Internal Assessment

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Candidate Record Sheet (DA) Science
(PDF), Last Updated: 17 November 2010

In GCSE Science (Double Award), we award 25 percent of the marks for ongoing internal assessment. The internal assessment requirements are the same for all students (regardless of whether they are sitting the Foundation Tier or Higher Tier, modular or non-modular specification).

Students are assessed in their performance inexperimental and investigative work carried out as part of the course. The following skills are assessed:

planning experimental procedure;
obtaining evidence; and
interpreting and evaluating.

These are explained in more detail in the table below:

Assessment Category	Description	Assessment Weighting %
Planning experimental procedures	This concerns the students ability to: formulate questions that can be tested; predict the outcome of a set of experimental procedures; devise investigations to test their ideas; decide on what measurements to take and how to take them; and consider which factors need to be taken into account to ensure that their investigation is valid.	7%
Obtaining evidence	This concerns the extent to which students can use apparatus and materials safely and effectively to make observations and measurements with increasing levels of discrimination and precision. Students are also assessed on their ability to record data in a systematic manner using an appropriate range of forms. To gain top marks, students must be aware of sources of error and limits of accuracy.	7%
Interpreting and evaluating	This concerns students’ ability to: recognise and explain patterns in data; handle data in an increasingly quantitative manner; and to draw valid conclusions from the results of their investigations. It also assesses their ability to report their experimental work systematically and with clarity, using scientific language and notation as appropriate. To gain top marks, students must be able to account for anomalous results, evaluate their experiment or investigation and suggest improvements.	11%

Assessment Category

Description

Assessment Weighting %

Planning experimental procedures

This concerns the students ability to:

formulate questions that can be tested;
predict the outcome of a set of experimental procedures;
devise investigations to test their ideas;
decide on what measurements to take and how to take them; and
consider which factors need to be taken into account to ensure that their investigation is valid.

Obtaining evidence

This concerns the extent to which students can use apparatus and materials safely and effectively to make observations and measurements with increasing levels of discrimination and precision.

Students are also assessed on their ability to record data in a systematic manner using an appropriate range of forms.

To gain top marks, students must be aware of sources of error and limits of accuracy.

Interpreting and evaluating

This concerns students’ ability to:

recognise and explain patterns in data;
handle data in an increasingly quantitative manner; and
to draw valid conclusions from the results of their investigations.

It also assesses their ability to report their experimental work systematically and with clarity, using scientific language and notation as appropriate.

To gain top marks, students must be able to account for anomalous results, evaluate their experiment or investigation and suggest improvements.

11%

Students must produce evidence of investigative work carried out for at least two different modules.At least one of the marks contributing to the internal assessment must come from a whole investigation, that is, an activity which covers all aspects of the three skill areas.

Teachers must make sure that the work is that of the student being assessed. When assessments are made during group activity, teachers must identify the contribution made by individual students.

For more information on coursework, see the full specification.