The (Northern Universities) Joint Matriculation Board (JMB) was established in 1903 on the dissolution of the federal Victoria University (founded in 1887 and comprised of Yorkshire College in Leeds, University College in Liverpool, and Owens College in Manchester). A clause in the Charter then granted to each of the three universities of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds required them to co-operate by means of a Joint Board "for the regulation and conduct of matriculation examinations, including the conditions of exemption therefrom". Sheffield University joined the Board in 1905 and Birmingham University in 1916.

Until 1917 the Board conducted various certificate examinations for pupils in secondary schools in addition to its Matriculation Examination as such. In 1918 it was approved by the Board of Education as one of the examining bodies for the conduct of the School Certificate and Higher School Certificate introduced in that year (and subsequently replaced by GCE O and A levels in 1951). The Matriculation Examination proper was last held in 1937.

In 1985 JMB joined other examining bodies to form the Northern Examining Association (NEA) and in 1992 became known as the Northern Examinations & Assessment Board (NEAB). The NEAB became part of the unitary awarding authority, Assessment & Qualifications Alliance (AQA) in 2000.