Graded Unit 1 – Practical Exercise
Iain Walker
Graded Unit 1 – The Purpose of Graded Units
1. Provide the competencies required by employers and
universities
2. Develop and apply a range of vocational knowledge
and skills in an integrated manner to the analysis of
business situations
3. Build on previously acquired transferable skills
4. Adopt an innovative and creative approach to their
work and be able to respond quickly to the challenges
posed by changes in the business environment
5. Enhance quality
Graded Unit 1 – Scheduling Graded Unit 1
“the Graded Units completed at the end of Years 1
and 2 are based on some of the mandatory Units.
The Units being assessed as part of the Graded
Unit, must be delivered and assessed to ensure
that sufficient learning will have taken place to
enable the candidates a fair opportunity at
achieving the Graded Unit at an appropriate grade.”
Graded Unit 1 – Scheduling Graded Unit 1
For HND Business:
Graded Unit 1 – Spot the ball
Exercise 1
Graded Unit 1 – Spot the ball answer
Graded Unit 1 – A markers standardisation meeting
Why do we have a meeting?
1.How to mark the paper
2.To interpret the meaning of the questions
3.To examine the suggested answers
4.To look at the grade criteria table
5.To identify any obstacles/problems
6.To decide how best to check the marking
The answer is to know where the ball is!
Graded Unit 1 – Spot the difference!!!!!!!
Exercise 2
Graded Unit 1 - Spot the difference!!!!!!!




We assess what is good and what is less good
We benchmark against standards
We place candidate responses in rank order
We mark all candidate responses and assess the
candidates total result as an A, B or C or not
achieved.
 In effect we are spotting the difference between
many responses
Graded Unit 1 – Case Study and Questions
Exercise 3
1. Study the case Stagecoach Plc case study for
approximately 5 minutes
2. Individually mark each of the three responses for
question 1. You should award 1 mark at a time
3. Total you marks for each response
4. For each response write one sentence to explain/justify
why you have awarded the number of marks awarded.
5. At your table discuss your marks and reasons for the
marks with your colleagues, and prepare to feedback.
Approximate total time 15 minutes
Graded Unit 1 – Question 1 – Answer 1
Graded Unit 1 – Question 1 – Answer 2
Graded Unit 1 – Question 1 – Answer 3
Graded Unit 1 – Case Study and Questions
Repeat the exercise for question 2
 Approximately 10 minutes
 Remember to discuss your findings and be prepared
to feedback
Graded Unit 1 – Question 2 – Answer 1
Graded Unit 1 – Question 2 – Answer 2
Graded Unit 1 – Marking Guidelines
1. Hold a standardisation meeting and discuss the paper and
suggested solutions and record decisions
2. Mark one question at a time
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Allocate single marks clearly showing where they are gained
Differentiate between basic content and development marks
Cross marking and checking
Check marks close to grade boundaries
Look at the grading table in the Unit specification and reflect
on the candidate responses
8. Hold another standardisation meeting and agree marks and
record the rationale for decisions
Janet Strain SIM
‘How to deliver Business Graded Unit 1’
Integration of
Delivery
Janet Strain
Integration of learning and
teaching and assessment
• Several topics in the HND framework
appear in more than one unit
• Integration of learning and teaching can
be good for learners
Levels of Integration
• Light touch
– Reference to topics in different units
• Part
– Teachers analyse Unit Specifications for
relevant topics and create Unit teaching plans
only delivering the topic once
• Full
– Enhancement from part integration, where
assessments are then integrated
Integration
• Identified at planning of delivery
• Requires the mapping of knowledge
and skills and evidence across Units
• Ensures all knowledge and skills are
met
• Most suited to units which are being
delivered in same semester
• May require timetable amendments
Integration
• Easiest to manage when the same tutor
is delivering both units
• Where different tutors are involved then
it requires co-operation between tutors
• Where different tutors are involved
requires regular monitoring
Integration
• Will require recording on internal
verification and standardisation
documentation
• Consultation with Course Leader
Sources of information to
identify overlapping content
• Unit Specification
• Assessment Support Packs
• Course Tutor Guide
HND Business
Example of Integration – Year 1
Possible integration involving Communication: Business
Communication)
Unit Title
This Unit requires a written
report:
Communication: Business
Communication
Outcome 3
Unit Title
Units requiring a written report:
Business Accounting
Outcomes 4 and 5
Managing People and
Organisations
Outcome 4
Marketing: An Introduction
Outcomes 1 and 2
Customer Care
Outcomes 1 and 2
Economics Issues
Outcome 3
HND Business
Example of Integration – Year 2
Possible integration involving Graded Unit 2, ICT in Business,
Presentation Skills and Research Skills
Where students plan a project:Unit Title
Where students plan a project:Unit Title Unit 2 – Project
Graded
Outcome 4
Stage 1 Planning
Where students prepare a
presentation:-
Where students prepare a
presentation :-
Information and Communication
Technology in Business
Information and Communication
Technology in Business
Economics 2: The World
Economy
Outcome 5
Outcomes 1, 2 & 3
Where students require to
demonstrate Research Skills
Outcomes 2 and 3
Research Skills – all outcomes
Where students require to
demonstrate Research Skills
Both units are delivered over the
whole of year 2
Presentation Skills
Graded Unit 2 - Project
Integration of Assessment
With students studying up to 8 units in a semester,
there can be a burden of assessment for both tutors
and students
The number of assessment events can be reduced by
integration of assessment across units
Integration of Assessment
• The level of integration cannot be such that it
makes the assessment task more difficult.
