Guidance

Regulatory Document List

Ofqual's formal legal list of Regulatory Documents (documents containing additional rules and guidance for regulated qualifications).

• From: Ofqual
• Published: 30 September 2015
• Last updated: 11 July 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England

Introduction

This document is the official ‘Regulatory Document List’ referred to in Condition J1.8 of our General Conditions of Recognition. It replaces all previous versions of that list.

The documents listed below are the Regulatory Documents (as defined in Condition J1.8) which are currently in force. For ease of reference, the list is organised alphabetically by qualification type, with hyperlinks to individual documents or lists of documents.

About Regulatory Documents

Regulatory Documents contain qualification-specific rules and guidance.

Our General Conditions of Recognition require an awarding organisation to ensure that:

• it complies with any requirement to take or to refrain from taking any action specified in a Regulatory Document
• it has regard to any guidelines or principles of good practice in relation to any behaviour on the part of an awarding organisation set out in a Regulatory Document
• in the development, delivery and award of any qualification which it makes available, or proposes to make available, it:
  • complies with any requirement relating to that qualification which is set out in a Regulatory Document
  • has regard to any guidelines and principles of good practice relating to that qualification which are set out in a Regulatory Document

In any case of difference or contradiction, the General Conditions of Recognition (and, where relevant, any Qualification Level Conditions or Subject Level Conditions) take precedence over any requirements or guidance set out in a Regulatory Document.

English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL)

• Criteria for English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) Qualifications

Functional Skills

• Criteria for Functional Skills Qualifications
• Functional Skills subject criteria (3 documents)
• Controlled Assessment Regulations for Functional Skills

GCE AS and A levels, GCSEs and Level 1/2 Certificates

• Data Exchange Procedures and the associated Data exchange templates

Published 30 September 2015
Last updated 11 July 2023 + show all updates

1. 11 July 2023

   Removed references to rules for legacy GCSEs, AS and A levels, which have now been withdrawn. Updated description of Regulatory Documents.

2. 7 September 2018

   We have withdrawn documents for Advanced Extension Awards, and for additional legacy GCSEs, AS and A levels which are no longer available.

3. 19 September 2017

   Updated following withdrawal of rules for key skills qualifications, and for legacy GCSEs, AS and A levels that are no longer available.

4. 17 August 2017

   Updated following the withdrawal of legacy rules for project qualifications

5. 28 June 2017

   Updated following withdrawal of Regulatory Documents for principal learning qualifications

6. 2 February 2017

   Updated following withdrawal of our rules for adult literacy and numeracy qualifications

7. 16 December 2016

   Updated following withdrawal of 'Criteria for Entry-level qualifications'.

8. 25 August 2016

   Updated to reflect withdrawal of the GCSE, GCE, Principal Learning and Project Code of Practice for GCSEs (graded A* to G).

9. 18 August 2016

   Updated to reflect withdrawal of the GCSE, GCE, Principal Learning and Project Code of Practice for legacy AS and A levels.

10. 24 June 2016

    Updated following publication of 2016 data exchange procedures, and new rules for setting grade boundaries in GCSEs, AS and A levels

11. 30 September 2015

    First published.