Teacher Resource Bank

Transcription

1 Teacher Resource Bank GCE Information Communication Technology (ICT) Other Guidance: Important Information for Centres (Version 2): INFO1 The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company number ) and a registered charity (registered charity number.

2 Important Information for Centres Entering Candidates for INFO1 Background information INFO1, Practical Problem Solving in the Digital World, is available in both January and June The examination is 1½ hours in duration The unit contributes 50% to the overall AS and 25% of the overall A-Level The maximum raw mark is 80 and the unit is structured in 2 parts: o Section A: short answer questions o Section B: structured questions requiring longer answer responses. One question in this section will refer to the Sample Work. Sample Work 1. For this unit, each candidate must complete a piece of Sample Work in advance of the examination 2. The Sample Work must be securely attached to the question paper/answer booklet at the end of the examination 3. In the examination, candidates will be asked on the question paper to write, in the appropriate place, the page in their Sample Work where the evidence required is referenced. Candidates sample work must have the pages clearly numbered. 4. AQA do not specify how long it should take a candidate to complete their Sample Work it is a decision for each centre to take dependent on the individual circumstances. 5. Candidates having identical Sample Work will be considered to have cheated and may not receive a result for this unit and other units which the candidate is entered for.

3 It is essential that the Sample Work addresses at least one problem and must only provide evidence as follows: GCSE Computer Science and MTAs 1. Problem Identification with a list of requirements for the problem. Interpretation of those requirements as Input, Processing and Output (see Topic 2 in the specification) 2. A test plan and clearly annotated samples of testing evidence that is cross-referenced to the test plan (see Topic 9 in the specification) Items 1 and 2 could be from the same or two different problem solutions. Teachers must ensure that each candidate s Sample Work only contains work for topic 2 and topic 9 in the specification. Students may not receive a result for this unit if additional work is included. Organisation of the Sample Work documentation Sample Work should be brief, succinct and clearly laid out It should only include the requirements as listed in the specification. Because the documentation requested is limited, AQA expect pages as a maximum. Candidates will not have time to search their own documentation for the relevant reference if it is unnecessarily extensive. The use of a body text point size of more than 12 simply increases the number of sheets required unnecessarily Pages must be numbered in a position which is clearly visible when the documentation is tagged together - i.e. bottom right-hand corner

4 Each page should be numbered this helps the candidate and the examiner to find the required evidence quickly include a footer containing (1) candidate s name (2) candidate number and (3) centre number Page numbering should be sequential from 1 to n, and can be hand-written. If pages are not numbered, examiners will not have time to search through the Sample Work evidence The Sample Work should not be subdivided into sections Each piece of work should be hole-punched top left and secured to the question paper with a treasury tag. Sample Work should not be spirally bound or placed in plastic sleeves because of the bulk created. Candidate Record Form (CRF) A Candidate Record Form must be attached to each piece of work. It must be fully completed and signed by both the candidate and teacher. If it is not signed, it may not be possible to issue a result for this unit. Any specific help given by a supervising teacher, and details of any books, leaflets or other materials used by candidates, should be noted on the CRF of each candidate concerned. The form can be downloaded from the AQA Website: CRF-12.PDF

5 The Examination It is good practice for candidates to study their Sample Work again before the examination as they need to be familiar with it The teacher may choose to make a photocopy of the Sample Work once the candidate has completed it. The photocopy should then be given to the candidate for revision purposes. The supervising teacher can then authenticate the original and give it to the candidate as he/she enters the examination room. It can then be used and referenced by the candidate during the exam and handed in with the question paper at the end of the examination Questions should be answered in the spaces provided in the question paper/answer booklet. If needed, additional pages should be used Questions on the paper can be asked about any stage of the systems life cycle even if it was not part of the sample work. Candidates should not try and alter printouts, test data etc. if they do not show what is required. Failure to bring documentation into the examination If the Sample Work is not submitted, the examiner will have no evidence that the candidate has completed it. In these circumstances, the candidate will not be able to access any of the marks which are dependent on the evidence.

6 Page references in the question paper NO REFERENCE COULD MEAN NO MARKS Candidates should include clear page references in the question paper when asked to do so. Candidates should check the page reference carefully before writing it on your exam paper. In the Sample Work, the question number and part number should be written in the appropriate place in the margin in your work Candidates should be encouraged to give one page reference but, if in doubt, up to 3 pages can be referenced. If more than 3 pages are referenced examiners will be instructed only to look at the first three. Re-taking INFO1 The usual rules regarding re-taking/re-sitting AS/A2 units apply. Candidates re-taking can choose to (1) submit the same piece of Sample Work, or (2) improve it, or (3) submit a new piece of work in a subsequent series.