Managing Integration - Student
• Students should be advised when integration
is taking place
• Students should be advised of the Units the
integration applies to
• Students should be advised of the
implications of integration
Beware!
• Do not assume that existing
assessments can be used as they stand
• Integration of assessment may require
your Centre to write appropriate
instruments of assessment and have
them prior verified
• Assessments should cover all evidence
requirements
Any questions?
Sharon McDowall
Qualifications Manager
Humanities, Arts and Business
Preparing for Success: SQA
Update
New and revised Units
•Communication
- Communication: Business Communication
H7TK34
•Financial Services
-Investment H9AM 35
-Principles of Insurance H9ND 35
-Pension Provision H9NC 35
Preparing for Success: SQA
Update
•
-
Accounting (Units with Accounting content)
Recording Financial Transactions F847 33
Business Accounting F84M 34
Cost Accounting F7JR 34
Graded Unit 1for Business frameworks:
Business, Business with Accounting,
Business with HRM, Business with IT,
Business with Marketing and GTB
Preparing for Success: SQA
Update
New CASPs and ASPs
•34 new CASPs solely for Chinese market
- replace existing AEs/ASPs
•new CASPs - Units with Accounting content
-including Recording Financial Information
F7JV 34
-7 new/additional ASPs for Financial
Services
Preparing for Success: SQA
Update
Course Tutor Guides - Updated:
• 2 additional Units
• New and revised Units
• Delivery schedules – recommended
• Assessment plans
• Opportunities for integration
• Error Tolerance Guidance
Preparing for Success: SQA
Update
Other useful sources
• SQA Coordinator
• China website
• Subject Implementation Managers
• China Country Manager
• External Verifiers
If you utilise all of these resources….
Internal Verification
Janet Strain
Internal Verification
• Internal Verification: A Guide for
Centres offering SQA Qualifications
Quiz
Duties of an Internal Verifier
In your groups, decide whether the
following statements are true or false:
1 An Internal Verifier is appointed
because he/she is a subject specialist
2 The Internal Verifier assesses the
work of candidates
3 The Internal Verifier does not meet
candidates
4 The Internal Verifier can change the
assessor’s assessment decisions
5 The Internal Verifier is responsible for
carrying out internal standardisation
6 The Internal Verifier has a
responsibility to report on resources
7 The Internal Verifier is required to
sample evidence covering all assessors,
all sites and all class groups
8 The Internal Verifier is responsible for
checking the reliability, validity and
practicability of an assessment
9 The Internal Verifier is not required to
meet the External Verifier during EV visits
10 The Internal Verifier should create a
sampling plan when completing Internal
Verification
The Process
Internal verification aims to ensure that:
• All assessments are valid, reliable,
practicable, equitable and fair
• Assessors apply the standards of
assessment uniformly and consistently
• National standards have been correctly
identified and applied
Internal verification involves:
• Pre delivery, during delivery and post
delivery checks
Good internal verification includes
discussion and the recording of
discussion and decisions
Internal verifier must have subject
knowledge
During and After Delivery
Decisions
• Sample outcomes to ensure
standardisation
• Discuss discrepancies with assessors
• Agree actions
Professional Judgement
Professional judgement of candidate
evidence is based on
• The evidence requirements in the Unit
Specification
• The assessment conditions in the Unit
Specification
• Valid, reliable and practicable assessment
instrument
• Subject specialist knowledge
Professional Judgement
• Understanding standards
• Command words commonly found in
assessment instruments
Cross Marking and Internal
Verification
• Cross marking is an internal verification
strategy
• Teachers swap students scripts that
have already been marked
• Remarks and discussions should be
recorded on IV documentation
Activity
• For this activity, we are assuming that
the complete assessment instrument is
valid, reliable, practicable, equitable and
fair
Cross Marking and
Professional Judgement
Have the evidence requirements been
met?
Activity
• You will be provided with the following
information:
– Extract from Unit Specification
– Extract from Assessment Support Pack
– 3 candidate responses to the question
Have the evidence
requirements been met?
Workshops
Workshops available for your Centre via
SIM support
Any questions?
Q & A Session
Neil MacGowan
Head of Operations and
Corporate Social
Responsibility