Commentary on Sections Part 7: Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation Accreditation of certain qualifications Section 139: Accreditation
422.This section provides for the process of accrediting particular forms of qualifications. Where a form of a qualification is submitted to Ofqual for accreditation it must be accredited if it meets the criteria for accreditation. An awarding body may award or authenticate a particular type of qualification, such as an English GCSE, in different forms. For example a version with material suitable for pre-16 students and one suitable for older students. Each form must be accredited if the qualification as a whole is subject to the accreditation requirement.
423.Ofqual may not charge for accreditation. (In contrast, the QCA currently has a power to charge for accreditation.)