Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which was set up in 1858. Much of the organisation’s history is covered by documents held in the Archives Service, which covers the whole group, including OCR, the University of Cambridge International Examinations and Cambridge ESOL.
Cambridge Assessment Archives provide a unique history of assessment through a complex web of primary source material stretching back to the mid nineteenth century. The importance of the archives lies not only in providing a rich legacy to the Cambridge Assessment of today but also as a resource for future generations of researchers.
UCLES was set up as a department of the University of Cambridge and is the oldest major examination board still in existence in the UK. Because of this, the archives of the earliest years are held in Cambridge University Library. In recent years UCLES has merged with other examination boards and some of the archives of the following are also held in Cambridge Assessment Archives:
- Midlands Examining Group (MEG)
- Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board (OCSEB)
- University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations (UODLE) (limited holdings)
- Southern Universities Joint Board (SUJB) (very limited holdings)
- East Midlands Regional Examining Board (EMREB) (very limited holdings)
In the following sections more information is given about Cambridge Assessment Archives Service. The sections below include a brief overview of what is held in the archives, details about Related Historical Records held at Cambridge Assessment and elsewhere, how to gain Access to the Archives and contact archives and information and Requesting a Copy of a Past Syllabus.