epq specification

8/3/2019 EPQ Specification

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Extended ProjectQualifcation (EPQ)

Level 3Freestanding EPQ (Pilot) September 2007 to May 2008

Freestanding and Diploma EPQ September 2008 onwards


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1 Introduction 2

1.1 Why choose AQA? 21.2 What is the Extended Project? 2

1.3 What are the Learning Outcomes o the Extended Project Qualifcation? 3

1.4 What might be involved in an Extended Project? 3

2 Teaching, Supervising and Assessing the Extended Project 4

2.1 Aims 4

2.2 Teaching the Extended Project 4

2.3 Supervising the Learners 4

2.4 Assessing the Extended Project 4

3 Integrating Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills,Functional Skills and Key Skills 12

3.1 Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills 12

3.2 Functional Skills 12

3.3 Key Skills 13

4 Administration 14

4.1 Entries 14

4.2 Private Candidates 14

4.3 Access Arrangements and Special Consideration 14

4.4 Language o the Assessment 14

4.5 Awarding Grades and Reporting Results 144.6 Re-sits and Shel-lie o Results 14

4.7 Supervision and Authentication o Coursework 14

4.8 Malpractice 14

Appendices 16

A Grade Descriptions 16

B Spiritual, Moral, Ethical, Social, Cultural and other Issues 17

C Overlaps with other Qualifcations 18

Contents

Level 3 Extended Project Qualifcation Specifcation 2007 onwards (version 1.0)

This Level 3 Extended Project Qualifcation is administered by AQA on behal o AQA-City & Guilds.


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1 Introduction

1.1 Why choose AQA?

Its a act that AQA is the UKs avourite examboard and more students receive their academicqualifcations rom AQA than rom any other board.But why does AQA continue to be so popular?

SpecicationsThese are designed to the highest standards sothat teachers and learners can be confdent thatan AQA award provides an accurate measure owhat the learner has achieved.

SupportAQA will include ree o charge meetings orProject qualifcations in its extensive programmeo support meetings or new Diplomaqualifcations available or frst teaching romSeptember 2008. Subsequent meetings will bemade available at reasonable cost. These supportmeetings explain the specifcation and suggestpractical teaching strategies to help learnersproduce successul projects.

ServiceWe are committed to providing an efcient and

eective service and are at the end o the phonewhen you need to speak to someone about animportant issue. We will always try to resolve

issues the frst time you contact us but, shouldthat not be possible, we will come back to you(by telephone, e-mail or letter) and continueto work with you to fnd the solution. Projectspecifcations, whether ree-standing or part o aDiploma course, will be administered by AQA.

EthicsAQA is a registered charity with no shareholders topay. We exist solely or the good o education. Anysurplus income is ploughed back into educationalresearch and our service to you, our customers.

We dont proft rom education, you do.

I you are an existing AQA customer, we thank youor your support. I you are new to AQA, then we lookorward to welcoming you.

AQA-City&GuildsTheDiplomaAQA and City & Guilds are working together todeliver the Diploma across all 14 lines o learning.We share the same values and commitment toeducation and training. AQA-City & Guilds is aregistered Diploma Awarding Body. More inormationcan be ound on our website at:

www.diplomaino.org.uk

1.2 What is the Extended Project?

The Extended Project is a Level 3 qualifcation to beintroduced rom September 2008. It can be taken intwo ways.

As a ree-standing qualifcation. Learners maychoose to take the Extended Project Qualifcationas an extension rom studies or other

qualifcations at Level 3, or example GCE, BTEC,NVQ, other academic or vocational qualifcationsincluding Modern Apprenticeships. Alternativelythe Extended Project Qualifcation may explorean area o personal interest or activity outside themain programme o study.

As part o a Diploma course. The ExtendedProject is a compulsory part o the genericlearning component o Diploma qualifcationsat Level 3. I taken as part o the Diploma, theproject topic must either complement anddevelop the Principal Learning component o theDiploma or support the learners progression and

development.

Delivery o the Extended Project Qualifcation incentres will involve some teaching o the relevantskills plus mentoring and supervision o the learnersprogress. It will also involve extended independentwork by the learner and will require in total up to 120guided learning hours.

Learners will be required to: chooseanareaofinterest

draftaprojecttitle

draftaimsoftheproject

plan,researchandcarryouttheproject

provideevidenceofallstagesofprojectproduction

deliverapresentationtoaspeciedaudience.

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1.3 What are the Learning Outcomes o the Extended

Project Qualifcation?

