5. Notice of Intention to impose a Monetary Penalty – CILEx
   • 5 November 2019
   • Notice
6. AoFA Qualifications (AOFAQ) direction: 5 December 2018
   • 5 March 2019
   • Decision
7. Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments undertaking November 2018
   • 12 February 2019
   • Decision
8. International Association of Bookkeepers (IAB) undertaking: November 2018
   • 30 January 2019
   • Decision
9. University of the Arts London undertaking November 2018
   • 31 October 2019
   • Decision
10. Signature undertaking: September 2018
    • 31 October 2019
    • Decision
11. Industry Qualifications: Notice of Costs Recovery: September 2018
    • 21 September 2018
    • Decision
12. Industry Qualifications: Notice of Monetary Penalty: September 2018
    • 14 January 2019
    • Decision
13. BWYQ: Direction, September 2018
    • 21 December 2018
    • Decision
14. IAO Undertaking: May 2018
    • 2 November 2018
    • Notice
15. FDQ Undertaking: August 2018
    • 5 October 2018
    • Notice
16. OCR undertaking, review of marking conditions: August 2018
    • 23 August 2018
    • Notice
17. OCR: Notice of costs recovery: July 2018
    • 27 July 2018
    • Decision
18. OCR: Notice of Monetary Penalty: July 2018
    • 27 July 2018
    • Decision
19. OCR Notice of Intention to fine: July 2018
    • 2 July 2018
    • Notice
20. AVA: Withdrawal of recognition: May 2018
    • 17 May 2018
    • Decision
21. OCR: notice of monetary penalty: April 2018
    • 20 April 2018
    • Decision
22. OCR: notice of costs recovery: April 2018
    • 20 April 2018
    • Decision
23. OCR undertaking: March 2018
    • 2 March 2018
    • Notice
24. OCR: notice of intention to fine: March 2018
    • 2 March 2018
    • Notice
25. AVA Undertaking: March 2018
    • 17 May 2018
    • Notice
26. LAMDA: notice of monetary penalty: February 2018
    • 26 February 2018
    • Decision
27. LAMDA: notice of costs recovery: February 2018
    • 26 February 2018
    • Decision
28. ATHE Undertaking: February 2018
    • 2 July 2018
    • Notice
29. ETCAL: Special conditions imposed: January 2018
    • 25 January 2018
    • Decision
30. ETCAL undertaking: January 2018
    • 5 July 2018
    • Decision
31. AQA undertaking: December 2017
    • 21 December 2017
    • Notice
32. LAMDA Notice of Intention to fine: November 2017
    • 26 February 2018
    • Notice
33. City & Guilds: Notice of Intention to fine: July 2016
    • 26 February 2018
    • Notice
34. LAMDA: Undertaking: August 2016
    • 26 February 2018
    • Notice
35. City & Guilds: notice of costs recovery: August 2016
    • 26 August 2016
    • Decision
36. City & Guilds: notice of monetary penalty: August 2016
    • 26 August 2016
    • Decision
37. Pearson: Notice of costs recovery: November 2016
    • 11 November 2016
    • Notice
38. Pearson: notice of monetary penalty: November 2016
    • 11 November 2016
    • Decision
39. ETCAL direction: October 2017
    • 25 January 2018
    • Decision
40. Institute of the Motor Industry: Undertaking: August 2017
    • 29 November 2017
    • Notice
41. Undertaking from Rock School Ltd – August 2017
    • 26 October 2018
    • Notice
42. OCR: Special Conditions: June 2017
    • 21 September 2018
    • Decision
43. LAMDA Undertaking: March 2017
    • 17 November 2017
    • Notice
44. Industry Qualifications: Notice of Intention to Fine: February 2017
    • 27 February 2017
    • Notice
45. Pearson: Notice of Intention to fine: September 2016
    • 22 September 2016
    • Notice
46. STA: Undertaking: July 2016
    • 8 November 2016
    • Notice
47. Cambridge English: Undertaking: July 2016
    • 7 September 2016
    • Notice
48. MTE: Undertaking: May 2016
    • 11 November 2016
    • Notice
49. ACCA: Undertaking: February 2016
    • 15 February 2016
    • Notice
50. BCS: Undertaking: February 2016
    • 15 February 2016
    • Notice
51. Industry Qualifications Ltd: Direction: February 2016
    • 9 June 2016
    • Notice
52. Laser: Undertaking: February 2016
    • 9 June 2016
    • Notice
53. City & Guilds: Undertaking: October 2015
    • 12 August 2016
    • Notice
54. CELL: Undertaking: October 2014
    • 9 June 2016
    • Notice
55. OCR: Undertaking: March 2014
    • 29 October 2015
    • Notice
56. ABMA: Undertaking: April 2014
    • 8 July 2015
    • Decision
57. ABMA: Undertaking: June 2014
    • 8 July 2015
    • Decision
58. AABPS: Withdrawal of recognition: July 2014
    • 19 May 2014
    • Decision
59. WJEC-CBAC: Special conditions: May 2014
    • 13 May 2014
    • Decision
60. Pearson: Special conditions: May 2014
    • 14 May 2014
    • Decision
61. OCR: Special conditions: May 2014
    • 24 August 2015
    • Decision
62. AQA: Special conditions: May 2014
    • 6 May 2014
    • Decision
63. LCM: Withdrawal of recognition: January 2014
    • 7 January 2014
    • Decision
64. Pearson: Undertaking: May 2013
    • 24 May 2013
    • Notice

Published 26 November 2014
Last updated 29 January 2020 + show all updates

1. 29 January 2020

   Added final details of monetary penalty and costs recovery notices imposed on AQA in relation to reviews of marking and moderation in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and marking in GCE French in 2018. Closed Notices of Intention to Impose Monetary Penalties on AQA in respect of the same issues, following the imposition of final monetary penalty and cost recovery notices.

