1. GCSE SA Science Revised Specification First teaching Sept. 2011
CCEA Support Events
GCSE SA Science
Revised Specification
First teaching Sept. 2011

2. Agenda
Introduction
Specification and Specimen Assessment Materials (Reading Time)
Changes (Structure and Assessment Materials)
Controlled Assessment - Rationale
Controlled Assessment (Reading Time)
Overview of Controlled Assessment
Plenary

3. Accreditation Process
Revision every 5 years
Criteria/Regulations
Subject criteria (Content and Assessment Objectives)
Qualification criteria (Number of units allowed)
Controlled Assessment Regulations
Materials submitted to Regulator (Ofqual)
Specification
Specimen papers and mark schemes
Specimen Controlled Assessment Tasks (CATs)
and mark schemes
Assessment Objective Grids
Single Award to be accredited this week

4. Support Specification, SAMs, CATs on-line and hard copy
Schemes of Work (“Word” version on-line – May 2011)
Student guides
Controlled assessment guidance for teachers
Controlled Assessment support events in October 2011
Topic Tracker

5. Topic Tracker Builds examination papers
Questions selected from menu of topics
Front cover generated
Mark scheme generated
Free of charge to all centres with CCEA – Contact

6. Specification and SAMs
Reading Time

7. Structure of the Course
Unit
% Weighting
Raw Marks
Time
Availability
Unit 1:
Biology
25%
60 - F
75 - H
1h (F)
1h 15 min (H)
Feb 2012, Nov 2012
Feb 2013
(then every May, Nov. and Feb. thereafter)
Unit 2:
Chemistry
Unit 3:
Physics
Unit 4:
Controlled
Assessment 45
(not tiered) -
From Sept (2011)

8. Key Changes
How Science Works - section 1.5 – (Already in current spec.)
data evidence, theories and explanations
practical and enquiry skills
communication skills
applications and implications of science
Assessed in Papers & CA tasks
AO3 – “Analyse and evaluate evidence, make reasoned judgements and draw conclusions based on evidence”
Foundation: marks out of 60
Higher: marks out of 75
Mathematical content – section 3.5
Extended writing assessing QWC
section 4.4 of specification
2/3 questions per paper
banded mark scheme

9. Mathematical Content – Extract and interpret information from tables
Unit 2 H – Q7
A03 - Analyse and evaluate evidence, make reasoned judgements and draw conclusions based on evidence
Mathematical Content – Extract and interpret information from tables

10. Unit 2 F – Q10c

12. Controlled Assessment (Rationale)
Authenticity
Variety
Manageability

13. Skills
Develop hypotheses and plan practical ways to test them including risk assessment;
Collect data while managing associated risks
Process, analyse and interpret primary and secondary data
Draw evidence-based conclusions
Review and evaluate methods of data collection and quality of resulting data
Review hypotheses in light of outcomes

14. CAT and specification (section 4)
Reading Time

15. Tasks - overview CCEA sets the tasks
3 new tasks each year for each cohort (one each for units 1, 2 and 3)
Only one task to be submitted
Available in September
Teacher Guidance Notes
Candidate Response Booklet - A
Candidate Response Booklet - B
Task has 3 parts
Part A (Planning and Risk Assessment)
Part B (Data Collection)
Part C (Processing, Analysis and Evaluation)
Can be taken at any time

16. Teacher Guidance Notes
Details of the task
Independent variables
Suggested method/s

17. Part A – Planning and Risk Assessment
Assessed
Informal (medium control)
No time limit
General guidance from teacher
group work
class discussion
Trial experiment
Final plan and risk assessment must be completed independently in Candidate Response Booklet A

18. Marking Part A (Planning and Risk Assessment)
No redrafting allowed
Use generic mark bands (section 6)
Marked out of 18
3 options to allow candidates to move on after planning
plan and risk assessment are appropriate
plan and risk assessment are appropriate with some minor amendments
plan and risk assessment are unsuitable and inappropriate
Plan and risk assessment completed in Candidate Response Booklet A

19. Data Collection Not assessed No time limit
Teacher can give very significant help and guidance to ensure suitable results are obtained and recorded
Data/results also recorded in Candidate response booklet A

20. Part C – Processing, Analysis and Evaluation
Assessed
Formal (High) control
Completed in Candidate Response Booklet B
No assistance – must be completed independently
Need to refer to their plan and results taken
Marked out of 27 using mark scheme supplied
Contains questions relating to their own data and secondary data supplied

21. Moderation Internal standardisation Sample to CCEA
Submitted May (both candidate response booklets and CRS)
Tolerance
Marks adjusted if outside tolerance

22. Contact Details Nuala Braniff 90261200 ext 2292 (nbraniff@ccea.org.uk)
Frances Donnelly
Patricia Quinn
Kevin Henderson