1.4 What might be involved in an Extended Project?

Learners think o a project they may wish to carry outand discuss their ideas with their centre supervisor.Learners initially carry out some research to enablethem to answer the questions in the Project ProposalForm. Once they have frmed up their project ideaand decided the best ormat in which to present theirproject, they complete the Project Proposal Form.This is signed by both the learner and the supervisorand orms part o the evidence or assessment and

moderation.

The supervisor assesses the potential project againstthe ollowing checklist.

1. Is the topic to be researched, or the activity or taskto be carried out, suitable or the Extended Project?

2. Does the title o the project and proposed actionallow the learner to investigate and to access thehigher-level concepts and skills in the learningoutcomes and assessment objectives, i.e. plan,research, analyse, evaluate and explain, ratherthan simply describe and narrate?

3. Are the title and proposed action clear and ocusedon an issue which can be managed within thetimescale, available resources and word total?

4. Do the title and proposed action indicate thatthe learner will be capable o investigating andresearching the topic or carrying out the activity ortask independently?

5. Is there a danger that the learner will be unableto approach the project impartially and in abalanced way?

6. Is the learner likely to ace difcultiesunderstanding the themes and issues associatedwith the project topic?

7. I the Extended Project is part o a Diploma,does the project topic either complement anddevelop the Principal Learning component o theDiploma or support the learners progression anddevelopment?

The Centre coordinator comments on theproject proposal, approves the project withoutrecommendations or makes recommendations orrequests a resubmission o the Project Proposal Form.This orm is then included in the Production Log.

The learners complete the Production Log as theycarry out their projects. The Production Log recordsthe ollowing key inormation:

initialplanningmeetingbetweenthelearnerandthe supervisor

thelearnersoutlineplanatthebeginningoftheproject

mid-projectreviewwiththesupervisor

end-of-projectreviewwiththesupervisor

summary

arecordofthepresentation

thelearnersreectionontheprojectandpresentation.

The learners must carry out a presentation whichshould be or a non-specialist audience using mediaappropriate to the type o project. This could takethe orm o a group presentation in the case o agroup project or a one-to-one presentation to thesupervisor. The presentation must be supported by aquestion and answer session which is recorded in theProduction Log.

The completed Production Log, the written report,the evidence and the presentation are assessedtogether by the centre at the end o the process.

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The learner will:

identify,design,planandcompleteanindividualproject (or task within a group project), applyingorganisational skills and strategies to meetstated objectives

obtainandselectinformationfromarangeofsources, analyse data, apply relevantly anddemonstrate understanding o any appropriatelinkages, connections and complexities othe topic

selectandusearangeofskills,includingnew technologies where appropriate, to solveproblems, to take decisions critically, creativelyandexibly,andtoachieveplannedoutcomes

evaluateoutcomesincludingownlearningandperormance and select and use a range ocommunication skills and media to convey andpresent evidenced outcomes and conclusions.



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2 Teaching, Supervising and Assessingthe Extended Project

The Extended Project will require the teaching o relevant planning, organisational, project management, studyand presentation skills and a piece o independent work undertaken by the learner. This work will be guided andmonitored by the learners supervisor, monitored by the Centre coordinator and internally assessed by the centre.

The centre will allocate a supervisor to each learner.The number o learners allocated to each supervisorshould take into account the supervisors othercommitments. The supervisor should normallyundertake the ollowing:

agreetheprojecttitleandproposalandcompletethesupervisors section in the Project Proposal Form oreach learner

meetwitheachlearnertodiscussthelearnersinitialidea and how they intend to develop the project

carryoutamid-termreviewwitheachlearner

carryoutanend-of-projectreviewwitheachlearner

conrmthatapresentationbyeachlearnertookplace

endorseeachlearnersProductionLogbysigningtheront page.

The Extended Project Qualifcation will requireteaching o the necessary skills. It is expected thatup to a quarter o the total available time i.e. 30guided learning hours, will be spent on teaching.

