CCEA GCSE Qualifications
Controlled Assessment
Controlled Assessment
Presentation
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Overview
Why change coursework?
2005 QCA report
Outcome of review
What is controlled assessment?
Questions and answers
Useful information
Controlled assessment Overview
• In relation to new and revised CCEA
GCSE qualifications only.
• Controlled Assessment is the new term for
GCSE coursework.
• All CCEA revised and new GCSEs, except
Religious Studies, Economics and
Mathematics, have an element of
controlled assessment.
• Either 60% or 25% weighting.
Why change coursework?
2005 QCA report, www.qcda.org.uk
• Views from:
–Candidates, teachers, parents,
senior examiners and moderators,
awarding body staff and staff of the
regulatory bodies.
2005 QCA report findings
• Findings of review:
– Benefits outweigh any drawbacks
– Value of coursework:
• assessing skills and knowledge that cannot be
assessed by exam
• important motivator for many candidates in many
subjects
• candidates have an opportunity to study an area in
depth
• candidates have an opportunity to take
responsibility for their own learning
2005 QCA report findings
(contd)
• Findings of review (contd):
– Needs to be a strengthening of the current arrangements
– Concerns about coursework
• Teachers need to be able to confidently and consistently
confirm that the work is the candidate’s own
• More guidance needed on:
– setting tasks
– drafting work
– limits of permitted help
– what constitutes malpractice
– internal standardisation
– purpose and format of feedback from moderators
– weighting of coursework across subjects
Outcome of the Review
• The 2007 report recommended that coursework
be replaced by controlled assessment. For the
full report go to www.ccea.org.uk
• New general regulations were developed.
• New subject specific regulations were developed
• All subjects were allocated 0%, 25% or 60%
controlled assessment weighting.
• All GCSE specifications which were developed
or revised by all awarding bodies from the 2007
to 2010 were required to adhere to these
regulations.
What is controlled assessment?
• New approach in GCSE subjects which require
coursework.
• A more integrated approach to teaching, learning and
assessment.
• A tightening of the circumstances in which students, over
a period of time, complete those aspects of the subject
which are usually marked by their teacher.
• Controlled assessment regulations set out the levels of
control for individual subjects.
• Levels of control address issues of authenticity,
plagiarism and comparability of process and demand
across specifications in the same subject offered by
different awarding bodies.
Processes in controlled
assessment
Important processes in coursework, now
referred to as ‘controlled assessment’, relate
to:
• setting the task: the need to ensure that tasks are valid
and reliable by making them less predictable and
formulaic;
• taking the task: the circumstances under which the task
is taken and the need to address issues of authenticity;
and
• marking the task: the need to ensure high-quality
judgements in assessment.
Levels of Control
• For each of the processes different
levels of control are possible:
–high
–medium
–limited/low
• Within any subject, varying levels of
control are likely to be required
across the three processes.
Task Setting explained
• High: CCEA sets the task(s).
• Medium: CCEA provides a task(s)
that can be adapted by the teacher.
• Low/Limited: The teacher sets the
task(s) according to criteria provided
by CCEA.
Task Setting (contd)
• Some specifications require teachers to submit the titles
to CCEA.
• There are also some specifications that offer teachers a
choice, for example:
– choose from exemplar tasks provided by CCEA;
– create a task of choice; or
– adapt a task provided by CCEA.
• For those specifications that have:
– 25% controlled assessment, CCEA will replace the
task every year
– 60% controlled assessment, CCEA will review the
task, as a minimum, every two years to ensure that
they continue to set an appropriate challenge.
Task Taking explained
• One of the issues for centres relates to the
level of supervision that is required during
the time when candidates are completing
their controlled assessment.
• The level of supervision varies for
individual subjects and is defined in each
specification.
• Three levels:
– High: Formal Supervision
– Medium: Informal Supervision
– Low: Limited Supervision
Formal Supervision
JCQ para 4.1.2
• Candidates’ work must be completed under direct
supervision ie. candidates’ teacher or another person
nominated by the centre.
• Candidates must work independently.
• Teachers must not offer assistance.
• Usually candidates do not have to complete their work in
one sitting – advice in specifications.
• Usually during the final stages of the work when
candidates write up the results of preparatory work or
research and present the outcome for assessment.
• When this takes place over a number of sessions,
candidates’ work should be collected, stored securely
and redistributed as necessary.
