📚 How Many A-level Exam Boards Are There? Full Guide to UK and International Boards | A-level有几个考试局
A-level is not written by one single company. It is a national qualification system delivered by several examination boards (also called awarding bodies) that operate across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel also deliver A-level style qualifications to schools around the world. That is why students, parents and teachers keep asking the same question: how many A-level exam boards are there, and does the number change depending on where you sit your exams?
A-level 并不是由某一家机构单独编写的考试，它是由英国各考试委员会（也称颁证机构）共同组成的英国高中考试体系（The Examination Boards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland），在英格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰通用，同时剑桥国际与培生爱德思也面向全球学校提供 A-level 类课程与考试。也正因如此，学生、家长和老师总会问同一个问题：A-level 到底有几个考试局？这个数字会不会因为你在哪里考试而改变？
This article answers that question directly, then walks through every major board, the differences between them, and how to choose the one that fits your subject plans, university targets and exam timetable.
本文将直接回答这个问题，然后逐一介绍各大考试局、它们之间的差别，以及如何根据自己的选课计划、大学目标和考试时间表来做出选择。
1. The Short Answer: How Many A-level Exam Boards Are There? | 直接回答：A-level 有几个考试局？
If you count only the boards that award A-levels in the UK, there are five main awarding bodies: AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel, WJEC (with its Eduqas brand) and CCEA. If you are studying at an international school outside the UK, the practical answer is usually three: Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel and, in some schools, OCR or AQA through partner arrangements. Scotland is a separate case, because Scottish students normally take Highers and Advanced Highers set by the SQA rather than A-levels.
如果只统计在英国本土颁发 A-level 资格的机构，主要有五家考试局：AQA、OCR、培生爱德思、WJEC（旗下品牌 Eduqas）以及 CCEA。如果你在海外国际学校就读，实际接触到的通常是三家：剑桥国际、培生爱德思，部分学校也会通过合作方式接触到 OCR 或 AQA。苏格兰属于特殊情况，因为苏格兰学生通常考的是 SQA 组织的 Highers 和 Advanced Highers，而不是 A-level。
A useful way to remember it is this three-layer picture:
可以用一个"三层结构"来记忆：
- International layer: Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel International, plus a small number of OCR/AQA entries. | 国际层：剑桥国际、培生爱德思国际版，以及少量 OCR / AQA 报考。
- England / Wales / Northern Ireland layer: AQA, OCR, Pearson Edexcel, WJEC/Eduqas, CCEA. | 英格兰 / 威尔士 / 北爱尔兰层：AQA、OCR、培生爱德思、WJEC / Eduqas、CCEA。
- Scotland layer: SQA Highers and Advanced Highers, a different qualification family. | 苏格兰层：SQA 的 Highers 与 Advanced Highers，属于另一套资格体系。
So the honest answer is not a single number: it is "five in the UK, three that most international students meet, and one more system in Scotland."
所以最诚实的答案不是一个单一数字：英国本土五家，国际学生最常接触的三家，再加上苏格兰一套独立体系。
2. What Exactly Is an Exam Board? | 考试局到底是什么？
An exam board is an awarding body: it designs the syllabus, writes and marks the papers, sets grade boundaries and issues the final certificate. Schools do not create A-level qualifications themselves; they choose a board, teach that board's specification, and enter students as candidates. Universities then receive results and grades directly from the board.
考试局本质上是一个颁证机构：它负责设计教学大纲、命题与阅卷、划定分数线，并颁发最终证书。学校本身并不"制造"A-level 资格；学校选择某一家考试局，按照它的大纲教学，然后以考生身份报名。大学最终收到的成绩与等级，也是由考试局直接提供的。
All boards must follow common regulatory rules. In England, qualifications are regulated by Ofqual; in Wales by Qualifications Wales; in Northern Ireland by CCEA's own regulatory function. Each board's A-level must meet the same general standard - a two-year, level 3 qualification with externally examined assessment and a recognised grading scale - but the detailed content, paper structure and assessment style still differ.