The remaining time is allocated or the learnersindependent work and the individual supervisionand guidance documented in the Production Log.Teaching o the skills or the Extended Project shouldbe determined by the supervisor as appropriate tothe needs o the learner and their chosen project. It islikely to include:

anyskillsortechniquesthatwillberequiredforthe sae and eective execution o the projectwhich are not part o the candidates course ostudy. e.g. sae laboratory or workshop technique,proessional codes o practice, ethical guidelines,research method

ICTskillsthatwillenhancetheproductionofthereport and/or the development o the projectcovering research, analysis and execution

researchskillsincludingtheabilitytosearchforand identiy suitable sources o inormation andprior research or relevant work already undertaken

projectmanagementskillsincludingtime,resourceand task management

inthecaseofaperformance,productionorarteact, the ormat and content o rehearsalnotes, initial sketches or other evidence todocument the stages o production

inthecaseofawrittenresearchreportorinvestigation, the ormat and structure o acceptedacademic orm to include abstract, introduction,background research, urther research contentwith all sources cited, discussion, conclusion,reerences, including the evaluation o sources

Personal,LearningandThinkingSkills,FunctionalSkills and Key Skills (see Section 3).

2.2 Teaching the Extended Project

2.3 Supervising the Learners


2.1 Aims

The Extended Project oers opportunities orlearners to:

haveasignicantinputintothechoiceanddesigno an Extended Project and take responsibilityeither or an individual task or or a defned taskwithin a group project

developandimprovetheirownlearningandperformanceascritical,reectiveandindependentlearners

developandapplydecisionmakingand,whereappropriate, problem solving skills

extendtheirplanning,research,criticalthinking,analysis, synthesis, evaluation and presentationskills

develop,whereappropriate,ase-condentlearners and apply new technologies in theirstudies

developandapplyskillscreatively,demonstratinginitiative and enterprise

usetheirlearningexperiencestosupporttheirpersonal aspirations or higher education andcareer development.


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The evidence or assessment will comprise the ollowing:

thecompletedProductionLogincludingtheProject Proposal Form

awrittenreport

evidence,asappropriate,dependingonthetopic or subject area chosen e.g. an arteact orrecording o a perormance

thepresentation.

CompletedProductionLog

The Production Log will document the planning andprogress o the project, including decision-makingandthelearnersreectionsontheprocess.

The Production Log will contain a record o the ollowing:

initialideaandoutlineplanfortheproject(completed by learner)

recordofresearchcarriedoutandresourcesused (completed by learner with supervisorconfrmation)

recordofadviceandsupportoffered(completedby supervisor) and action taken as a result(completed by learner)

relationshipofprojecttomainareasofstudy(completed by learner with supervisor confrmation)

noteofanychangesmadetoplanandreasonsforthe change (completed by learner)

arecordofthepresentationcompletedbythelearner with supervisor confrmation

reectionontheprocessofproducingtheproject(completed by learner).

All substantive advice given to the learners should berecorded in the Production Log.

Appropriate Evidence

Depending on the subject area or topic chosen, avariety o evidence may be submitted or assessment.Evidence can be provided in any orm appropriate tothe type o project chosen, and may include:

anartefact,modelorconstruction

aCD/video/DVDofperformancesoractivities

anaudiotape/multimediapresentation

ajournalofactivitiesorevents

aslideorPowerPointpresentation

aphotographicrecordoftheproject.

Written Report

All learners must submit a written report orassessment o between 1000 and 5000 words. Theexact length o each written report will depend on thenature o the project, the subject area or topic chosenand the other evidence provided.

A project which consists solely o written work should beapproximately 5000 words, or example an investigation,exploration o a hypothesis or extended essay or

academic report. Projects where the majority o theevidence is provided in other ormats should include areport or record o work undertaken which is at least1000 words.

The written report or record is likely to contain the ollowing:

sourcesofandrangeofinformationaccessed

detailsoftherangeofskillsusedincluding,whereappropriate, new technologies and/or access toe-learning materials

historicalorotherresearch

detailsofthedesign,knowledge,understandingand skills used to complete the tasks or activities

o the project, eg an experiment, a construction, aperormance or research interviews

aconclusiontoincludeanevaluationoftheoutcomes o the project, an evaluation o ownperormance o learning and decision-making.

Any written record o the task or activities shouldbe o sufcient length to explore the issues, use anappropriate terminology, style and orm o writing.

Presentation

The presentation should be or a non-specialistaudience and use media appropriate to the type o

project. The presentation could take the orm o averbal or written presentation or may involve the use oipcharts,posters,OHPtransparencies,PowerPointor short excerpts o video material. This could take theorm o a group presentation, in the case o a groupproject, or a one-to-one presentation to the supervisor.The presentation should be supported by answers toany questions rom supervisors.

GroupWork

I a learners project contributes to, or is part o, a groupend product then the defned individual contributionmust be pre-approved by the centre supervisor. Learners

working as a group must submit individual written reportswhich detail their own contribution to the group project.

Evidence presented or assessment must show howindividual learners have met the assessment objectivesand perormance criteria.


