Joint Matriculation Board
Encyclopedia
The Joint Matriculation Board (JMB) was an examination board
, operating in England
, Wales
and Northern Ireland
between 1903 and 1992. It became part of NEAB
, which itself is now part of AQA
.
, the University of Liverpool
and the University of Leeds
in 1903. The universities had been part of the same institution (the Victoria University
), but were in the process of de-merging. The universities set up the board to maintain a common entrance exam. The board allowed its exams to be taken by local schools, which was to become its main business.
The University of Sheffield
joined the board in 1905. The University of Birmingham
followed in 1916, spreading the board's activities to the Midlands
.
(SC) and Higher School Certificate
(HSC) were introduced in 1918, the JMB offered the exams and rose to be the most popular exam board for the qualifications. When the SC and HSC were replaced by the GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level
respectively, JMB took on the new qualifications and continued to be a leading provider.
The government introduced the Certificate of Secondary Education
(CSE) for the majority of students working below O Level standard in the 1960s, but the JMB - like all the other GCE exam boards - was not asked to administer the new qualification. Instead, new regional exam boards were created for this purpose, to operate in parallel with the GCE boards.
Despite the GCE boards also being regional, schools were free to choose which one they entered their students for exams with. The JMB began to exploit this in 1978, when they began to market themselves outside their northern and Midlands heartland. To reflect this change, they dropped the 'Northern Universities' prefix of their name and referred to themselves simply as the Joint Matriculation Board. Officially, it became the Joint Matriculation Board of the Universities of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham, though this name was rarely used outside of official documents.
(GCSE). This posed a problem, as, in England, the O Level and CSE had completely separate exam boards. To solve this, four English examining groups were created. Each group was made up of at least one GCE board and two or more CSE boards. The JMB became part of the Northern Examining Association (NEA), along with four CSE boards: the Associated Lancashire Schools Examining Board, the Northern Regional Examinations Board, the North West Regional Examinations Board and the Yorkshire Regional Examinations Board. The JMB continued to offer A Level exams independently.
NEAB then merged with AEB/SEG in 2000 to form the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance
(AQA). AQA's board is not required to include representatives of any of the JMB universities, though it does have representatives from Universities UK
.
Examination board
An examination board is an organisation that sets examinations and is responsible for marking them and distributing results. Examination boards have the power to award qualifications, such as SAT scores, to students...
, operating in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
between 1903 and 1992. It became part of NEAB
NEAB
NEAB was an examination board serving England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1992 until 2000...
, which itself is now part of AQA
Assessment and Qualifications Alliance
AQA is an Awarding Body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It compiles specifications and holds examinations in various subjects at GCSE, AS and A Level and offers vocational qualifications. AQA is a registered charity and independent of the Government...
.
Beginnings
The board was founded as the Northern Universities Joint Matriculation Board by the Victoria University of ManchesterVictoria University of Manchester
The Victoria University of Manchester was a university in Manchester, England. On 1 October 2004 it merged with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology to form a new entity, "The University of Manchester".-1851 - 1951:The University was founded in 1851 as Owens College,...
, the University of Liverpool
University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
and the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in 1903. The universities had been part of the same institution (the Victoria University
Victoria University (UK)
Victoria University was an English federal university established by Royal Charter, 20 April 1880 at Manchester: a university for the North of England open to affiliation by colleges such as Owens College which immediately did so. University College Liverpool joined the University in 1884, followed...
), but were in the process of de-merging. The universities set up the board to maintain a common entrance exam. The board allowed its exams to be taken by local schools, which was to become its main business.
The University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
joined the board in 1905. The University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
followed in 1916, spreading the board's activities to the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
.
The leading exam board
When the first national qualifications, the School CertificateSchool Certificate (UK)
The School Certificate was a United Kingdom educational attainment standard qualification, established in 1918. The School Certificate Examination was usually taken at age 16 and it was necessary to pass Mathematics, English and other subjects in order to gain the certificate...
(SC) and Higher School Certificate
Higher School Certificate (UK)
The Higher School Certificate was a United Kingdom educational attainment standard qualification, established in 1918 by the Secondary Schools Examination Council . The Higher School Certificate Examination was usually taken at age 18, or two years after the School Certificate. It was abolished...
(HSC) were introduced in 1918, the JMB offered the exams and rose to be the most popular exam board for the qualifications. When the SC and HSC were replaced by the GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
respectively, JMB took on the new qualifications and continued to be a leading provider.
The government introduced the Certificate of Secondary Education
Certificate of Secondary Education
The Certificate of Secondary Education was a school leaving qualification awarded between 1965 and 1987 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland....
(CSE) for the majority of students working below O Level standard in the 1960s, but the JMB - like all the other GCE exam boards - was not asked to administer the new qualification. Instead, new regional exam boards were created for this purpose, to operate in parallel with the GCE boards.
Despite the GCE boards also being regional, schools were free to choose which one they entered their students for exams with. The JMB began to exploit this in 1978, when they began to market themselves outside their northern and Midlands heartland. To reflect this change, they dropped the 'Northern Universities' prefix of their name and referred to themselves simply as the Joint Matriculation Board. Officially, it became the Joint Matriculation Board of the Universities of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham, though this name was rarely used outside of official documents.
Beginning of rationalisation
In 1986, the GCE O Level and CSE were merged to form a new qualification: the General Certificate of Secondary EducationGeneral Certificate of Secondary Education
The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...
(GCSE). This posed a problem, as, in England, the O Level and CSE had completely separate exam boards. To solve this, four English examining groups were created. Each group was made up of at least one GCE board and two or more CSE boards. The JMB became part of the Northern Examining Association (NEA), along with four CSE boards: the Associated Lancashire Schools Examining Board, the Northern Regional Examinations Board, the North West Regional Examinations Board and the Yorkshire Regional Examinations Board. The JMB continued to offer A Level exams independently.
Merger with the NEA
As CSEs were now extinct, the old CSE boards effectively ceased to exist outside their GCSE examining groups. The NEA took this opportunity to rationalise and the JMB merged with the four other NEA members to form the Northern Examinations and Assessment Board (NEAB) in 1992. It was at this point that the universities behind the JMB took a more backseat role, with the NEAB becoming a charity and the universities remaining only as board members.NEAB then merged with AEB/SEG in 2000 to form the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance
Assessment and Qualifications Alliance
AQA is an Awarding Body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It compiles specifications and holds examinations in various subjects at GCSE, AS and A Level and offers vocational qualifications. AQA is a registered charity and independent of the Government...
(AQA). AQA's board is not required to include representatives of any of the JMB universities, though it does have representatives from Universities UK
Universities UK
Universities UK began life as the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom in the nineteenth century when there were informal meetings involving Vice-Chancellors of a number of universities and Principals of university colleges...
.