Delivery and Assessment FAQs

What approval does my centre need to deliver Diplomas?

Centres should complete our Expression of Interest form to formalise their interest in our Diploma qualification(s), as well as ensure that we send you all relevant information and provide you with the support you need to succeed in your delivery.

Will I have to get centre approval to offer the Diploma even though I am already an AQA or a City & Guilds centre?

Yes. All centres will need to apply to individual Awarding Bodies for approval.

How will Diplomas be assessed?

Diplomas will be assessed using a combination of internal and external assessment. Internally assessed units will be moderated, then converted to a standard points scale and combined with the externally assessed scores to calculate the overall grade. The overall Diploma grade is calculated from the combined score of Principal Learning and the Project, however a learner must achieve a pass in all relevant Functional Skills levels and have successfully completed the work experience and ASL components.

How does moderation take place?
Consortia are asked to complete an Expression of Interest form. In the autumn term, AQA-City & Guilds will appoint a moderator to each consortium which has indicated that it has entries for that academic year. The moderator will be the point of contact with the consortium's Domain Assessor throughout the year. The moderator may be contacted for advice and guidance and may also visit the consortium. In the first year of Principal Learning delivery the moderator may visit you, at which time assignment briefs and suggested tasks will be considered, along with the correct standard for marking. Stage 2 moderaion will take place in April/May, either by post or by a visit, and involves the moderator deciding whether the consortium's marking standard is correct.  
 
For more information please refer to Assessment and Moderation Guidance for Centres pages.
What work must consortia have ready for Stage 2 moderation?

Moderation takes place in April or May and involves the moderator re-marking the work of candidates for units that have been entered. The units that are to be moderated at Stage 2 must be complete by all candidates at the Stage 2 visit. They cannot be redrafted after the visit. However, the units to be moderated will be agreed with the consortia well in advance.

Will there be a different moderator for each level within each Line of Learning?

In most cases the same moderator will cover each level within the line of learning, however on some occasions it may be necessary for an additional moderator to be involved.

What are the re-sit rules for Principal Learning/Projects?

Learners can re-sit a unit as many times as necessary, with their best result counted towards the overall Diploma grade.

Who appoints the Domain Assessor?

Consortia appoint the Domain Assessor. AQA-City & Guilds will usually only deal with the Domain Assessor with regards to the organisation of task setting and moderation. So it is recommended that consortia ensure that the awarding body has the Domain Assessor's contact information as early as possible to facilitate communications.

What is the deadline for final internally assessed marks to be with AQA-City & Guilds?

The final date for marks for internally assessed units to be with AQA-City & Guilds is 31 May.  By that date, however, all learner work which is to be certificated that year must have been marked, internally standardised and the standard of marking agreed with the moderator at Stage 2.

When will learners receive their results for their assignments from AQA-City & Guilds?

For 2010 the Advanced Diploma results are available to learners on Thursday 19 August and Foundation/Higher Diploma results on Tuesday 24 August.  The results are available to centres the day before for each level.

From where can we obtain possible assignments?

The AQA-City & Guilds Diploma website contains example assignments which consortia may use.  Consortia may also develop their own assignments, provided that they meet the requirements of the specification.  Consortia should also look to contextualise their assignments so as to ensure that the applied learning for each unit is as relevant as possible.  Advice on setting tasks can be obtained from discussions with the consortium’s moderator.

Can we devise our own assignments?

Yes.  Moderators will check any available assignments at the Stage 1 (advisory) visit.  It is advisable that teachers forward any remaining assignments to the moderator to check all assessment criteria and the controlled conditions are covered and understood. 

All assignments must be conducted under controlled conditions. What does this mean?

Controlled assessment is a form of internal assessment where the control levels are set for each stage of the assessment process: task setting, task taking and task marking.  Controlled conditions are set to ensure that the learner's work is their own.  It is not the same as examination conditions. Check the Principal Learning specification and JCQ controlled conditions document for further information.

 

Will the learners marks be affected if the assignment is not completed by using ICT?

No. Please be reassured that we recieve lots of hand written assignments (but submissions for the IT Diploma should normally be produced using appropriate software).

Can the learners type up their work at home?

No. They can collect research out of lessons but the assignment must be completed under controlled conditions to allow monitoring of the assessment hours and authenticity of learners’ work.

On the final submission work can tutors write on assignments?

Yes.

If an assignment is handed in and it has just been cut and pasted from the website can the teacher ask the learner to rewrite the assignment?

This is plagiarism and the learner cannot submit, as their own, work that is copied and pasted. Learners should either rewrite these sections in their own words or accredit them to the source and then include their own work in the assignment as well. If a learner’s assignment includes cut and pasted information that is not sourced, this part of the work should not be credited with any marks and the teacher should explain this on the Candidate Record Form.  Plagiarism can result in learners being given a fail for the whole course.

Can a learner submit the same or similar piece of work if it relates to another unit?