2.4 Assessing the Extended Project

2.4.1 Assessment Evidence


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2.4.2 Marking Criteria

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Assessment Objectives Mark band AssessmentCriteria

AO1 Manage

identifythetopic

identifyprojectaimsand

objectives produceaprojectplan

completetheworkapplyingorganisational skills andstrategies to meet statedobjectives

710marks

Clear identifcation o the topic to be investigatedor researched and clear evidence o appropriateaims and objectives or the proposed project title.

Detailed project plan, with clear evidence o

monitoring progress o project work against theagreed project plan.

46marks

Some identifcation o the topic to be investigatedor researched and some evidence o appropriateaims and objectives or the proposed project title.

Project plan, with some evidence o monitoringprogress o project work against the agreedproject plan.

13marks

Limited identifcation o the topic to beinvestigated or researched and limited evidence o

appropriate aims and objectives or the proposedproject title.

Brie project plan, with little evidence o monitoringprogress o project work against the agreedproject plan.

0marks No relevant response.

Assessment criteria statements are provided inthree mark bands or each objective and should beregarded as hierarchical (i.e. each criterion assumesthat any lower criteria are also met and that aspectso any higher criteria may be met in part).

When assessments are made, the criteria should beused to judge which mark best fts the candidateswork on their Extended Project.

The mark should be awarded on the basis o thegeneral level o the candidates work in relation tothe criteria statements or each level (i.e. an isolatedexample o perormance at a dierent level should not

be used to raise or lower the overall assessment).

The work will clearly meet most o the criteria givenin the appropriate level descriptor or the lowestavailablemarkatthatlevel.Highermarksateachlevel should be used where work is judged to meetthe criteria readily, consistently and across dierentelements o the project.

For example a candidate who does not reach3 marks but who has made a creditworthy attemptshould be given 2 marks or that objective. The zeromark band should be awarded in the event o acandidate ailing to demonstrate any achievement inthe objective at Level 3.


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Assessment Objectives Mark band AssessmentCriteria

AO2 Use resources

obtainandselectinformationrom a variety o sources

analysedata

applyinformationrelevantly

demonstrateunderstandingofappropriate links

710marks

Evidence o detailed research involving theselection and evaluation o a wide range orelevant sources.

Critical analysis and application o the research,with clear links made to appropriate theories andconcepts.

46marks

Evidence o some research involving the selectionand evaluation o a range o relevant sources.

Some analysis and application o the research,

with links made to appropriate theories andconcepts.

13marks

Evidence o limited research involving limitedselection and evaluation o sources.

Little or no analysis and application o theresearch, with ew links made to appropriatetheories and concepts.

0marksNo relevant response.


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Mark band AssessmentCriteria

1420marks

Candidates take appropriate decisions andappropriate data is collected and thoroughlyanalysed. The project plan is ully implementedand the outcome is ully realised to a highstandard and consistent with a candidates fnallyagreed plan.

There is clear evidence o changes to the initialproject plan or title or aims and objectives, withclear and appropriate reasons or any changes.

Candidatescommunicatetheirndingsuentlyin

an appropriate ormat, synthesising inormationrom a variety o sources and present them withina logical and coherent structure which addressesclosely the nature o the task.

713marks

Candidates take decisions and some appropriatedata is collected and adequately analysed. Theproject plan is implemented and the outcome issufciently realised to an acceptable standard andconsistent with a candidates fnally agreed plan.

There is some evidence o changes to the initialproject plan or title or aims and objectives, withreasons or any changes.

Candidates communicate clearly their fndings,showing some ability to synthesise inormationrom dierent sources and present them in astructured manner appropriate or the task.

16marks

Candidates take ew decisions and a little datais insufciently analysed. The project plan isimplemented in a limited way and the outcomeis realised in a limited manner and not alwaysconsistent with a candidates fnally agreed plan.

There is little or no evidence o changes to theinitial project plan or title or aims and objectives,

with only limited reasons or any changes.

Candidates communicate their fndings bydrawing on a limited number o sources andpresent them in a manner not always appropriateor the task.


Assessment Objectives

AO3DevelopandRealise

problem-solving

decision-making

creativethinking

toachieveplannedoutcomes



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Mark band AssessmentCriteria

710marks

Detailed and careul evaluation o the strengthsand weaknesses o the completed project inrelation to the planning, implementation andoutcomes, and the candidates own learningduring the project.

Material is consistently relevant, well-structuredand appropriately presented. Candidates clearlycommunicate their fndings and conclusions whichare based on sound evidence and judgement.

