The phrases and words mentioned below - wherever they appear in this regulation - shall have the meanings assigned to them, unless the context requires otherwise:

• The Commission: Education and Training Evaluation Commission.

• The Council: Board of Directors of the Commission.

• The Centers: Centers affiliated with the Commission to carry out some of its functions.

The authority enjoys legal personality and financial and administrative independence, and is organizationally linked to the Prime Minister.

The headquarters of the Authority shall be in the city of Riyadh, and it may -by a decision of the Council- establish branches or offices within the Kingdom as needed.

The Authority is the competent body in the Kingdom for evaluation, measurement, and accreditation of qualifications in education and training in both the public and private sectors to enhance their quality, efficiency, and contribution to the economy and national development. The Authority's competencies - in order to achieve this - include the following:

• 1- Building systems for evaluation and accreditation - including institutional and programmatic - in education and training, which include the rules, standards, frameworks, indicators, conditions, and procedures related to them, their approval, and their application.

• 2- Evaluating the performance of schools, higher education institutions, and training institutions, and periodically accrediting them according to the standards approved by the Council.

• 3- Evaluating qualification-ending programs implemented by educational and training institutions, and periodically accrediting them according to the standards approved by the Council.

• 4- Building measurement tools in education and training, and applying and developing them.

• 5- Establishing standards for general education curricula in coordination with the Ministry of Education, approving them, and updating them periodically.

• 6- Building and implementing educational assessments and tests (such as university admission tests, national tests in general education stages related to the evaluation of general education) as well as training, professional, functional, linguistic, cognitive, and others.

• 7- Building and applying diagnostic survey guides in education and training and other guides.

• 8- Participating in international standard tests related to the evaluation of education and training, according to the regulations approved by the Council, and supervising their application in the Kingdom.

• 9- Preparing professional standards for practicing general education and training professions, approving them, and evaluating their application.

• 10- Building and applying tests for the professional competency of teachers - and those in their category - in education, and trainers - and those in their category - in training, and issuing the professional licenses related to them, according to the regulations approved by the Council.

• 11- Preparing the national qualifications framework, which includes the rules, regulations, standards, indicators, conditions, and procedures related to it, approving it by the Council, and supervising its application.

• 12- Preparing the standards and conditions for educational and training institutions to apply for institutional and programmatic accreditation from international accrediting bodies, and what is necessary to exempt them from programmatic accreditation, approving them by the Council, and following up on their application.

• 13- Setting indicators related to the Authority's areas of work, measuring them periodically, developing them, and comparing them with international indicators.

• 14- Establishing centers affiliated with the Authority to carry out some of its competencies, with the determination of their organizational affiliation, financial status, and the means of executing their competencies, and the mechanism for implementing the tasks entrusted to them by the Authority; by decisions from the Council.

• 15- Establishing companies or participating in their establishment or entering into partnerships or contributions; in accordance with the applicable regulatory procedures.

• 16- Seeking assistance from those deemed necessary to participate in carrying out the evaluation, measurement, and accreditation tasks that fall under its jurisdiction, or parts of those tasks or complementary parts, according to the regulations approved by the Council.

• 17- Licensing those deemed necessary to carry out evaluation, measurement, accreditation, and qualifications in education and training in the Kingdom, according to the regulations approved by the Council.

• 18- Licensing any foreign entity to practice evaluation, accreditation, measurement, or qualifications in education or training within the Kingdom, whether the practice is direct or indirect, according to the regulations approved by the Council.

• 19 - Carrying out evaluation, measurement, and accreditation activities outside the Kingdom, according to the regulations approved by the Council.

• 20 - Providing consultations and services to governmental and private entities and others, inside and outside the Kingdom.

• 21 - Organizing programs and courses in its areas of competence, and providing them.

• 22 - Organizing seminars, conferences, workshops, exhibitions, competitions, and awards, holding them, and participating in them, according to the applicable procedures.

• 23- Issuing magazines, periodicals, books, guides, and newsletters related to the Authority's tasks and activities.

• 24- Exchanging scientific and knowledge production with educational and training institutions inside and outside the Kingdom, and with entities working in any of the Authority's areas of work outside the Kingdom.

