Skip to main content

OCR homepage

  • OCR sites
  • About
  • Contact us

Administration

  • Active Results
  • Interchange
  • Log in to the OCR Repository

Support

  • ExamBuilder

Qualification sites

  • GCSE English Literature Digital Anthology

Main navigation

  • Subjects
    • Mathematics
    • English
    • Geography
    • History
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Physics
    • Science
    • Computer science and ICT
    • Business
    • PE and sport
    See all subjects
  • Qualifications
    • AS and A Level
    • GCSE
    • Entry Level
    • Cambridge Technicals
    • Cambridge Nationals
    • Core Maths
    See all qualifications
  • Administration
    • Overviews
    • Preparation
    • Entries
    • Assessment
    • Results
    • Post-results services
    • Certificates
    • Support and tools
    Administration
    • Interchange
    • Basedata
    • Grade boundaries
    • Key dates and timetables
  • More
  • Students
    • Past papers
    • Replacement certificates
    • Exam dates and timetables
    • Getting your results
    • Convert raw marks to UMS
    • Private candidates
    More for students
  • Students
    • Past papers
    • Replacement certificates
    • Exam dates and timetables
    • Getting your results
    • Convert raw marks to UMS
    • Private candidates
    More for students
  • OCR Sites
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Home
  • Administration
  • CPC
  • Preparation
  • Centre approval

Centre approval

CPC: Preparation

Quick Links

  • Centre approval
  • Key dates and timetables
  • Access arrangements

Centre approval

CPC

Change qualification Change

Choose your qualification

  • General qualifications AS and A Level, Core Maths, Entry Level Certificate,
    FSMQ, GCSE and Projects
  • Cambridge Nationals
  • Cambridge Technicals
  • CPC Certificate of Professional Competence
  • Functional Skills
  • 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 CPC Before applying How to apply Next steps How long will my approval last? Still have questions?

Requirements for CPC

To offer CPC qualifications, you’ll need to complete the vocational centre approval form. If you use multiple venues you’ll need to list them all.  A fee is payable for each venue you use, and we’ll need to make an inspection visit to each one.

If you want to run the multiple-choice assessment as an on-screen test (rather than paper-based), you’ll also need to sign up to get access to Surpass, the on-screen test system.

You need to follow the JCQ General Regulations and the following JCQ publications for the conducting of examinations and assessments:

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

You need to meet the JCQ conditions for storing confidential examination materials. The only difference for CPC is that we do not require the secure room to be solely assigned to examinations. All other security measures detailed in the JCQ Instructions for conducting examinations (ICE) booklet must be observed.

Before applying

Please read the following guidance before applying for centre approval:

  • Centre approval guidance notes PDF, 179KB
Top of page

How to apply

To apply, complete the following form and email it to ocrvocationalapprovals@ocr.org.uk

  • Vocational approval form PDF, 787KB

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

Top of page

Next steps

For CPC approval we will arrange for a representative to visit your centre. Depending on your circumstances we may also contact awarding bodies for references or carry out a credit check.

Visiting your centre

For CPC we need to make an inspection visit to each of your venues.

See the fees list for details of fees charged for 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 three consecutive years, centre approval will automatically lapse for that qualification.

In addition, your full vocational centre approval will lapse if you have not made any entries or certification claims for any vocational qualification for three years.

Still have questions?

Get in touch with our customer support centre.

Top of page
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube

© OCR

  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Accessibility
  • Statement on modern slavery
  • Use of cookies
  • Copyright statement

© OCR

We use cookies. By clicking any link on this page you are giving your consent for us to set cookies Accept