46marks

Some evaluation o the strengths and weaknesseso the completed project in relation to theplanning, implementation and outcomes, and thecandidates own learning during the project.

Material is sometimes relevant, well-structuredand appropriately presented. Candidatescommunicate their fndings and conclusions whichare based on some evidence and judgement.

13marks

Limited evaluation o the strengths andweaknesses o the completed project in relation tothe planning, implementation and outcomes, andthe candidates own learning during the project.

Material is not always relevant, well-structuredor appropriately presented. Candidatescommunicate some o their fndings andconclusions which are based on little or noevidence and judgement.


Assessment Objectives

AO4 Review

evaluateownlearningandperormance

communicationskills

conveyandpresentevidenced outcomes andconclusions


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2.4.3 Assessment Objectives (AOs)

All candidates are required to meet the ollowing Assessment Objectives. The Assessment Objectives areweighted as indicated below:

Assessment Objectives Weighting

AO1 Manage

Identiy, design, plan, and complete the individual project, or taskwithin a group project, applying organisational skills and strategiesto meet stated objectives.

20%

AO2 Use Resources

Obtain and select inormation rom a range o sources, analysedata, apply relevantly and demonstrate understanding o anyappropriate linkages, connections and complexities o their topic.

20%

AO3 DevelopandRealise

Select and use a range of skills, including new technologies, to solveproblems,totakedecisionscritically,creativelyandfexibly,andto

achieve planned outcomes.

40%

AO4 ReviewEvaluate outcomes including own learning and perormance. Selectand use a range o communication skills and media to convey andpresent evidenced outcomes and conclusions.

20%

2.4.4 Standardisation

AQA will hold standardising meetings or teachers.Centres entering candidates or the frst time mustsend a representative to the meetings. Attendance is

also mandatory in the ollowing cases:

wheretherehasbeenaseriousmisinterpretationo the specifcation requirements;

wherethenatureoftheprojectsagreedbyacentre has been inappropriate;

whereasignicantadjustmenthasbeenmadetoa centres marks in the previous examination.

Otherwise attendance is at the discretion o centres.At these meetings AQA will provide support indeveloping appropriate projects and in using themarking criteria.

Centres must standardise marking within the centre tomake sure that all candidates at the centre have beenmarked to the same standard. One person must be

responsible or internal standardisation. This personshould sign the Centre Declaration Sheet to confrmthat internal standardisation has taken place.

Internal standardisation may involve:

all teachers marking some trial pieces o work andidentiying dierences in marking standards;

discussing any dierences in marking at atraining meeting or all teachers involved in theassessment;

reerring to reerence and archive material suchas previous work or examples rom AQAs teacher

standardising meetings;but other valid approaches are permissible.

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Internal assessors must show clearly how the markshave been awarded in relation to the marking criteriadefned in the specifcation. This annotation will helpthe moderator to see as precisely as possible wherethe teacher considers that the candidates have metthe criteria in the specifcation.

Work could be annotated by either o the ollowingmethods:

keypiecesofevidenceaggedthroughoutthework by annotation or example in perormancenotes, production commentary or written texts;

summativecommentsonthework,referencingprecise sections in the work, perormance or activity.

The total mark or each candidate must be submittedto AQA and the moderator on the mark ormsprovided or by Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) bythe specifed date. Centres will be inormed whichcandidates work is required in the samples to besubmitted to the moderator.

The centre must retain the work o all candidates,with Candidate Record Forms (CRFs) attached, undersecure conditions, rom the time it is assessed, toallow or the possibility o an enquiry about results.The work may be returned to candidates ater thedeadline or enquiries about results. I an enquiryabout a result has been made, the work must remainunder secure conditions in case it is required by AQA.

2.4.5 Moderation

AQAs appointed moderators will normally carry outtheir work by post. Projects involving a perormanceshould be indicated on the Project Proposal Form andwill be moderated either by visit or by the scrutiny oa video or DVD recording. Where visits are arranged,they will be negotiated on an individual centre basisand to the mutual convenience o centres and AQA.Visits will take place towards the end o the course.Alternatively, where an arteact or artwork has beenproduced, moderation will take place using good

quality digital recordings or photographic recordswhich may orm part o an e-portolio.

Where candidates produce a perormance and amoderation visit is not arranged, a video or DVDrecording must be submitted or moderation.

