Coursework

Throughout the course, students must complete a number of practical activities. These account for 25 percent of the final award. The practical activities are used to assess students’ ability to:

  • plan experimental procedures;
  • obtain evidence;
  • analyse evidence and draw conclusions; and
  • evaluate evidence.

The table below offers more information on each skill area:


Skill area Requirements
Plan Experimental Procedures Students must demonstrate an ability to:
  • use scientific knowledge and understanding (drawing on secondary sources where appropriate) to turn ideas suggested to them, and their own ideas, into investigations;
  • carry out preliminary work that helps them identify what they need to do;
  • make predictions where appropriate;
  • consider the key factors;
  • plan how to vary or control key variables;
  • consider the observations or measurements that need to be made; and
  • select apparatus and techniques that take account of safety requirements.
Obtain Evidence Students must demonstrate an ability to:
  • use a range of apparatus safely and skilfully;
  • make observations and measurements to a degree of precision appropriate to the investigation;
  • make sufficient relevant observations and measurements for reliable evidence;
  • repeat measurements and observations when appropriate; and
  • record evidence clearly.
Analyse Evidence and Draw Conclusions Students must demonstrate an ability to:
  • present qualitative and quantitative data clearly;
  • present data as graphs;
  • identify trends or patterns in results;
  • present numerical results to an appropriate degree of accuracy;
  • check that conclusions drawn are consistent with the evidence; and
  • explain whether the results support or undermine original predictions.
Evaluate Evidence Students must demonstrate an ability to:
  • consider whether the evidence collected is sufficient to enable firm conclusions to be drawn;
  • consider reasons for anomalous results and to reject such results where appropriate; and
  • suggest ways to improve the investigation methodology.

Every time a student carries out an investigation, they are assessed against the skills areas. The best marks scored in each skill area count towards the final coursework marks. For moderation, teachers must present a minimum of two pieces of work per student. The maximum is four pieces of work. These must include at least one skill area mark from two of AT2, AT3 and AT4.

For more information on coursework, see the full specification.