Informal Supervision
JCQ para 4.1.3
• Candidates can work on their own - some guidance by
the teacher.
• Some subjects, e.g. Art & Design and Music necessary for candidates to complete part of the
assessment outside the classroom
– Teacher/supervisor must be able to state that what
candidate presents for assessment is their own work
– Candidates must sign a Declaration of Authentication
– Close supervision of portfolio work which may have
been:
• started in class and completed in the candidate’s
own time
• started outside the classroom and completed by
the candidate in class
Informal Supervision (contd)
• Where work has been done outside
the classroom, the amount of work
carried out during class time should be
sufficient for the teacher/supervisor to
determine each candidate’s capability
in relation to what is presented for
assessment.
E.g. analytical discussion with the
candidate about his/her work.
Limited Supervision
JCQ para 4.1.4
• Candidates undertake work without
teacher supervision.
• Candidates may undertake research
and preparatory work which will
inform, but should not be included in,
the final piece of work presented for
assessment.
Task Marking explained
• Most tasks for individual specifications are
marked with a medium level of control.
This means that the tasks are internally
marked by centres and externally
moderated by CCEA.
• There are some tasks within a small
number of specifications which are marked
with a high level of control. This means
that the tasks are marked by CCEA.
Your questions answered drafting/redrafting
Can candidates draft and redraft their work?
• When drafting skills are being assessed, mark
schemes will clearly give credit for
drafting/redrafting work. Therefore, candidates’
work should show evidence of work having been
drafted and redrafted.
• When drafting is not one of the skills being
assessed, teachers may review candidates’
work and may provide advice at a general level.
• Teachers must not provide detailed and specific
advice on how drafts could be improved to meet
assessment criteria.
Your questions answered –
storage
Where should the candidates’ work be stored
to ensure that it is secure?
• Assessment materials and mark schemes must
be kept secure throughout the controlled
assessment process.
• Candidates’ work for assessment must be stored
securely within the centre.
• This could be done by the subject department or
the examinations office - this would normally
mean a locked steel or metal cabinet.
Your questions answered –
storage (contd)
Where should the candidates’ work be stored
to ensure that it is secure? (contd)
• If this is not practical because of the nature of
the assessment e.g. the need to allow items of
work to dry overnight, secured storage can be
defined as classrooms being locked from one
end of the session to the start of the next.
• Memory sticks should be collected at the end of
each session.
• Teachers can mark at home but need to take
sensible precautions regarding the security of
the work.
Your questions answered –
adherence to regulations
What procedures are in place to ensure
adherence to the regulations?
• It is the responsibility of the head of centre to ensure that
the subject leaders adhere to the procedures for setting,
taking and marking the task(s), as appropriate to the
specification.
• Declaration of Authentication (JCQ para 4.7)
• Any breaches of the regulations for the setting,
supervision, authentication and marking of controlled
assessment may constitute maladministration as defined
by JCQ.
• For further information and access to the current
documentation go to www.jcq.org.uk
Your questions answered –
malpractice
What constitutes malpractice?
Candidates must not:
• submit work that is not their own;
• lend their work to others or allow their work to be copied;
• allow others access to, or the use of, their own
independently sourced material;
• use any books, the Internet or other sources without
acknowledgement or attribution;
• submit work word processed by a third party without
acknowledgement.
Your questions answered –
absenteeism
If a candidate has an occasional absence
during the controlled assessment, how can
this be managed?
• If a candidate is absent or misses allocated controlled
assessment time, they can sit the task or work on it at
another convenient time providing that the controlled
assessment supervision requirements for the specific
subject(s) are met, ie. an alternative supervised session
may be organised for such candidates.
• If the assessment can not be repeated, the centre should
contact CCEA for advice.
Your questions answered –
re-doing units
If a candidate wants to re-do a controlled
assessment unit, what are the regulations?
Units not yet submitted to CCEA;
• At the discretion of a centre, candidates who wish to re-do a controlled
assessment unit before the marks have been sent to us can do so as
long as the following conditions are met:
– Controlled Assessment tasks taken under Formal supervision
conditions:
• Candidates must do a different task available from the
examination series in question.
• The work must be undertaken in a new period of formal
supervision.
• Candidates must not be allowed to make another attempt at the
same task.
Note: Candidates may re-use the research carried out for the
original task.
Your questions answered –
re-doing units (contd)
If a candidate wants to re-do a controlled
assessment unit, what are the regulations?