Following the re-marking o the sample work, themoderators marks are compared with the centremarks to determine whether any adjustment isneeded in order to bring the centres assessmentsinto line with standards generally. In some cases itmay be necessary or the moderator to call or thework o other candidates in the centre. In order tomeet this possible request, centres must retain undersecure conditions and have available the courseworkand the CRF o every candidate entered or the

examination and be prepared to submit it on demand.Mark adjustments will normally preserve the centresorder o merit, but where major discrepancies areound, we reserve the right to alter the order o merit.

The candidates work will be returned to the centreater moderation has taken place. The centre willreceive a report with, or soon ater, the despatcho published results giving eedback on theappropriateness o the tasks set, the accuracy othe assessments made, and the reasons or anyadjustments to the marks.

AQA reserves the right to retain some candidateswork or archiving or standardising purposes.


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3

3 Integrating Personal, Learning and ThinkingSkills, Functional Skills and Key Skills

3.1 Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills

The Extended Project Qualifcation provides signifcant opportunities or applying and developing Personal,Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS). Achievement o the PLTS should be included, as appropriate, by theinternal assessor in the annotation o the project.

This list below is indicative o the way the Extended Project supports PLTS giving learners an opportunity to be:

3.2 Functional Skills

Depending on the project chosen by the learner, there may be opportunities or developing and generatingevidence o the ollowing Functional Skills at Level 2. Achievement o the Functional Skills should be included,as appropriate, by the internal assessor in the annotation o the project.

Independent enquirers

identifyingquestionstoask

exploringissues

analysingandevaluatinginformationreceived

supportingtheirconclusionsusingreasonedarguments based on evidence

Creativethinkers

assimilatingnewexperiencesintopreviouslearning

planningtheircommunications

tryingoutalternativesolutions

Refective learners

thinkingaboutandreviewingtheirexperiencesandlearning

decidingonparticularcommunicationsmethodsor a particular purpose

assessingtheirperformanceandachievementsindierent areas

invitingfeedbackfromothers,anddealingwithpraise and constructive criticism in a positivemanner

Self-managers

managingtheirownwork

organisingtheirtimeandresources

showinginitiativeandperseverance

respondingappropriatelytochange

seekingadviceandsupportwhenneeded

Eective participators

takingpartinactivities,suchasdiscussingissuesandtryingtoinuenceothers

participatinginroleplay

negotiatingandweighingupdiverseviews

persuasivelypresentingacaseforaction.

In the case o group projects students may also

demonstrate team working:

Team workers

communicatingeffectivelywithinateam

workingwithotherstoreachagreementondierent issues.

Mathematics

Understandroutineandnon-routineproblemsinawide range o amiliar and unamiliar contexts andsituations

Identifythesituationorproblemandthemathematical methods needed to tackle it

Selectandapplyarangeofmathematicstondsolutions

Useappropriatecheckingproceduresandevaluate their eectiveness at each stage

Interpretandcommunicatesolutionstopracticalproblems in amiliar and unamiliar routine contextsand situations

Drawconclusionsandprovidemathematicaljustifcations

English

Speaking and listening

Makearangeofcontributionstodiscussionsandmake eective presentations in a wide range ocontexts



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Reading

Compare,select,readandunderstandtextsanduse them to gather inormation, ideas, argumentsand opinions

Writing

Writedocuments,includingextendedwritingpieces, communicating inormation, ideas andopinions, eectively and persuasively

ICT

Use ICT systems

Select,interactwithanduseICTsystemsindependently or a complex task to meet a varietyo needs

UseICTtoeffectivelyplanworkandevaluatetheeectiveness o the ICT system used

Manageinformationstoragetoenableefcientretrieval

Followandunderstandtheneedforsafetyandsecurity practices

Troubleshoot

Find and select inormation

Selectanduseavarietyofsourcesofinformationindependently or a complex task

Access,searchfor,selectanduseICT-basedinormation and evaluate its ftness or purpose

Develop, present and communicate

inormation

Enter,developandformatinformationindependentlyto suit its meaning and purpose, including:

- text and tables

- images

- numbers- graphs

- records

Bringtogetherinformationtosuitcontentandpurpose

Presentinformationinwaysthataretforpurposeand audience

EvaluatetheselectionanduseofICTtoolsandacilities used to present inormation

SelectanduseICTtocommunicateandexchangeinormation saely, responsibly and eectivelyincluding storage o messages and contacts lists

3.3 Key Skills

Achievement o the Key Skills should be included, asappropriate, by the internal assessor in the annotationo the project. An Extended Project may generateevidence o the ollowing Key Skills.

