What is the difference between CPCAB and BACP?

CPCAB is an awarding organisation – also known as an awarding body or examination board which awards qualifications – whereas BACP is a professional membership body which represents the interests of counselling.

CPCAB is a specialist awarding organisation which designs and awards qualifications in counselling and related subjects. CPCAB is statutorily regulated by Ofqual in England, Qualifications Wales in Wales and CCEA Regulation in Northern Ireland. In addition to its nationally-regulated qualifications, CPCAB also offers a number of customised awards for individual employers and agencies.

BACP is a professional organisation which represents the interests of the counselling profession. It is made up of individual members and member organisations. As such it has a role in setting standards (the most well-known being BACP accreditation of counsellors and the BACP Core Curriculum) and registering counsellor/supervisors etc, protecting the public, hearing complaints and interacting with society at large. BACP also approves course content (hence BACP accredited courses) but they cannot award qualifications and they are not externally regulated. In practice therefore BACP accredited courses may be linked to national qualifications or they may not.