This article looks at not only how Edexcel exams are structured, the key assessment objectives and the skills you need to display, but also how the exam boards themselves are just like any business that you might have come across during your studies. Essentially the exam boards are business entities, aiming to provide a quality and reputable service and gain market share from their competitors. They remain regulated by the government via the organisation Ofqual, but how they differentiate themselves and offer additional services and support can be of great importance for their long-term success. Both AQA and OCR remain as broadly non-profit organisations, with Edexcel (owned by Pearson) as a for-profit organisation.
Different exam boards will have greater prominence in different subject areas. The A-level Business segment has been dominated by AQA and Edexcel — with OCR having fewer students sitting their exams. The UK government publishes information on the market share of the main exam boards and the most up-to-date figures suggest that the Edexcel qualification has now overtaken that of AQA with relative market shares of 46% to 42% of the nearly 40,000 students taking an A-level Business exam.
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