2. 5 November 2019

   Details of action taken against CILEx and OCR added to the open actions log.

3. 31 October 2019

   Collection updated to reflect movement of notices to closed status.

4. 15 October 2019

   Addition of details of regulatory actions taken against AQA, including: Intentions to Impose Monetary Penalties for issues linked to reviews of marking and moderation in 2016, 2017 and 2018; and, separately, to marking in GCE French in 2018; a Notice of Intention to Accept a Settlement Proposal; an Undertaking from them; and a Letter of Concern from the Chief Regulator to AQA in relation to questions in the 2018 GCSE English literature examination paper.

5. 17 September 2019

   OCR undertaking on marking arrangements conditions moved to closed status.

6. 1 August 2019

   BWYQ undertaking moved to closed status.

7. 24 April 2019

   Added Notification of Intention to Impose a Monetary Penalty – CILEx to the list of open actions.

8. 12 April 2019

   OCR’s March 2018 undertaking, regarding GCSE computer science, was closed in March 2019. The undertaking has therefore been moved to the closed section of the collection.

9. 5 March 2019

   AoFAQ Special Conditions added to list of open actions. AoFAQ direction moved to list of closed actions.

10. 12 February 2019

    Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments undertaking moved to closed status.

11. 7 February 2019

    Details of AoFAQ direction added to list of current actions.

12. 30 January 2019

    Added International Association of Bookkeepers (IAB) undertaking: November 2018 to the list of closed actions.

13. 16 January 2019

    Added British Wheel of Yoga Qualifications (BWYQ) undertaking: December 2018 to the list of current actions.

14. 21 December 2018

    BWYQ direction moved to closed status.

15. 3 December 2018

    Special Conditions: May 2014 entries for AQA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC-CBAC moved to closed actions.

16. 30 November 2018

    Added entries for CISI and UAL November 2018

17. 2 November 2018

    IAO undertaking closed.

18. 26 October 2018

    Rock School Ltd undertaking closed

19. 5 October 2018

    Addition of Signature undertaking. FDQ undertaking closed.

20. 21 September 2018

    Addition of three actions – OCR Special Conditions (June 2017); IQ: Notice of a monetary penalty (September 2018) and IQ: Notice of costs recovery (September 2018)

21. 10 September 2018

    Added direction to the British Wheel of Yoga Qualifications.

22. 29 August 2018

    Added undertaking from FDQ regarding centre agreements.

23. 23 August 2018

    Added 2 undertakings from OCR relating to marking of GCSE and A levels.

24. 27 July 2018

    Addition of OCR notice of monetary penalty and notice of costs recovery

25. 2 July 2018

    ETCAL Special Conditions undertaking closed and moved to relevant section. OCR Notice of Intention to fine added to relevant section. IAO undertaking added to relevant section. ATHE undertaking closed and added to relevant section.

26. 17 May 2018

    Added one closed action and one open action for AVA Ltd (trading as BAA).
27. 20 April 2018

    Added two new decisions documents: OCR notice of monetary penalty April 2018 and OCR notice of costs recovery April 2018.

28. 11 April 2018

    Cambridge Assessment: Special conditions: March 2018 added

29. 2 March 2018

    Added an undertaking from OCR and a notice of intention to fine OCR.

30. 26 February 2018

    Moved some notices and actions to closed and added decisions relating to LAMDA fine.

31. 25 January 2018

    Closed a direction given to ETCAL. Published special conditions on ETCAL and an undertaking from ETCAL.

32. 21 December 2017

    Added an undertaking from AQA.

33. 29 November 2017

    IMI undertaking moved to closed actions.

34. 17 November 2017

    Added LAMDA Notice of Intention to fine: November 2017 as current action. Added LAMDA Undertaking: March 2017 as a previous (closed) action.

35. 13 November 2017

    Added undertaking from Rock School Ltd (RSL).

36. 3 November 2017

    Added ETCAL direction.

37. 19 September 2017

    Added and undertaking from the Institute of the Motor Industry.

38. 27 February 2017

    Added notice of intention to fine Industry Qualifications Ltd.

39. 11 November 2016

    Added decision to impose a fine on Pearson and a notice of costs recovery relating to that fine. Moved an undertaking from Mountain Training England to the closed actions list.

40. 8 November 2016

    Discharged an undertaking from STA.

41. 22 September 2016

    Updated to include notice of intention to fine Pearson, 22 September 2016.

42. 7 September 2016

    Cambridge English undertaking closed.

43. 26 August 2016

    City & Guilds regulatory decisions added

44. 18 August 2016

    LAMDA: Undertaking: August 2016 – added

45. 12 August 2016

    City & Guilds undertaking moved to ‘closed’ section.

46. 29 July 2016

    Updated to include undertaking documents from Cambridge English and STA dated 27 July 2016.

47. 5 July 2016

    Updated to add notice of intention to fine City & Guilds, 5 July 2016

48. 9 June 2016

    Updated to show closed actions.

49. 23 March 2016

    Added a direction to Industry Qualifications Ltd (IQ)

50. 17 February 2016

    Added undertaking from Laser.

51. 15 February 2016

    Added undertakings from ACCA and BCS.

52. 19 November 2015

    Added an undertaking from City & Guilds.

53. 29 October 2015

    OCR undertaking moved to closed actions.

54. 24 August 2015

    OCR: Special conditions: May 2014 – Condition A5.7 was revoked on 21 August 2015

55. 8 July 2015

    ABMA undertakings from 2014 have now been discharged.

56. 26 November 2014

    First published.

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