(contd)
– Controlled Assessment tasks taken under Informal
supervision conditions:
• Candidates may make amendments to their work in the
light of feedback from their teacher.
• The feedback must be in line with the requirements of the
specification and any additional instructions issued by
JCQ on task taking.
• Candidates must not be allowed to make amendments
after the work has been submitted for final assessment
by the teacher.
Your questions answered –
re-sitting units
If a candidate wants to re-sit a controlled
assessment unit after it has been submitted
to CCEA what are the regulations?
• Candidates who wish to re-sit a controlled assessment after it has
previously been submitted to CCEA may make another attempt at
the task if it is still available within that examination series.
• The work presented for assessment must be entirely new and
carried out under the level(s) of control specified in the specification.
• Candidates must not be allowed to amend the work which was
submitted previously.
• In unitised specifications, candidates may re-take an individual unit
once before certification.
Note: Candidates may re-use the research carried out
previously.
Your questions answered –
re-using units
If a candidate wants to re-take a GCSE
qualification, what are the regulations
regarding re-using results?
• The candidate can re-use the result of any unit, including
the controlled assessment unit.
• The candidate, however, must meet the terminal
requirement by re-taking units contributing to at least
40% of the assessment.
• The result(s) from this final series (of units accounting for
at least 40% of the total assessment) will count towards
the new award even if the candidate has (a) better
result(s) from a previous series.
Your questions answered –
re-taking linear GCSEs
• In linear GCSE specifications candidates who
re-take the whole qualification may either re-take
their controlled assessment component or reuse their previous mark.
Further questions and
answers
Answers to these and other questions can be
found on our controlled assessment
microsite and the JCQ document, for
example:
• Can candidates work in groups to complete their
controlled assessment task?
• If candidates miss a substantial amount of controlled
assessment, what are the procedures? (JCQ para 13.6)
• How should candidates authenticate their work?
(JCQ para 4.7.1)
• What if a teacher has reservations about the authenticity
of the candidate’s work? (JCQ para 4.7.4)
CCEA supporting teachers
and learners
Where can you find more information
on Controlled Assessment?
• Within the revised Specification for each subject
in:
– Section 6
– The Appendix.
• Some Specimen Assessment Materials have
specimen tasks.
• Subject microsites at www.ccea.org.uk
Supporting teachers and
learners
What additional support/information
is available?
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Controlled Assessment Guide
Teacher guidance
Student guidance
Student guide
Controlled assessment microsite
www.ccea.org.uk/controlled_assessment/
• JCQ documents
www.jcq.org.uk
Centre management of
controlled assessment
 Develop and implement a controlled
assessment policy (JCQ Instructions for
conducting controlled assessments 1.6)
 www.jcq.org.uk
 Create a centre-wide plan (QCDA
Managing GCSE controlled assessment.
A centre-wide approach)
www.qcda.gov.uk
QCDA suggested approach
to developing a policy
• Whole school approach
• Roles and responsibilities (Outlining
staff responsibilities)
• Risk management (Risk management
process)
• Coordination of controlled
assessment activities
• Monitoring of progress
Administration of controlled
assessment
 Some recurring issues
• Timetabling
• Accommodation
• Facilities
• Resources
• Absenteeism
• Adherence to rules
• Internal standardisation
• Internal appeals
• Unitisation
• Re-sits
• Terminal assessment
Other useful documents
JCQ
www.jcq.org.uk
• Arrangements for internal appeals about
internal assessment decisions and
enquiries about results
• Notice to centres Malpractice
• Plagiarism in examinations Guidance for
Teachers/assessors
Ofqual
www.ofqual.gov.uk
• Avoiding Plagiarism A guide for parents
and carers
Other useful documents
(contd)
QCDA
www.qcda.gov.uk
• Authenticity A guide for teachers
• Unitised GCSEs and the terminal
assessment rule
Controlled Assessment
Micro-site
Staying informed
For information on all our support events go
to www.ccea.org.uk
• Click on the Events icon (top left)
Useful information
• www.ccea.org.uk
– Subject specific microsites
– Controlled assessment microsite
– Online event booking
– NI Regulators
– Qualifications handbook
• www.jcq.org.uk
– Instructions on conducting controlled
assessments
– Other useful guides and instructions
• www.qcda.gov.uk
– Useful links and documents on controlled assessment