所有考试局都必须遵守共同的监管规则。英格兰的资格由 Ofqual 监管，威尔士由 Qualifications Wales 监管，北爱尔兰则由 CCEA 的监管职能负责。每家考试局的 A-level 都必须达到同一总体标准——两年制、第三等级（Level 3）资格、以外部考试为主要评估方式、采用公认的评分等级——但具体内容、试卷结构和考核风格仍然各不相同。
A quick reference for the core terms you will meet:
以下是你会遇到的核心术语速查：
- Specification / syllabus: the official subject content and assessment outline. | 大纲：官方公布的学科内容与考核说明。
- Entry / entry code: the code a school uses to register you for a paper. | 报考代码：学校为你报名某份试卷时使用的代码。
- Grade boundary: the mark needed for each grade in that session. | 分数线：该考季获得各等级所需的最低分数。
- NEA / coursework: non-exam assessment, used in subjects such as art or geography fieldwork. | 非考试评估 / coursework：艺术、地理野外调查等科目采用的评估方式。
3. The Three Boards Most International Students Meet | 国际学生最常遇到的三大考试局
At most international schools and bilingual schools, the "big three" are Cambridge International, OCR and Pearson Edexcel. Cambridge International is the global-facing branch of Cambridge Assessment, OCR is the UK-facing Cambridge/RSA board, and Edexcel is Pearson's school qualifications brand, operating both inside the UK and internationally.
在大多数国际学校和双语学校，常说的"三大考试局"是剑桥国际、OCR 和培生爱德思。剑桥国际是剑桥考评体系面向全球的分支；OCR 是面向英国本土的剑桥与 RSA 考试委员会；爱德思则是培生旗下的学校资格品牌，在英国本土和国际市场同时运营。
These three are frequently grouped together because:
这三家之所以经常被放在一起，是因为：
- They offer a very wide subject range, from mathematics and sciences to economics, psychology and business. | 科目覆盖极广，从数学、自然科学到经济、心理学、商业都有。
- They publish detailed past papers and mark schemes, making independent revision easier. | 公开的历年真题与评分方案非常详细，方便自学备考。
- They are widely recognised by UK and overseas universities. | 受到英国及海外大学的广泛认可。
- International schools can often enter candidates for at least one of them without major logistics problems. | 国际学校通常在组织考试时至少能顺利对接其中一家。
Below, each board is described in turn, starting with the ones the original guide highlights.
下面逐一介绍各家考试局，先讲最常被提到的几家。
4. Cambridge International (CAIE) | 剑桥国际考试委员会
Cambridge International Examinations, usually shortened to Cambridge International or CAIE, is one of the world's leading education and assessment organisations. Its A-level is built on British education standards, is split into the AS and A2 stages, and covers an exceptionally broad subject range, including mathematics, further mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, business, computer science, psychology, history and many languages.
剑桥国际考试委员会（Cambridge International Examinations），大家常称它为剑桥考试委员会，是全球领先的教育考试机构之一。它的 A-level 课程基于英国教育标准，主要分为 AS 和 A2 两个阶段，学科范围非常广泛，涵盖数学、进阶数学、物理、化学、生物、经济、商业、计算机科学、心理学、历史以及多种语言等。
Its structure is one of the clearest in the A-level world. Students typically take AS papers at the end of the first year and A2 papers at the end of the second year, with the two halves combining into the full A-level. Many schools use the AS year as a diagnostic stage, then decide whether to continue to A2 in the same or a related subject.
它的结构在 A-level 体系里最为清晰之一。学生一般第一年结束时考 AS 试卷，第二年结束时考 A2 试卷，两部分合并构成完整 A-level。许多学校把 AS 阶段当成诊断期，再决定是否在同一科目或相关科目继续读 A2。
The percentage relationship can be shown simply as:
两者的比例关系可以简单表示为：
完整的 A-level 成绩 = AS 阶段成绩 + A2 阶段成绩（AS 约占 50%，A2 约占 50%）
Cambridge International also offers a linear route in some subjects, where all papers are taken at the end of the course. This flexibility is one reason why international schools with mixed cohorts like the board: it can accommodate both staged and final-year examination planning.
剑桥国际在部分科目上也提供"线性"路线，即所有试卷都在课程结束时一次考完。这种灵活性正是拥有混合生源的国际学校偏爱它的原因之一：既能配合分阶段考试，也能安排末考制。
5. Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) | 牛津剑桥与 RSA 考试委员会（OCR）
Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations, universally known as OCR, is one of the largest educational assessment organisations in the UK. Its A-level courses also follow British education standards and include the AS stage, the A2 stage and an extended project element, which allows students to develop independent research skills alongside their main subjects.