Communication

C3.1a

C3.1b

C3.2

C3.3

Application o Number

N3.1

N3.2

N3.3

Inormation Technology

ICT3.1

ICT3.2ICT3.3

There will also be opportunities or the acquisition anddemonstration o ability in the wider Key Skills o:

Working with others

WO3.1

WO3.2

WO3.3

Improving own learning and perormance

LP3.1

LP3.2

LP3.3

Problem solving

PS3.1

PS3.2

PS3.3

The Key Skill o Communication is an intrinsic part o

the presentation o the project.

Copies o the Key Skills Units may be downloadedrom QCAs website:http://qca.org.uk/qca_6455.aspx



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4 Administration

4.1 Entries

Please reer to the current version oEntry Proceduresand Codes or up to date entry procedures.

I you are entering the Extended Project Qualifcationas a ree-standing qualifcation or as part o a Diplomacourse, you must use entry code 9990.

4.2 Private Candidates

This specifcation is not available to private candidates.

We have taken note o the provisions o the DisabilityDiscrimination Act (DDA) 1995 in developing andadministering this specifcation.

We ollow the guidelines in the Joint Council orQualifcations (JCQ) document:Access Arrangementsand Special Consideration: Regulations and GuidanceRelating to Candidates who are Eligible

for Adjustments in Examination GCE, AEA, GCSE,Entry Level & Key Skills. This is published on the JCQwebsite:http://www.jcq.org.uk/access_arrangements/or you can ollow the link rom our websitehttp://www.aqa.org.uk/admin/p_special_3.html

44.4 Language o the Assessment

We will provide this specifcation in English only.

4.5 Awarding Grades and Reporting Results

The Extended Project Qualifcation will be graded ona six grade scale: A*, A, B, C, D, E. Candidates whoail to reach the minimum standard or grade E will

be recorded as U (unclassifed) and will not receive aqualifcation certifcate.

4.6 Re-sits and Shel-lie o Results

Candidates may re-sit this qualifcation any number otimes within the shel-lie o the specifcation.

Candidates will be graded on the basis o the worksubmitted or assessment.

4.3 Access Arrangements and Special Consideration



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4.7 Supervision and Authentication o Coursework

4

In order to meet the requirements o the currentGCSE, GCE, GNVQ and AEA Code of Practice andthe Diploma operating rules published by QCA, AQArequires:

candidates to sign the Candidate Record Form(CRF) to confrm that the work submitted is theirown, and

teachers/supervisors to confrm on the CRFthat the work assessed is solely that o thecandidate concerned and was conducted underthe conditions laid down by the specifcation.

The completed CRF or each candidate must beattached to the candidates work. All teachers whohave assessed the work o any candidate enteredor each component must sign the declaration oauthentication. Failure to sign the authenticationstatement may delay the processing o thecandidates result.

In centres where teachers are amiliar with candidateswork the teacher should be sufciently aware o a

candidates standard and level o work to appreciatei the project submitted is beyond the ability o thecandidate. Where this is not the case, teachersshould make sure that the project is completed underclosesupervision.However,inallcasestheinitialplanning, guidance, mid-term and fnal reviews willensure that the supervisor is confdent that the projectis the candidates own work. This will all be recordedin the Production Log.

I it is believed that a candidate has receivedadditional assistance and that this is acceptablewithin the guidelines or the relevant specifcation,

the teacher/supervisor should award a mark whichrepresents the candidates unaided achievement.The authentication statement should be signed andinormation given on the relevant orm.

I the teacher/supervisor is unable to sign theauthentication statement or a particular candidate,then the candidates work cannot be accepted orassessment.

4.8 Malpractice

Teachers/supervisors should inorm candidates o theAQA Regulations concerning malpractice.

Candidates must not:

submitworkwhichisnottheirown;

lendworktoothercandidates;

allowothercandidatesaccessto,ortheuseof,their own independently-sourced source material(this does not mean that candidates may not lendtheir books to another candidate, but candidatesshould be prevented rom plagiarising othercandidates research);

includeworkcopieddirectlyfrombooks,the internet or other sources withoutacknowledgement and attribution;

submitworktypedorword-processedbyathirdperson without acknowledgement.

These actions constitute malpractice, or which apenalty (eg disqualifcation rom the examination) willbe applied.

I malpractice is suspected, the Examinations Ofcershould be consulted about the procedure to be ollowed.

