CCEA Information Event GCE Chemistry Thursday 2 nd

CCEA Information Event GCE Chemistry Thursday 2 nd October 2014

Agenda • Introduction: Elaine Lennox (Subject Officer) • Specification, Support Resources and Past Papers • Imminent changes to the specification • Question and Answer Time • Overview of Practical Assessment • Plenary

Accreditation Process • Revision every 5 years • Criteria/Regulations – Subject criteria (Content and Assessment Objectives) – Qualification criteria (Number of units allowed) – Internal Assessment Regulations • Materials submitted to Regulator (Ofqual) – – Specification Specimen papers and mark schemes Specimen practical assessments and mark schemes Assessment Objective Grids

Specification Reading Time

Structure of the AS Course

Structure of the A 2 Course

Support • Specification, SAMs, Periodic Table, AS and A 2 EEP documents, past papers and mark schemes – on-line • Schemes of Work (“Word” version on-line so can be adapted to suit) • Chief Examiner’s Reports • Student guides • Internal assessment guidance for teachers • Practical Assessment support – Centre visits and Support Events

Support Continued… • Support Documents: – Acceptable Colour Changes – Clarification of terms in CCEA GCE Chemistry – Notes on E-Z isomerism – Command words – Practical work support for teachers and pupils • Textbooks and Revision Guides – Colourpoint: AS and A 2 textbooks – Hodder: AS 1, AS 2, A 2 1 and A 2 2 Revision Guides

So. W and Support Materials Reading Time

Assessment Objectives (4. 2)

AO Weightings (4. 3)

Qw. C (4. 4)

Synoptic assessment (4. 5)

Stretch and challenge (4. 6)

Award of A* An A* will be awarded to the A 2 candidates who attain: • an overall grade A in the qualification; and • an aggregate of at least 90% of the uniform marks across the A 2 units.

Past Papers Reading Time

Review of GCE • GCE – First teaching Sept 2016 • GCSE – First teaching Sept 2017 • No January series for candidates starting GCE Chemistry in September 2013 • AS will remain part of the A-level qualification • 40/60 weighting for AS/A 2 • Specification should remain unitised • Only one repeat opportunity per unit • Practical assessment will remain part of the qualification award.

Assessment of Practical Skills (New specification) • Will be assessed at AS and A 2 • Remain part of AS and A 2 overall grade • Weighting – approximately 10 – 20 % • Wider Range of experiments • More planning and interpretation opportunities

Q&A

Practical Assessments

Apparatus & Materials List • CONFIDENTIAL • Available to Ho. D only • Can only liaise with relevant technician to order and set-up apparatus and chemicals • Available from end of February

General Points • Teacher’s copy of paper available to HOD only 3 working days before timetabled starting time – Practical Booklet A only • Confidentiality – keep doors locked, papers locked away etc. • More than one sitting – pupils in isolation ½ hour before the end of the first sitting • AS and A 2 Practical Booklet A Invigilation: – Needs to be a chemistry teacher present – Teacher who prepared the class cannot be the sole invigilator

The Process • Feedback from teachers prior to assessment is essential if apparatus or materials issues identified • Access to Scripts and Enquiry about Results services available • “Instructions to Teachers” booklet - March 2014 – Hard copy issued this year – On Chemistry microsite – Support Materials

Practical Format • Practical exam split into 2 practical booklets: Practical Booklet A and Practical Booklet B. • Practical Booklet A will be a 1 hour 15 min practical exam. – Q 1: carry out a titration – Q 2: observations exercise

• Practical Booklet B will be a 1 hour 15 min practical theory examination Ø assesses data analysis, practical knowledge, and tests practical planning skills • Section A: Ø Q 1: answer questions and do a calculation on given titration data. Ø Q 2: make deductions on given observations (or vise versa) for both inorganic and organic compounds • Section B: Ø practical theory/planning questions

Procedures • No alternative practical – centres can run up to 4 practical sessions on the timetabled day – regulations for isolating pupils set out by JCQ in the ‘Instructions for Conducting Examinations’ document • Teacher’s Copy - Practical Booklet A v available to the Ho. D 3 working days prior to the date of the examination

• Invigilation Arrangements – Practical Booklet A will be conducted in the laboratory and the invigilation will be carried out by the classroom teachers (see earlier note) – Practical Booklet B will be sat in an examination hall and will be externally invigilated • Exam split over two days – Practical exam (1 hr 15 min) – Early May – Practical theory exam (1 hr 15 mins) – Later on in May

JCQ Inspection Service • AS 3 and A 2 3 practical examinations are on the programme for the JCQ Centre Inspection Service • Both the practical session and the practical theory session can be inspected • The inspectors are provided with a list of ‘Inspection Objectives’ specifically for the practical aspects which are conducted in science laboratories • Schools are chosen at random for inspection

External Marking • Ofqual changed the Internal Assessment criteria following CCEA recommendation • No teacher marking for AS 3 or A 2 3 from May 2014 – will be examiner marked in the same way as theory papers • Applies to both Practical Booklet A and B • Please submit chemical issues by email as soon after the practical exam as possible so they can be passed onto the examiners.

Collection of Scripts • Return Practical Booklet A scripts to your Examination’s Officer as soon as the practical exam session has finished so they can be packaged up and collected from your centre by CCEA the day after the timetabled exam sitting as with other theory examinations • Practical Booklet B should be packaged up and collected like any other theory examination

Questions Senior Examiner ?

Contact Details • Elaine Lennox - Subject Officer with responsibility for GCE and GCSE Chemistry (elennox@ccea. org. uk) • Nuala Braniff 90261200 ext 2292 (nbraniff@ccea. org. uk)