Level descriptions

These descriptions give a general indication of the standards of achievement at each level. These descriptions should be interpreted in relation to the content outlined in the subject content part of this specification – they are not designed to define that content.

Entry 1

Subject content

Students can recall and understand simple limited parts of the specification. eg a good diet and exercise is needed to keep the body healthy or that materials have a range of properties (eg texture, appearance) and these properties determine the uses of the materials.

Practical skills

Students can use simple equipment safely and can carry out simple scientific investigations, under instruction. They can describe the steps in an experiment where they were given help. They can state what they found out in an experiment.

Communication skills

Students working at this level can communicate simple ideas using everyday language. Students describe or respond appropriately to simple features of objects, living things and events based on their everyday experiences. They can communicate their findings in simple ways (eg discussion, making drawings, and simple charts) and can respond to simple questions about a topic they have studied.

Entry 2

Subject content

Students at this level can recall, understand and apply knowledge from across the specification, eg they are familiar with different ways of conserving energy in the home and can compare the efficiency of different methods. Students use their knowledge about living things to describe the basic conditions (eg a supply of food, water, air, light) that animals and plants need in order to survive. They recognise that living things grow and reproduce.

Practical skills

Students can suggest simple experiments to find out answers to given problems. They respond to suggestions about how to find things out and can make suggestions about how to collect data to answer questions. They can use apparatus to undertake a given experiment, and are able to work safely. With little help they can do all of an experiment and state whether the result is what they expected. They can record their results in given formats.

They can use simple equipment safely and make observations or simple measurements related to their task. They can observe and compare objects, living things and events. They describe their observations using scientific vocabulary and record them, using simple tables when appropriate.

Communication skills

Students working at this level can communicate using simple scientific terms.

Entry 3

Subject content

Students can recall, understand and apply knowledge from a wide range of the specification, eg students have an understanding of basic life processes (eg growth, reproduction) and understand how living things may be subjected to competition and environmental changes.

Students use their knowledge and understanding of physical phenomena to link cause and effect in simple explanations (eg the amount of electrical energy a device transfers depends on how long it is switched on for, and its power).

Practical skills

Students can put forward ideas for investigations and make simple predictions about outcomes. They can make observations with some degree of detail and make measurements using appropriate apparatus.

They can carry out scientific investigations safely and with some confidence, and record their results, create tables for data and label drawings or diagrams. They can identify and carry out a method of fair testing where this is necessary.

Students can make some comparisons between observations or measurements. If appropriate, they can find patterns in their results. Students can draw simple conclusions from the evidence found.

Communication skills

Students communicate in a scientific way what they have found out and suggest improvements in their work.

They can obtain information from data provided, assimilate it and communicate ideas and conclusions in short, coherent sentences.