• 25- Exchanging experiences and expertise with similar entities outside the Kingdom, and establishing mechanisms for cooperation with them according to the applicable procedures.

• 26- Following up on the Kingdom's international commitments related to evaluation, measurement, and accreditation in education and training.

• 27- Representing the Kingdom or participating in its representation at regional and international committees, organizations, and bodies related to the subject according to the applicable procedures.

1- Among the centers is the National Center for Assessment, which enjoys financial independence.

2- The National Center for Assessment is responsible for developing measurement tools in education and training, implementing and enhancing them, constructing standards and standardized tests that fall under the authority's jurisdiction and executing them, supervising the application of international tests in the Kingdom in which the authority participates, and any other responsibilities assigned to the center by the Council.

The Authority and the centers - including the National Center for Assessment - shall provide consultations and services to government and private entities and others within and outside the Kingdom, in addition to what the Council specifies as other means that enable it to achieve its objectives.

1- The Authority shall have a Board of Directors composed of a Chairman appointed by a royal decree, and the membership shall include:

• - The Chairman of the Authority (Vice Chairman of the Board).

• - Two representatives from the Ministry of Education, one specialized in general education and the other in higher education.

• - A representative from the Ministry of Economy and Planning.

• - A representative from the Ministry of Commerce and Investment.

• - A representative from the Ministry of Energy.

• - A representative from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources.

• - A representative from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

• - A representative from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

• - A representative from the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation.

• - A representative from the centers chosen by the Chairman of the Board.

• - Six specialists and stakeholders in the fields of the Authority's work, appointed by a decree from the Prime Minister based on a proposal from the Chairman of the Board, with a membership term of three years, renewable once.

2- The rank of the representatives of the government agencies mentioned in paragraph (1) of this article shall not be less than the rank (fourteenth) or its equivalent.

3- The Board shall have a Secretary appointed by the Board, who shall define his tasks and remuneration.

The Council is responsible for overseeing the management of the Authority's affairs and centers, and for conducting its matters. It makes all necessary decisions to achieve its objectives within the provisions of this Law, and it has, in particular, the following powers:

• 1- Approving general policies, plans, and programs necessary for their implementation, and raising any matters that require the completion of procedures related to them, and supervising their implementation.

• 2- Proposing draft laws related to the Authority's competencies, and suggesting amendments to those currently in force.

• 3- Approving administrative, financial, and functional regulations, and other necessary internal regulations.

• 4- Approving the organizational structures of the Authority and the centers.

• 5- Adopting salary scales, including the salaries of experts and specialists with the required qualifications, and the rewards for those whom the Authority and the centers seek assistance from.

• 6- Approving the establishment of centers, branches, and offices.

• 7- Determining the financial compensation for services and works that the Council deems appropriate to charge a financial fee for.

• 8- Approving investment policies for funds, in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

• 9- Appointing an external auditor and an internal financial controller.

• 10- Approving the draft annual budget of the Authority, its final account, the auditor's report, and the annual report; in preparation for submitting them according to the applicable legal procedures.

• 11- Approving the budgets of centers with financial independence, their final accounts, and the reports of their auditors, and reviewing their annual reports.

• 12- Reviewing periodic reports submitted on the progress of work in the Authority and the centers.

• 13- Approving the conclusion of agreements, protocols, and contracts, according to the applicable legal procedures.

• 14- Accepting gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and endowments in accordance with the governing provisions.

• The Council may also form permanent or temporary committees from its members or others, assigning them tasks it deems necessary. The decision to form each committee shall specify its chairperson, members, secretary, and competencies, and it may seek assistance from whomever it deems appropriate to perform the assigned tasks.

• The Council may also delegate some of its powers to its chairperson or to any of its members or to the staff of the Authority and the centers.

The Council shall meet at least three times in each financial year, or whenever necessary as determined by the Chairman of the Council, and if requested by at least one-third of its members. The meetings shall be chaired by the Chairman of the Council or, in his absence, by his deputy. For the meeting to be valid, a majority of the members must be present, including the Chairman or his deputy. Decisions shall be made by a majority of the votes of those present, and in the event of a tie, the side that the Chairman votes with shall prevail.

The Authority shall have a President appointed by a decision of the Council, and the Council shall determine his competencies, powers, salary, and other financial and functional benefits.