1. GCSE science End of Year 10 tests
Jane Bryant and Peter Rupkus
April 2017
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2. What this webinar is about
Aim of the tests.
How the tests were developed.
What you can get out of the tests.
Caveats.
Running the tests.
Understanding the mark scheme.
Ensuring consistency of marking across your team.
The analysis tool.
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3. Aim of the tests
To introduce students to the types of questions in the new exams.
To give students a feel for the challenge of the new exams.
To identify areas of weakness for individual students that may need intervention.
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4. How the tests were developed
Consultation with a wide range of schools.
Identify topics that most would have covered by Easter of Year 10.
Structure of the test to reflect question types, including maths, required practicals and balance of assessment objectives.
Foundation and Higher Tier for all papers.
Common marks at standard demand between tiers.
Written by examiners who are writing the live exams.
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5. Combined Science: Trilogy
Can also be used for students taking separate sciences.
Papers
Marks
Time (minutes)
Topics covered
Biology 30
Cell biology, Organisation, Infection and response.
Chemistry
Atomic structure and the periodic table, Bonding, structure and the properties of matter, Quantitative chemistry, Chemical changes, Energy changes.
Physics
Energy, Electricity, Particle model of matter.
Total 90
No separates-only content.
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6. Combined Science: Synergy
Papers
Notes
Marks
Time (minutes)
Topics covered
Paper 1
Greater emphasis on knowledge and application. 45
Life and environmental sciences: Building blocks, Transport over larger distances.
Physical sciences: Building blocks for understanding, Interactions over small and large distances.
Both papers include content from these topics.
Paper 2
Greater emphasis on analysis and evaluation and practical skills.
Total 90
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7. What you can get out of the test
Rank order your students.
Compare the performance of students in your own classes.
Analyse individual performance against assessment objectives, maths, working scientifically, practical skills and level of demand.
Compare your students’ overall performance with a representative population of students who took the tests in January.
Aid to decision making.
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8. Caveats
Not the full structure of the live papers – representative only.
Questions have not gone through the full rigour of scrutiny as live papers.
Students are only part-way through the course.
Students are only in Year 10, so less mature.
Some students will have started in Year 9, so nearly two years into course; some will be less than a year into the course.
Teacher marked, so AQA cannot guarantee the standard of marking.
No grade boundaries.
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9. Running the tests
Download the papers, mark schemes and standardisation materials:
Papers will stay on SKM – not time limited.
Keep secure – not all schools will take at the same time.
Adapt to suit your students.
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10. Understanding the mark scheme
You mark your students’ work.
The mark scheme is set out as it is in live papers.
The ‘Information to examiners’ section explains what different aspects of the mark scheme mean.
The different areas of the mark scheme and how to use them.
What to do if you are uncertain of how to mark a response.
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11. The ‘Information to examiners’ section
Marking guidance common to all our GCSE science mark schemes:
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12. The parts of a mark scheme
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13. Ensuring consistency across your team
Materials to use:
For each paper, three sample scripts to exemplify responses seen.
The mark scheme.
Marking guidance and commentary for each script.
Optional standardisation grids.
Running the standardisation:
Go through sample script 1 together, with mark scheme and commentary.
Mark each item, then read commentary and discuss as necessary. Use standardisation grid if required.
Then go through scripts 2 and 3 individually and discuss as a team.
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14. The standardisation grid
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15. The analysis tool Available Friday 5 May on e-AQA.
Excel spreadsheet - data entry required.
There are different analysers to use depending on the specification you are following and the level of analysis you want.
Each analyser can hold data on up to 10 cohorts of 200 students.
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16. The analysis tool
One basic analyser available – total marks for Trilogy and/or Synergy papers – limited functionality
Six detailed analysers available: Foundation Tier
Combined Trilogy/separate sciences Higher Tier
common questions Foundation Tier
Combined Synergy Higher Tier
common questions
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17. Analysis tool: Trilogy and Synergy
Step 1: welcome page.
Step 2: enter students name into chosen analyser – basic, tier of entry, or common question analysis.
Step 3: input the marks for each student.
You will only need to enter this data once, the other sections of the analysers will autocomplete – eg percentile ranks, distribution graphs etc.
Note – the data shown in the following slides is fabricated for illustrative purposes only. It is not based on our sample population data.
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18. The analysis tool – welcome page
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19. The analysis tool – basic analyser
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20. The analysis tool – basic analyser
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21. The analysis tool – basic analyser
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22. The analysis tool – detailed analysers
Data entry required for each question. Worksheets 2-4 Trilogy/separate sciences and worksheets 2–3 for Synergy.
There may be 2 or more mark entry points for an individual question – this is to track certain skills, eg AOs, working scientifically, etc.
The Individual Comparison worksheet is locked and will autocomplete to display student performance in a range of skills across the papers.
The Group Comparison worksheet provides graphical analysis of cohort performance in a range of skills across the paper.
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23. The analysis tool – detailed analysers
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24. The analysis tool – detailed analysers
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25. The analysis tool – detailed analysers
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26. The analysis tool – detailed analysers
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27. The analysis tool – detailed analysers
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28. The analysis tool summary
Basic analyser
student performance against:
class/school mean mark
the AQA population data set mean mark
students’ percentile rank in relation to the AQA population data set
distribution graphs of student performance.
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29. The analysis tool summary
Detailed analyser – has everything on the basic analyser plus:
visual indicator (RAG) of how your students performed on each question
break down of students performance on:
AOs
level of demand
maths against class/school mean mark and
working scientifically population mean mark
practical
extended response
Graphs comparing cohort performance:
with other cohorts
with the AQA population data set.
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30. The analysis tool – how to use it
The analysers can be used to:
provide information to identify common strengths and weaknesses across the class/school
support the development of strategies to target support and development across the science curriculum in teaching and learning
inform planning and interventions at class/pupil levels
help guide decisions on tier of entry.
It is not designed to:
provide grade boundaries
provide more than a snapshot of student performance in Year 10
dictate decisions on tier of entry.
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31. Future resources
Further samples of student answers from these tests with commentaries.
Second set of sample assessment materials:
full equivalent of the live papers
written by the examiners writing the live papers
can use as mocks with your Year 11 students
more information available later in the year.
Summer Hub meetings, June 2017 – remember to book.
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32. Thank you aqa.org.uk/science
For qualification information, resources and support, please visit:
aqa.org.uk/science