If you have compared two seemingly identical courses and noticed one is "NCFE" and another is "CACHE" or "Pearson", you might reasonably wonder if one is better than the other. This guide explains what an awarding body actually does, introduces the major UK awarding bodies you are likely to encounter, clears up the NCFE and CACHE merger, and explains why the awarding body name matters less than many learners assume.
What is an awarding body?
An awarding body (sometimes called an awarding organisation) is an organisation formally recognised by Ofqual, the regulator for qualifications in England, to design qualification specifications, set assessment criteria, and issue certificates once a learner successfully completes a course.
The major UK awarding bodies
| Awarding body | Commonly associated with |
|---|---|
| NCFE | A wide range of vocational qualifications, including business, health and social care, and functional skills |
| CACHE (part of NCFE) | Childcare, early years and health and social care qualifications, a long-established specialist brand now under the NCFE group |
| Pearson Edexcel | GCSEs, A-Levels, BTECs and a broad range of vocational qualifications, one of the largest awarding bodies in the UK |
| AQA | GCSEs and A-Levels, one of the most widely used exam boards in English schools and colleges |
| OCR | GCSEs, A-Levels and vocational qualifications, part of the Cambridge Assessment group |
| City & Guilds | Vocational and technical qualifications, particularly in construction, engineering and skilled trades |
The NCFE and CACHE merger explained
CACHE (the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education) was historically an independent, specialist awarding body focused on childcare, early years and health and social care qualifications, well known and trusted across those sectors for decades.
NCFE, one of the UK’s longest-established and largest awarding bodies, acquired CACHE, bringing the two organisations together as a single group. NCFE has continued to use the CACHE brand name on many qualifications in the childcare and health and social care sectors specifically because of its strong reputation and recognition among employers in those fields.
Pearson Edexcel and City & Guilds
Pearson Edexcel is one of the largest awarding bodies in the UK, issuing everything from GCSEs and A-Levels through to BTECs and a wide range of vocational qualifications across many sectors. Its scale means Pearson qualifications are extremely widely recognised by employers and universities alike.
City & Guilds has a particularly strong reputation in technical and trade qualifications, especially construction, engineering, hospitality and manufacturing, reflecting its long history as a specialist vocational and technical awarding body dating back over a century.
Different style, equal recognition
The most important thing to understand is that all Ofqual-regulated qualifications carry the same legal standing regardless of which awarding body issued them. A Level 3 qualification from NCFE and a Level 3 qualification from Pearson are both regulated to the same national framework and level.
- Differences between awarding bodies tend to be in assessment style, specification structure and sector specialism, not in the underlying legal recognition of the qualification
- Employers and universities generally recognise the qualification level and title, such as "Level 3 Diploma in Supporting Teaching and Learning", rather than favouring one awarding body over another for the same qualification type
- The awarding body’s reputation in a specific sector, such as CACHE in childcare, can still be a helpful signal, particularly to employers within that sector who are very familiar with the brand
Which awarding bodies does Lift work with?
| Faculty | Typical awarding body |
|---|---|
| Access to HE | Access Validating Agencies regulated by QAA |
| Teaching & Childcare | NCFE, CACHE |
| Health & Social Care | NCFE, CACHE |
| Functional Skills | NCFE |
| GCSEs | Pearson Edexcel, AQA |
| A-Levels | Pearson Edexcel, AQA |
Check the specific awarding body for any course on its individual page in our qualifications directory.