牛津剑桥与 RSA 考试委员会（Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations），简称 OCR，是英国规模最大的教育考试机构之一。其 A-level 课程同样遵循英国教育标准，包含 AS 阶段、A2 阶段以及扩展项目，让学生在主修科目之外还能培养独立研究能力。
OCR is best known for its strong science, mathematics and computer science specifications, and its history and English specifications are also popular in UK schools. It is primarily a UK-facing board, so international candidates usually meet it only when their school has a formal OCR centre status or through a partner arrangement.
OCR 以理科、数学和计算机科学大纲见长，其历史与英语大纲在英国本土学校也很受欢迎。它主要面向英国本土，因此国际考生通常只有在学校具备正式 OCR 考点资格，或通过合作安排时才会接触到它。
Two features often matter at application time:
在大学申请阶段，以下两点常被提及：
- Extended Project style work: the extended project can be cited in personal statements as evidence of independent research. | 扩展项目类成果：可在个人陈述中作为独立研究能力的证据。
- Practical endorsement: science subjects carry a separate practical endorsement reported alongside the grade. | 实验技能认证：理科科目另有一项实验技能认证，与科目等级分开报告。
6. Pearson Edexcel | 培生爱德思
Pearson Edexcel, usually called simply Edexcel, is also one of the largest educational assessment organisations in the UK. Its A-level courses, like the others, conform to British education standards, are mainly divided into AS and A2 stages, and cover humanities, natural sciences, business management and many other fields.
培生爱德思（Pearson Edexcel），通常直接叫爱德思，也是英国最大的教育考试机构之一。它的 A-level 课程同样符合英国教育标准，主要分为 AS 与 A2 阶段，覆盖人文、自然科学、商业管理等多个领域。
Edexcel has a distinctive advantage for international students: it runs two closely related families. The UK A-level follows the reformed linear structure, while International A-level, often written as IAL, keeps a modular structure with AS and A2 units that can be examined in several sessions. That modular design is convenient for students who need to combine subject retakes with university application deadlines.
爱德思对国际学生有一个明显优势：它运营两套关系密切的体系。英国本土 A-level 采用改革后的线性结构；国际版 A-level（常写作 IAL）则保留模块化结构，AS 与 A2 单元可以分多次考试完成。对需要把补考与大学申请节点协调起来的学生来说，这种模块化设计相当方便。
Edexcel is especially strong in mathematics, further mathematics, the sciences, economics, business and accounting, and its question papers are known for a clear and consistent formatting style across sessions.
爱德思在数学、进阶数学、自然科学、经济、商业与会计方面尤为强势，其试卷在不同考季的排版风格统一、清晰，便于针对性训练。
7. AQA: Often Called "the Largest", and Where It Fits | AQA：常被称为"最大"的本土考试局
Beyond the three boards above, there are several slightly smaller awarding organisations, and AQA (the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) is one of them. This is exactly how many international guides frame it. In a purely UK context, however, AQA is actually the largest board by the number of A-level entries, which is why students in England often meet it first.
除了上述三家主流考试局，还有一些规模稍小的考试机构，比如 AQA（评估与资格联盟）和 WJEC（威尔士联合教育委员会）。这也是许多国际视角的指南对它们的定位。不过如果放在英国本土语境中，AQA 按 A-level 报考人次计算其实是最大的考试局，这也解释了为什么英格兰本地学生往往最先接触它。
The apparent contradiction is easy to resolve: AQA dominates UK domestic entries but is comparatively rare in international schools, because it has a smaller overseas centre network. So whether AQA counts as "big" depends entirely on which map you are looking at.
这个表面上的矛盾很容易解释：AQA 在英国本土报考量中占主导，但在国际学校中相对少见，因为它的海外考点网络较小。所以 AQA 到底算不算"大"，完全取决于你看的是哪一张地图。
AQA characteristics worth knowing:
值得了解的几个 AQA 特点：
- Very strong in the sciences, mathematics, English and the humanities. | 在理科、数学、英语与人文学科上很强。
- Detailed mark schemes with clearly stated assessment objectives (AO1, AO2, AO3). | 评分方案细致，明确列出评估目标 AO1、AO2、AO3。
- Available to UK centres and to a limited number of approved overseas centres, mainly in British international schools. | 面向英国考点以及少数获批准的海外考点，主要是英式国际学校。
8. WJEC / Eduqas and CCEA: The Regional Boards | WJEC / Eduqas 与 CCEA：地区性考试局
WJEC, the Welsh Joint Education Committee, awards qualifications in Wales and also operates in England under the brand Eduqas. CCEA, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, serves Northern Ireland. Both are regulated separately from the English boards, which is why some of their rules differ slightly.
