Bringing assessment to life

Accounting

03 May 2024

Duration: 23 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in A-level Accounting. It considers the importance of assessment objectives, command words and the role of different types of questions. It also looks at double entry skills and the different approaches to mark schemes.

Art and Design

20 May 2024

Duration: 35 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in GCSE and A-level Art and design. Starting with a detailed look at the assessment objectives and how they work, the video considers the role of externally set assignments and explains the assessment criteria and our holistic marking approach, demonstrating the continuity between GCSE and A-level.

Biology

03 May 2024

Duration: 26 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in A-level Biology. It looks at assessment objectives, different question types, and gives an insight into our question paper development process. It also looks at the different types of mark scheme and demonstrates how questions can be developed for use in the classroom.

Business

03 May 2024

Duration: 23 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied to GCSE Business. It considers the importance of assessment objectives and how they are used in questions and the role of different question types in the exam. The video considers quantitative skills in the development of Business assessments and provides insights into how items are created.

Chemistry

03 May 2024

Duration: 23 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in A-level Chemistry. It looks at the assessment objectives, the role of different question types, including questions involving mathematical content and practical work, and explains how we design questions to differentiate effectively. The video also provides insights into how we analyse student performance to ensure and improve the quality of our assessments.

Citizenship Studies

06 Oct 2023

Duration: 15 minutes

This video looks at how the general principles are applied in Citizenship Studies. It looks at different question types, the importance of source materials in question design and demonstrates how questions can be developed for use in the classroom.

Computer Science

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 24 minutes

This video shows how we assess programming skills in Computer Science (GCSE/AS/A-level) and how to correctly apply the mark schemes. The subtle differences in how mark schemes are applied to handwritten program code (GCSE) and that produced in an IDE (AS/A-level) are also considered.

We use examples of student work to illustrate the application of the mark scheme and also give you the opportunity to write your own mark schemes in response to the answers we provide.

Dance

03 May 2024

Duration: 19 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in GCSE Dance. It  considers the structure of the written paper and looks at the importance of assessment objectives and command words within the different question types. The video also looks at the different approaches to mark schemes.

Design and Technology

06 Oct 2023

Duration: 25 minutes

This video looks at how general assessment principles are applied in Design and Technology. Specifically, it explores the different question types used in the subject, use of language, context and imagery in questions and aspects of mark scheme design.

Drama

03 May 2024

Duration: 41 minutes

This video looks at how the general principles are applied in GCSE Drama and A-level Drama and Theatre, covering both the written assessments and the non-exam assessment. It considers assessment objectives, the different question types and how they are structured and the selection of extracts. The video also considers aspects of mark scheme design and provides ideas for creating your own assessment materials.

Economics

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 25 minutes

This video looks at how general assessment principles are applied to Economics and contribute to the development of high-quality assessments in Economics. It considers the importance of assessment objectives and of quantitative skills in the development of Economics assessments and identifies the role of different types of questions.

The video also explains the relationship between the assessment objectives and mark schemes and finishes by providing some examples of student responses to some past questions.

Engineering

03 May 2024

Duration: 27 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in GCSE Engineering.  Specifically, it explores the different question types used in the subject, use of language, context and imagery in questions and aspects of mark scheme design.

English Language

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 25 minutes

The first half of this video focuses on GCSE Language and looks at the benefits of having a single assessment objective per question and how those assessment objectives work.

It also looks into mark scheme design and the importance of careful selection of unseen sources. The second part of the video shifts the focus to A-level Language and looks at how the assessment objectives, mark schemes and questions contribute to the overall assessment design.

English Literature

03 May 2024

Duration: 20 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in GCSE and A-level English Literature. Starting with a detailed look at the assessment objectives and how they work, the video considers how questions are framed to elicit the required knowledge, understanding and skills and demonstrates the continuity between GCSE and A-level. The video explains our holistic marking approach and the principles of levels of response mark schemes.

Environmental Science

25 Jun 2024

Duration: 20 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in A-level Environmental Science. It considers the importance of assessment objectives and command words and how they are used in questions. The video also looks at the use of resources in our question papers and considers the different types of mark schemes.

Food and Nutrition

03 May 2024

Duration: 24 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition. It considers the assessment objectives, the design of different question types and the use of context to ensure accessibility. It also looks at the different types of mark scheme and provides some useful ideas for classroom practice.

Geography

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 30 minutes

This video focuses on how general assessment principles are applied in Geography to ensure fairness and accessibility. It looks at the importance of stimulus material in question design and the different approaches to mark schemes.

History

03 May 2024

Duration: 9 minutes

This video looks at how the general principles are applied in GCSE and A-level History. It looks at the role of assessment objectives in question design, the assessment of sources and interpretations and the integration of skills and knowledge in mark schemes.

Law

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 16 minutes

This video looks at the importance of command words in A-level Law and gives a detailed picture of how question scenarios can be developed for use in examinations and in the classroom.

Mathematics

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 15 minutes

This video focuses on how mark schemes are developed in GCSE Mathematics. It covers the principles that underpin Maths mark schemes, including how marks are allocated to be fair to all students. We look at how a mark scheme for a problem-solving question is created and refined and how some questions need a very different approach.

Media Studies

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 31 minutes

This video looks at how assessments are created for GCSE and A-level Media Studies and how these can help you in your own practice. It is broken down into three areas, moving from the principles of assessment, through how these are applied by AQA within Media Studies, to how they can be applied by teachers of the subject.

Music

03 May 2024

Duration: 31 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in GCSE and A-level Music.  It considers the Assessment Objectives, the practical tasks and role of coursework, the types of questions, and mark schemes as well as the role of optionality within the two specifications, showing you how they provide for a valid and reliable assessment.

Philosophy

03 May 2024

Duration: 21 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in A-level Philosophy. It takes a detailed look at the link between the specification content and the exam questions, focusing on the different question types and how they are constructed to reflect the assessment objectives and assess the different specification topics.

Physical Education

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 19 minutes

This video gives insight into how Physical Education assessments and mark schemes are designed. It sets out how assessment objectives are key in determining the question types and the command words used in the assessment. It goes on to look at the steps taken to avoid bias and ensure all students are fairly treated.

Physics

03 May 2024

Duration: 26 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in A-level Physics. Starting with a detailed look at the assessment objectives, the video considers the assessment framework for Science, and the different types of questions. It looks at the language of questions and how we can vary the level of demand of a question to suit its purpose. The video also provides insights into how we develop our assessments.

Politics

03 May 2024

Duration: 12 minutes

This video looks at how the general assessment principles are applied in A-level Politics. It looks at how questions are structured and the role of assessment objectives and command words. It also considers the synoptic and comparative elements of the assessment as well as aspects of mark scheme design.

Psychology

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 20 minutes

This video focuses on three aspects of assessment in A-level Psychology. They are the link between the specification and exam questions, how to use appropriate language in assessment tasks and  how a mark scheme is written to reflect the question wording and to be a useful assessment tool.

Religious Studies

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 24 minutes

This video considers the key principles of assessment as applied to Religious Studies at both GCSE and A-level. It covers question types, assessment objectives and marking, looking at both points-based and levels of response mark schemes.

Science

06 Oct 2023

Duration: 30 minutes

This video focuses on how assessment principles apply in GCSE Science, looking at the assessment framework for Science, how questions are structured and how the demand of a question can be changed to suit its purpose.

Sociology

28 Sep 2023

Duration: 20 minutes

This video focuses on how general assessment principles are applied in A-level Sociology. It looks at the language of assessment, including the use of command words, the importance of stimulus materials in question design and the different approaches to mark schemes.