The same evidence can be used so long as it does cover the relevant learning outcomes for each unit and the evidence is provided in each assignment, e.g. the learner should include copies of consultation sheets/videos etc. in each unit for which it is being used as evidence.

Do we mark the practical as if the learners were achieving competency at NVQ?

No. This qualification is not designed for competency but for the planning, doing and evaluation. Teachers must mark to the assessment grids provided in the Principal Learning specification for each unit.

What feedback can teachers give to learners whilst they are completing their assignments?

Whilst feedback may be provided to candidates, centres must ensure that the work submitted for final assessment is the candidate’s own work. The nature of any guidance and the details of any feedback must be clearly recorded. The final work submitted must be solely that of the candidate.

Any advice to individual learners over and above that given to the class as a whole should be recorded on documentation provided by the awarding body, eg the authentication form.
 

How do we record marks?

Consortia must complete a Candidate Record Form for each learner for each unit for which they are entered.  The marks awarded for that unit and a justification of the reasons for awarding those marks must be on the Candidate Record Form.  Domain Assessors should also co-ordinate the Centre Mark Forms containing details of all the learners’ marks, which need to be sent to

In what order should units be taught and entered?

There is no set order for this.  Similarly, learners do not need to have completed a particular Diploma level in order to be entered for the level above it.

Can a learner resit an internal unit?

JCQ guidance states that learners who re-sit a controlled assessment (eg in June 2011, having previously submitted work for the unit/component in June 2010) may make another attempt at the task previously submitted, if that task is still appropriate to the year in which the assessment will be submitted. The work presented for assessment, carried out under informal or formal supervision, must be new; however, learners may re-use the previously carried out research.

How many times can a learner hand in their assignment for feedback?

There is no limit to the number of times a learner hands in work; however teachers should be mindful of the guided learning hours.

Can assessments be marked as you go?

The units are designed to be end tested.  They should not be used like an NVQ throughout the course/ongoing assessment. 

If a learner does not hand the work in on time, without good reason, can this affect their marks?

AQA-City & Guilds do not get involved in internal school/college deadlines and a learner’s marks should not be affected by the teacher missing an internal school/college deadline.  However, the work must be complete in time for marks to be submitted to the moderator (by 31 May).  Extension to deadlines can be requested via AQA’s Processing department: mhigson@aqa.org.uk

What is the timetable for examined units?

External units are available twice a year – once in the Winter series and once in the Summer series.  Dates of the examinations can be found at: http://web.aqa.org.uk/admin/timetable.php

Is there a requirement for internal standardisation or does the role of the Domain Assessor cover this?

Internal standardisation across teachers/teaching groups/units to ensure consistency of marking is required. The Domain Assessor will train all involved in marking the work.  The Domain Assessor must sign a Centre Declaration Sheet to verify that internal standardisation has taken place.  This must be submitted to the moderator along with the candidates’ work by 31st May. Centre Declaration Sheets are available at: http://web.aqa.org.uk/admin/p_course_crf_2010.php

Are the Domain Assessors required to look at completed assignments?

They should look at a sample of each unit to ensure the marking is accurate as part of the internal standardisation process.

Does a feedback sheet need to be completed for each assignment or only if there are comments/concerns/action areas for standardisation?

A Candidate Record Form must be completed by the teacher for every learner for every unit.  It must be signed by the teacher and learner to confirm the assignment is the learner’s own work.  The form should be attached to the front of the learner’s assignment. Candidate Record Forms can be found at: http://web.aqa.org.uk/admin/crf_diploma_2010.php

Do the practitioners have to have a marking sheet for the moderator to show how marks have been allocated and a separate marking sheet for the learner?

The Candidate Record Forms should be sufficiently completed by the teacher to make clear the justification of marks. Marking is intended to be a ‘holistic’ approach with the use of ‘best fit’. We would not expect the assessor to write separate sheets for the moderator.  It would, however, be useful for moderators if teachers would annotate learners’ work with references to where the learning outcomes are achieved. For IT, Health and Beauty Studies, and Hospitality marking grids are provided and these should be used and attached to the work.

Is there any further guidance to help with internal assessment delivery?

Your allocated moderator should be contacted with queries on internally assessed units. QCDA has recently published new materials to assist consortia in planning and reviewing Diploma internal assessment. The Diploma internal assessment toolkit summarises how the advice and guidance available from QCDA and other organisations fits together to support internal assessment delivery. It also features downloadable example documents that can be adapted to suit local needs. Two new case studies Planning ahead at North Herts and Building on experience at Tamworth have also been published the QCDA website, and both focus on the experiences of consortia in delivering Diploma internal assessment.

Where can I find more information on Assessment?

www.diplomainfo.org.uk/diploma-assessment.asp

 

What is the last date to allow for submissions of internal units for 2010?

21 March 2010. After this date extra units can still be entered but there will be a late submission fee.