Cambridge Progression
English
Entry 1 Cambridge Progression Award / Certificate in English 05425 / 05430 / 05435
Entry 2 Cambridge Progression Award / Certificate in English 05426 / 05431 / 05436
Entry 3 Cambridge Progression Award / Certificate in English 05427 / 05432 / 05437 / 05440
Level 1 Cambridge Progression Award / Certificate in English 05428 / 05433 / 05438 / 05441
Level 2 Cambridge Progression Award / Certificate in English 05429 / 05434 / 05439 / 05442
OCR Report to Centres – 2016
Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations
OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA) is a leading UK awarding body, providing a wide range of
qualifications to meet the needs of pupils of all ages and abilities. OCR qualifications include
AS/A Levels, Diplomas, GCSEs, OCR Nationals, Functional Skills, Key Skills, Entry
Level qualifications, NVQs and vocational qualifications in areas such as IT, business,
languages, teaching/training, administration and secretarial skills.
It is also responsible for developing new specifications to meet national requirements and the
needs of students and teachers. OCR is a not-for-profit organisation; any surplus made is
invested back into the establishment to help towards the development of qualifications and
support which keep pace with the changing needs of today’s society.
This report on the Examination provides information on the performance of candidates which it is
hoped will be useful to teachers in their preparation of candidates for future examinations. It is
intended to be constructive and informative and to promote better understanding of the
specification content, of the operation of the scheme of assessment and of the application of
assessment criteria.
Reports should be read in conjunction with the published question papers and mark schemes for
the Examination.
OCR will not enter into any discussion or correspondence in connection with this report.
© OCR 2016
OCR Report to Centres – 2016
Cambridge Award in English
1. Overview:
Candidates appeared to be well-prepared for all questions papers.
2. General Comments
There were no skills or questions that appeared to pose particular challenge to those candidates who had
been prepared for the papers.
Centres are encouraged to read previous reports which detail specific skills with which learners may need
further guidance.
Candidates are advised that some questions are written on the very back page of the question booklet. In
this series, many candidates missed the last question on some papers.
3. Comments on Individual Units
Centres are advised to acquaint candidates with the Adult Literacy Core Curriculum from
whence the Assessment Criteria have been created. In addition, the Units contain Additional
Information, which, in many cases, specifies learning points and precise information about what
is likely to be tested in each question.
Where candidates show familiarity with the meta language, such as ‘punctuation’ or ‘ambiguity’,
they usually perform well.
As has been the case in previous papers, some candidates do not follow the instructions given
in the question and so do not gain a mark. This is particularly relevant where a verb is given and
candidates choose to use another one. Even if the answer makes sense, a mark is not awarded
as the instruction has not been followed. It also applies when candidates do not add the required
punctuation mark to the text.
Candidates at several levels failed to gain a mark when writing plural words as an apostrophe
was added in error, such as Entry Level 2 candidates who wrote hill’s, farmer’s.
Entry level 3: some candidates failed to recognise sentences that require a question mark and
sentences which require a full-stop. Some candidates created different sentences, rather than
adding punctuation as instructed. Some added a conjunction, thus making one accurate
sentence, but failing to do as instructed.
Entry Level 3: some candidates lost marks because they did not follow instructions. For
example, instead of adding a punctuation mark to the text as instructed, they rewrote the text to
avoid use of punctuation within the sentence.
Entry Level 3: some candidates lost marks when adding a suffix to a root word, despite choosing
the correct suffix, as they could not spell the new word correctly.
Level 1: candidates who did not read for meaning often added the required punctuation mark in
the wrong place. It is important that candidates read the whole text before deciding where to add
the apostrophe or colon, for example.
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OCR Report to Centres – 2016
Level 1: some candidates lost marks when they did not use the verbs given in the questions, but
chose others instead. No marks were awarded, even though the sentence made sense.
Level 1: some candidates lost marks because they could not spell irregular plurals, such as
armies, hooves.
Level 1; some candidates failed to gain marks when spelling irregular verbs. Despite spelling
words such as eats correctly, they often added an apostrophe, so did not gain a mark.
Level 2: some candidates lost marks because they do not know where to use the apostrophe of
possession. In some cases, candidates recognised the correct word, but added the mark in the
wrong place, such as one of her parents bikes. In this case, the noun is singular, but candidates
usually added the apostrophe after the ‘s’. They are encouraged to read the final text to check
that it makes sense.
Level 2: some candidates do not know where to add the possessive apostrophe in irregular
plural words, such as children, men etc. Again, candidates need to read the text carefully to
understand the sense before deciding where to put the apostrophe. This is particularly important
when candidates have to decide if the noun is plural or singular.
Level 2: some candidates lost marks by not indicating all words in a text that are direct speech
and so need inverted commas.
Level 2: some candidates confused a semi-colon with a colon. Usually, they recognise exactly
where the punctuation mark needs to be added, but using the incorrect punctuation mark
prevents them from gaining a mark for the question.
Level 2: some candidates do not understand the notion of implicit purpose, so fail to gain a mark
as they select an answer option that is clearly stated in the text, rather than one that is implied.
Level 2: some candidates fail to understand that supporting evidence is examples or explanation
supporting the main point. In some cases, candidates repeat the main point rather than selecting
the evidence that supports this main point.
4. Sector Update
This suite of examinations will cease to exist after December 2016.
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