WJEC（威尔士联合教育委员会）在威尔士颁证，并以 Eduqas 品牌在英格兰运营。CCEA（课程、考试与评估委员会）则服务于北爱尔兰。两者的监管机构与英格兰考试局不同，因此部分规则存在细微差异。
One important difference concerns the AS stage. In England, AS has been decoupled from A-level since the reforms of 2015 to 2017, so an AS result no longer counts towards the final A-level grade. In Wales and Northern Ireland, modular structures with AS contributing to the final A-level grade have been retained in many subjects. This is a genuine, examinable difference that affects revision planning.
其中一个重要差别与 AS 阶段有关。在英格兰，自 2015 至 2017 年改革后，AS 已与 A-level 脱钩，AS 成绩不再计入最终 A-level 等级。而在威尔士和北爱尔兰，许多科目仍保留模块化结构，AS 成绩会计入最终 A-level 等级。这是一个真实存在的、会影响复习规划的差别。
A comparison of the main boards:
主要考试局对比如下：
| Board | 考试局 | Main Region | 主要覆盖 | Structure | 结构 | Notes | 备注 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge International | 剑桥国际 | Global | 全球 | AS + A2 | AS + A2 | Very wide subject range | 科目范围极广 |
| OCR | 牛津剑桥与 RSA | UK mainly | 主要英国本土 | AS + A2 + extended project | AS + A2 + 扩展项目 | Strong sciences | 理科强势 |
| Pearson Edexcel | 培生爱德思 | UK + international | 英国 + 国际 | AS + A2; IAL modular | AS + A2；IAL 模块化 | Humanities, science, business | 人文、理科、商业 |
| AQA | 评估与资格联盟 | England | 英格兰 | Linear (AS separate) | 线性（AS 独立） | Largest UK entries | 英国本土报考量最大 |
| WJEC / Eduqas | 威尔士联合教育委员会 | Wales + England | 威尔士 + 英格兰 | Partly modular | 部分模块化 | AS may count | AS 可能计入 |
| CCEA | 北爱尔兰课程考试评估委员会 | Northern Ireland | 北爱尔兰 | Partly modular | 部分模块化 | Separate regulation | 独立监管 |
9. What About Scotland? SQA, Highers and Advanced Highers | 苏格兰呢？SQA、Highers 与 Advanced Highers
Scotland does not use A-levels in its own school system. Scottish students normally take National 5, Highers and Advanced Highers, awarded by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). These qualifications serve the same function for university entry but are separate in design and grading.
苏格兰本地的学校体系并不使用 A-level。苏格兰学生通常考 National 5、Highers 和 Advanced Highers，由苏格兰学历管理委员会（SQA）颁发。这些资格在大学申请中发挥类似作用，但设计与评分体系是独立的。
This matters if you are comparing "how many exam boards" internationally: a Scottish student applying to a UK university may never sit a single A-level paper, while still holding a qualification family that universities accept directly.
如果你想在"全球范围内到底有多少考试局"这个问题上做比较，这一点很关键：一名苏格兰学生申请英国大学时可能一次 A-level 试卷都没考过，但依然持有大学直接认可的资格体系。
The rough equivalence often quoted is:
常被提到的粗略对应关系是：
- Higher ≈ AS level in difficulty and entry role. | Higher 在难度与申请作用上大致相当于 AS。
- Advanced Higher ≈ A-level. | Advanced Higher 大致相当于 A-level。
Even so, the equivalence is loose, and universities always check the specific qualification rather than assuming a one-to-one match.
即便如此，这种对应仍是宽松的；大学在审核时都会看具体资格，而不是假设可以一一对应。
10. Does the Number of Boards Change With Your School? | 考试局数量会因学校而变吗？
Yes, in practice it does. A student in a UK state sixth form may only ever deal with one or two boards, because the school picks the specifications it can teach well. A student at an international school in Asia may deal with Cambridge International and Edexcel at the same time, taking different subjects from different boards. A student in a Welsh-medium school may take WJEC papers, while a student in Northern Ireland may take CCEA papers.
