 The University of London examination system and the External System were instrumental in the formation of British higher education.Most English and Welsh university colleges founded between 1849 and 1949 (exceptions include Newcastle, linked with Durham from its foundation in 1871, and Swansea, part of the University of Wales from its foundation in 1920) served what was a form of 'apprenticeship' through offering London degrees by external study for a period (which could vary considerably in length), before receiving authorisation to award their own degrees and becoming universities in their own right.The External System also played a significant role in establishing many Commonwealth universities under a unique scheme of ‘special relations’.