Is the Cambridge Assessment Network part of Cambridge University?

Updated

Yes — the site states that The Assessment Network is part of Cambridge University Press and Assessment. That makes it part of the wider Cambridge organisation rather than an independent body. It is also not just a research unit: the same site describes it as providing professional development to the assessment community, alongside research work.

What the relationship actually is

The page evidence gives one direct organisational statement: "The Assessment Network is part of Cambridge University Press and Assessment." So if you are trying to place it on an org chart, it sits inside Cambridge University Press and Assessment, not as a standalone charity, commercial vendor, or separate university department.

The site also frames the work in terms of qualifications and programmes: "Research is at the heart of all our qualifications and programmes." That tells you the Network is connected to the qualification side of the organisation, not only to academic publishing or pure research.

Two functions under one name

The site title is "Cambridge Assessment Network and Research," and the page presents two connected strands:

  • The Assessment Network — professional development for the assessment community, with the stated aim of equipping assessment professionals with a clear understanding of assessment principles and practice.
  • Research — research that the site says sits at the heart of its qualifications and programmes, including a publication called Research Matters (Issue 41, April 2026 appears in the page headings).

So the answer to "is it part of Cambridge University?" is yes, via Cambridge University Press and Assessment — but the Network itself is best understood as the professional-development and research-facing part of that organisation, not as the University's central admissions or teaching body.

Does it operate globally?

Yes. The page evidence includes learner and practitioner quotes referring to a "global network" with "members across all over the world sharing their knowhow," and the site says it supports "professionals all over the world who are working hard to get assessments right for learners." That is the site's own framing of reach, so treat it as the organisation's description rather than an independently audited figure.

What it offers, in its own terms

If your real question is "what does this organisation do for me?", the page evidence supports these points:

  • Professional development for assessment professionals, covering assessment principles and practice.
  • Courses, including one named in the page evidence: A103: Assessment Data and Statistics, described as "now available on-demand."
  • Research outputs, including Research Matters.
  • A stated purpose: the site says valid and reliable assessments create fair and inclusive opportunities for learners, and that effective assessment is about more than getting questions right.

The page also carries practitioner quotes about impact — for example, using assessment "as an integral part of the learning process," and creating "a balanced and a fair meaningful assessment." These are participant testimonials on the organisation's own page, so read them as illustrative claims rather than measured outcomes.

What this means if you are deciding whether to engage

  • If you need to cite or reference the organisation, the defensible description is: part of Cambridge University Press and Assessment, providing professional development and research for the assessment community.
  • If you are choosing training, the site confirms at least one on-demand course (A103) and a general professional-development offer, but the page evidence here does not give prices, enrolment dates, or entry requirements — check the course pages directly for those.
  • If you are looking for research, the site points to Research Matters and describes research as central to its qualifications and programmes.

One caution: "part of Cambridge University Press and Assessment" is the site's own wording. If you need the precise legal or governance relationship to the University of Cambridge for a formal document, verify it against the University's or the Press and Assessment's official corporate information rather than relying on a single web page.