Cambridge University Press & Assessment

What does Cambridge University Press & Assessment own?
It operates Cambridge University Press, Cambridge English, Cambridge OCR, Cambridge International Education, the Cambridge Dictionary, and the Cambridge Partnership for Education. It is itself part of the University of Cambridge, so it owns brands rather than being owned by a company.

Is Cambridge University Press & Assessment publicly traded?
No. It is a not-for-profit department of the University of Cambridge with no shares or stock listing.

Who founded Cambridge University Press & Assessment?
It was formed in August 2021 by merging Cambridge University Press, founded by royal letters patent in 1534, with Cambridge Assessment, whose origins are the University's 1858 Local Examinations Syndicate. The University of Cambridge created the merged organization.

Where is Cambridge University Press & Assessment headquartered?
It is headquartered in Cambridge, England, United Kingdom, with a UK office in Coventry and more than 80 offices worldwide.

How many brands does Cambridge University Press & Assessment own?
It operates six main brands: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge English, Cambridge OCR, Cambridge International Education, the Cambridge Dictionary, and the Cambridge Partnership for Education.

Who owns Cambridge University Press & Assessment?
The University of Cambridge. It is a non-teaching department of the University governed by the Press and Assessment Syndicate, with no shareholders or outside owners.

The organization has two founding streams. Cambridge University Press was created in 1534 when Henry VIII granted the University letters patent to print books, making it the oldest university press in continuous operation. Cambridge Assessment began with the University's Local Examinations Syndicate of 1858, which set exams for school students who were not university members.

The two operations ran in parallel for a century and a half. The Press built a major academic publishing house spanning journals, monographs, and English language teaching. The Syndicate became Cambridge Assessment, the umbrella for the UK's OCR board, Cambridge International Examinations, and English language testing.

In August 2021 the University merged them into Cambridge University Press & Assessment, arguing that digital learning had blurred the line between publishing and assessment. Peter Phillips was appointed the first chief executive. The restructure created three broad groups: academic and learning publishing, English language assessment, and school assessment covering the Cambridge OCR and Cambridge International brands.

The first full financial year as a combined organization produced revenue of £1.025 billion and operating profit of £203 million, and subsequent years continued growth toward a reported £1.1 billion scale. In 2025 the organization renamed its UK board Cambridge OCR and consolidated its international school business under the Cambridge International Education name.

As a University of Cambridge department, the organization is subject to university governance and, for its UK board, Ofqual regulation. It faced the same pandemic grading controversies as other boards and periodic criticism over international exam security and fee levels. No material regulatory sanctions are on record as of November 2026.