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Centre approval

Cambridge Nationals: Preparation

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Centre approval

Cambridge Nationals

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Choose your qualification

  • General qualifications AS and A Level, Core Maths, Entry Level Certificate,
    FSMQ, GCSE and Projects
  • Cambridge Nationals
  • Cambridge Technicals
  • Other vocational qualifications

The first step to offering OCR qualifications is becoming an approved centre. All centres must abide by the OCR terms of business.

What’s on this page

Requirements for general qualifications and Cambridge Nationals How to apply for approval Next steps How long will my approval last?

Requirements for general qualifications and Cambridge Nationals

For general qualifications and Cambridge Nationals, you need to have a minimum of ten candidates per year.

You also need to follow the JCQ General Regulations and, where relevant, the following JCQ publications:

  • JCQ Access arrangements and reasonable adjustments - regulations and guidance
  • JCQ Instructions for conducting coursework
  • JCQ Instructions for conducting examinations
  • JCQ Instructions for conducting non-examination assessments
  • JCQ Suspected malpractice in examinations and assessments

Once you’re approved, you can offer any of our general qualifications/Cambridge Nationals without having to seek approval individually.

How to apply for approval

To apply for centre approval, please contact us at centre.approval@ocr.org.uk.

Once approved, please tell us about the OCR qualifications you are teaching or plan to teach with the expression of interest online form.

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Next steps

Depending on your circumstances we may contact awarding bodies for references, arrange for a representative to visit your centre or carry out a credit check.

Visiting your centre 

A visit from one of our team will be required if you do not already have approval to run formal timetabled examinations.

See the fees list for details of fees charged for approval visits.

Credit checking

If you are a company, sole trader or partnership, we have a credit checking process in place to help us verify your credit worthiness.

You need to have been established, and trading on credit terms, for a minimum of six months and be able to supply us with two credit references (banks, solicitors and accountants are not considered as trade creditors and cannot be used as referees).

If you cannot satisfy these requirements, we will be unable to process your application.

We can, however, review your application after six months of trading.

If you cannot meet these criteria but think there are extenuating circumstances, please email the details to our customer support centre.

How long will my approval last?

Once your application is approved you will receive a letter of confirmation. You can then enter candidates for the qualifications that you are approved to offer.

Approval is subject to continued centre activity; if there are no entries or certification claims for a qualification for two consecutive years, centre approval will automatically lapse for that qualification.

Still have questions?

Get in touch with our customer support centre.

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