Where suspected malpractice in projects is identifedby a centre ater the candidate has signed thedeclarationofauthentication,theHeadofCentremust submit ull details o the case to AQA at theearliest opportunity. The orm JCQ/M1 should beused. Copies o the orm can be ound on the JCQwebsite: http://www.jcq.org.uk/

Malpractice in projects discovered prior to thecandidate signing the declaration o authenticationneed not be reported to AQA, but should bedealt with in accordance with the centres internalprocedures. AQA would expect centres to treat suchcases very seriously. Details o any work which is notthe candidates own must be recorded on the projectcover sheet or other appropriate place.



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A

Appendices

A Grade Descriptions

The ollowing award descriptions indicate the level o attainment characteristic o the given grade at Level 3. Theygive a general indication o the required learning outcomes at each specifc grade. The descriptions should beinterpreted in relation to the content outlined in the specifcation; they are not designed to defne that content.

The award will depend in practice upon the extent to which the candidate has met the Assessment Objectives(see Section 2.4.3) overall. Shortcomings in some aspects o the project may be balanced by a betterperormance in other aspects.

GradeA

Candidates clearly plan and execute highly organised

and independent extended projects. There is clearevidence o how the advice given by the supervisorhas been used or interpreted. The candidates use awide range o resources critically and to good eectand show a clear link between the sources and thethemes o their projects. Problems and issues areidentifed and ully explored, with conclusions drawnand the intended outcomes o the projects are ullyrealised. The conclusions are clearly presented andwell argued leaving no doubt in the audiences mindso the success o the venture. In their evaluations,candidates show a high level o insight into how theyconducted their projects.

GradeC

The plan is sufcient to enable the candidates toachieve the overall objectives but limited in termso being able to demonstrate the higher levelorganisational skills. There is some evidence o howthe advice given by the supervisor has been usedor interpreted. A range o resources is used butthe candidates do not ully exploit the material. Thecandidates have met the goal o producing a projectbut have missed opportunities to develop the materialmore ully. The projects are clearly expressed andthe conclusions are well argued in the presentation.Intheirevaluations,candidatesreecteffectivelyontheir strengths and weaknesses in carrying out theirprojects.

GradeE

Candidates produce a workable plan, however there

is little evidence o how they have used or interpretedthe advice given by the supervisor. The candidatesuse a limited range o resources to enable the projectsto be realised but there is no clear link betweenthe resources and the themes o the projects.Appropriate use is made o resources but they arenot greatly developed in the fnal projects. The fnalprojects are adequate to communicate the intentionsofthecandidatesbutthereislimitedreectiononthe way the fnal outcomes have emerged and theirown strengths and weaknesses in carrying out theirprojects. Conclusions tend to be asserted rather thanargued in the presentation.



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B

B Spiritual, Moral, Ethical, Social, Cultural and other Issues

The Extended Project provides learners with manyopportunities to develop their understanding omoral, ethical, social and cultural issues. The skills oplanning, sel-management o learning, collecting andanalysing data and reviewing and evaluating learningwill enhance the learners personal aspirations andcareer development.

EuropeanDimension

AQA has taken account o the 1988 Resolution o theCouncil o the European Community in preparing thisspecifcation.

Avoidance o Bias

AQA has taken great care in the preparation o thisspecifcation to avoid bias o any kind.



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C Overlaps with other Qualifcations

The specifcation has been designed to allowmaximumexibilityforcentresandlearners.

The subject content allows the opportunity orlearners to pursue integrated critical, practical ortheoretical study within the context o an ExtendedProject. There is some overlap in skills and/or subjectcontentwithGCEcourses.Howevertheapproachto, and the context o, the skills and content in thespecifcations are distinctly dierent rom those oGCE AS/A courses.


C


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Level 3 Extended Project Qualifcation (EPQ) 2007 Onwards. Qualifcation Accreditation Number 500/2409/7

To obtain ree specifcation updates and support material register with Ask-AQA: www.aqa.org.uk/ask-aqa/register

Free launch meetings are available in 2007/8 ollowed by urther support meetings through the lie o the specifcation:

http://events.aqa.org.uk/ebooking

Further copies available rom: AQA Logistics Centre, Unit 2, Wheel Forge Way, Ashburton Park, Traord Park, Manchester M17 1EH

I you have questions about teaching or adopting this specifcation in your centre look at Ask-AQA at: www.aqa.org.uk/ask-aqa

Copyright 2007 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.

The Assessment and Qualifcations Alliance (AQA) i s a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company number 3644723) and a registered charity (registered charity

number 1073334). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX.

DrMichael Cresswell Director General

epq specification

Documents