Project tasks that are not of A-level standard study guide

The central distinction

Two separate judgements are involved. The first concerns the selected project task: is the problem or investigation of A-level standard? The second concerns how well the student has met the criteria in a particular project section. A task can therefore be too simple for A-level standard even when the student's work satisfies the description of a high level. The adjustment is required because the task itself is below the required standard; detailed work does not remove that requirement.

A reliable application sequence

1. Decide whether the selected problem or investigation is below A-level standard.
2. For the section being considered, apply the supplied criteria directly and identify the level demonstrated by the work.
3. If the section is not the technical solution, move the award down by two marking levels.
4. For evaluation, use the specified two-mark adjustment rather than assuming that the same level wording applies.
5. If a two-level downward shift cannot be made, use a mark in the lowest level.
6. Record the adjusted award rather than the unadjusted level as the final mark for that section.

Worked reasoning using Documented Design

Suppose the task is too simple to be of A-level standard. The design is fully or nearly fully articulated and describes how the solution is to be structured or is structured. Those features correspond to Level Four for Documented Design when the task is of A-level standard, with an award of 10–12 marks. Because the task is below the required standard, the result is shifted down by two levels to Level Two, producing an award of 4–6 marks. The reasoning is not that the design suddenly lacks its described features; rather, the task-standard rule changes the level at which those features are rewarded.

Applying the exceptions accurately

The technical solution is excluded from the two-level downward shift. Do not reduce it simply because the overall project task is below A-level standard. Evaluation is treated differently from the other sections: the requirement specifies a reduction of two marks. These exceptions must be checked separately whenever a mark is calculated.

Exam application checklist

When answering a scenario, state whether the task is below A-level standard, name the relevant section, identify the level supported by the criteria, and then show the required adjustment. Include the exception if the section is the technical solution or evaluation. If the available levels do not permit a two-level shift, state that the lowest level is awarded.

Self-check questions

• Have I separated the standard of the task from the quality of the student's work?
• Did I apply the criteria before adjusting the award?
• Did I leave the technical solution outside the two-level adjustment?
• Did I use the two-mark rule for evaluation?
• Can I explain why a Level Four Documented Design award of 10–12 marks can become Level Two, worth 4–6 marks, for a task that is too simple?
• If two levels cannot be removed, did I award a mark in the lowest level?

A strong explanation should describe the sequence of decisions, not merely state that marks are reduced. It should also preserve the distinction between marking the work against the criteria and adjusting the result because of the selected task's standard.