A sanction is a formal penalty or corrective measure imposed by an awarding body when certain conditions or standards are unmet. These measures are designed to ensure that qualifications maintain their integrity and that the awarding process remains robust and fair. Centres should work to the best of their ability to avoid sanctions being imposed by awarding bodies. At the same time, awarding bodies do not find it easy to sanction centres.
An example of a scenario leading to a sanction is when a centre fails to adhere to the conditions of centre recognition, such as not carrying out assessments and quality assurance. Awarding bodies can impose different sanctions depending on the severity of the matter. Some sanctions might be minor, while others might be serious, leading to restrictions to offer qualifications or centre withdrawal.
Awarding bodies are usually supportive and work with centres when breaches are minor until compliance is achieved. Sanctions are not there to punish centres but to protect learners and uphold the integrity of qualifications, as already highlighted above