CCEA is a non-departmental public body and regulator, approving and monitoring Awarding Organisations offering qualifications in Northern Ireland.

It is responsible for designing, developing, and administering examinations and qualifications, as well as overseeing the assessment and certification of students in Northern Ireland.

CCEA conducts and moderates examinations and assessments, ensuring standards are equivalent to those of other awarding bodies across the United Kingdom.

Due to educational reforms of the Conservative Party under Prime Minister David Cameron, CCEA (among other UK examination boards i.e. Edexcel, AQA, OCR and WJEC) continuously redevelops syllabi for GCSEs and GCE A Levels.

[12] The Chief Executive of CCEA is responsible for the operational delivery of examinations and assessments to thousands of pupils across Northern Ireland, the monitoring of standards in qualifications, and the forming of relevant policy advice to the Department of Education.