实际上会。英国公立高中六年级的学生可能自始至终只接触一两家考试局，因为学校只会选择自己教得好的大纲。亚洲国际学校的学生则可能同时接触剑桥国际和爱德思，不同科目来自不同考试局。威尔士语授课学校的学生可能考 WJEC 的试卷，北爱尔兰的学生则可能考 CCEA 的试卷。
Switching boards mid-course is technically possible but risky: content overlaps are usually 70% to 90%, yet the assessment objectives, question style and coursework requirements may differ enough to cost marks. If a transfer is unavoidable, ask the new school for a topic-by-topic comparison before committing.
中途更换考试局在技术上可行，但风险不小：内容重合度通常在 70% 到 90% 之间，但评估目标、题型风格和作业要求可能差异明显，足以造成失分。如果必须转考，先向新学校索取逐主题的对比表，再决定是否转换。
Questions worth asking before you commit to a board:
在确定考试局之前，值得问清楚的问题：
- Which subjects does the school actually enter candidates for? | 学校实际能为哪些科目报名？
- Are AS and A2 staggered or all taken at the end? | AS 与 A2 分阶段考，还是最后一起考？
- How many exam sessions per year are available? | 一年有几次考试机会？
- Are past papers and mark schemes easy to obtain? | 历年真题与评分方案是否容易获取？
11. Comparing Boards: Grading, Assessment and Resits | 考试局对比：评分、评估与重考
All A-level boards use the same headline grading scale, from A* down to E, with U for ungraded. What differs is how marks are accumulated and how often students can re-sit.
所有 A-level 考试局都采用同一套等级刻度：从 A* 到 E，未达标记为 U。真正不同的是分数如何累积，以及学生可以重考多少次。
A* > A > B > C > D > E > U（U = Ungraded 未评级）
The A* is not simply "the top 10%". In most subjects it requires a high total mark plus a high mark in the A2 papers, so students must plan for strong performance in the second year, not just the first. Grade boundaries are set per session, so a mark that earned an A in one June series may earn a B in another.
A* 并不是简单的"前 10%"。在大多数科目中，它要求总分很高，同时 A2 试卷得分也很高，因此学生必须从第二年就开始规划，而不能只看第一年。分数线是按考季划定的，某年 6 月考季能拿 A 的分数，换一个考季可能只对应 B。
Assessment methods also vary by subject and board:
评估方式也因科目与考试局而异：
- Exam only: typical for mathematics, further mathematics and many science specifications. | 纯笔试：数学、进阶数学及许多理科大纲的常见形式。
- Exam plus coursework or NEA: common in art, media studies, design technology, geography fieldwork and some English specifications. | 笔试加作业或非考试评估：常见于艺术、传媒、设计与技术、地理野外调查及部分英语大纲。
- Practical endorsement: science subjects report a separate practical mark alongside the grade. | 实验技能认证：理科科目在等级之外单独报告实验技能。
Resit policy is the other big practical difference. Modular boards such as Edexcel International A-level allow unit-level retakes across several sessions, so a student can improve one weak unit without repeating the whole subject. Linear boards require the full set of papers again, which is more demanding but keeps the final grade based on one coherent performance.
重考政策是另一个重要的实际差别。爱德思国际版这类模块化考试局允许在不同考季进行单元级重考，学生可以只补强一个薄弱单元，而不必整科重来。线性考试局则要求重考整套试卷，压力更大，但最终等级基于一次连贯的完整表现。
12. How to Choose the Right Board (and Where to Register) | 如何选择适合自己的考试局与报名途径
Choose the board that your school can actually teach and enter you for, and within that constraint, choose the specification that matches your university plans. For a student aiming at medicine, a specification with a clearly reported practical endorsement and heavy emphasis on data analysis is usually a good fit. For a student aiming at law or economics, a specification with structured essay questions and explicit assessment objectives can be easier to train for.
优先选择学校真正能教、也能为你报名的考试局；在这个前提下，再选择与你大学规划最匹配的大纲。目标医学方向的学生，通常适合选择实验技能认证清晰、重视数据分析的大纲；目标法律或经济方向的学生，则适合结构化作答、评估目标明确的大纲，更容易针对性训练。
Private candidates, including students retaking or self-studying, should check three things before booking:
包括重考或自学考生在内的社会考生，在报名之前应确认三件事：
- Does the centre hold approved status for that specific specification and subject? | 该考点是否具备该具体大纲与科目的授权资格？
- What are the entry deadlines for the session you need? | 你需要参加的那个考季的报名截止日期是什么时候？
- Are practical assessments or NEA arrangements available at that centre? | 该考点能否安排实验评估或非考试评估？
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