Externally moderated Cambridge Nationals NEA: issues and solutions

Vinay Thawait, Computer Science, IT and Creative iMedia Subject Advisor

Another examination series is nearly over with results day for Cambridge Nationals and GCSEs on 22 August. I hope the internal assessment of NEA units using our marking criteria and guidance was a positive experience for most of you.

Despite the overall success, there were some instances where centres couldn’t meet the submission deadlines for marks and moderation samples and had to request extensions. Following the JCQ Instructions for conducting coursework is essential to make sure timely submission of marks to OCR.

Depending on the final entry option, it’s essential that candidate samples of work for internally assessed units are submitted digitally via OCR’s Submit for Assessment (SfA) platform upload (01 Moderated: Upload) or digitally by post via USB stick (02 Moderated: Postal).

My collaboration with OCR moderation aimed to help a seamless external moderation process well before results day for Cambridge Nationals in Creative iMedia (J834) and IT (J836).

There were challenges for centres that submitted students’ samples late or in the incorrect format, or who didn’t complete some administrative tasks. In this blog I’ll share some of these experiences to raise awareness and help prevent recurrence of such issues in the future.

Key points for SfA or USB stick submission

• Compliance with submission requirements. It’s crucial that centres comprehensively review the submission requirements for each Cambridge National qualification. For Creative iMedia and IT, the Unit Recording Sheet (URS) for each unit must be submitted for external moderation along with the students’ portfolio of OCR-set NEA assignment for all students in the sample request.
• Challenges with uploading to the OCR Repository. Some centres had difficulties uploading moderation samples on OCR Repository within the required timeframe. This may have been because they missed our communication about the transition from OCR Repository to OCR Submit for Assessment for uploading students’ samples for the summer series.
• Final submission hurdle: Some centres failed to complete the final submission of the moderation sample after uploading their students’ portfolio of OCR-set NEA assignment on SfA. They missed clicking the Submit button, which delayed the start of their external moderation. Please make sure you click the Submit button once you have uploaded all files expected for the sample. A confirmation page will then appear – when you close this, the screen will indicate that the sample has been submitted for external moderation. Additionally, a dark blue line will appear in front of the chosen component/unit instead of light blue or grey line.

Uploading students’ samples on SfA

• Incorrect samples or folders. Some issues included uploading the wrong students’ sample or incorrect component/unit folders, including wrong file types. While uploading the moderation sample on the SfA, please carefully choose the component/unit, the number of candidates, and the accepted file types.
• Unit Recording Sheets. Some centres uploaded fully or partially completed URS forms for candidates within each student’s portfolio of OCR-set NEA assignment, or uploaded the URS as an individual PDF file for each candidate.. Please make sure you zip the URS forms for all candidates entered for each component / unit. For example, all the IT unit R070 URS forms must be uploaded for all candidates at once using one zip file.
• Zipping portfolio of evidence. For Creative iMedia, IT and some other Cambridge Nationals qualifications, please remember to zip your students’ internally assessed portfolio as a folder before uploading them to the SfA. This is necessary so that the folder structures are retained for each student.
• Internally assessed portfolio. An internally assessed portfolio is a collection of folders and files containing the student’s evidence. Folders should be organised in a structured way so that the evidence can be accessed easily by a teacher or a moderator. This structure is commonly known as a folder tree. It would be helpful if the location of particular evidence is made clear by naming each file and folder appropriately and by use of an index called Home Page.
• Accepted digital file formats. Some centres didn’t submit students’ saved/exported final product in an appropriate digital file format, which delayed the moderation process. For Creative iMedia, IT and some other Cambridge Nationals qualifications, each student’s portfolio within the sample must include the saved/exported finished product or solution in an appropriate and accepted digital file format for moderation. Failing to do so will restrict access to marks for this. For example:
• For IT unit R070, students must use video screen capture software or a video camera to record the AR model prototype demonstrating how it works. Videos can be created using a smartphone, iPad, etc. This is essential for moderation purposes.
• For Creative iMedia unit R097, students must export or publish their final Interactive Digital Multimedia Product (IDMP) in a suitable electronic format appropriate for moderation.
• Avoiding web links submission. Some centres submitted Word documents in the students’ portfolio that included embedded web links to the final products. This delayed the moderation process. Please do not submit the evidence of students’ products or solutions using Google site web links or any cloud-based platform link, as this is not accepted for external moderation.

Future moderation series

For future moderation series, please make sure that students understand the importance of submitting a standalone solution in the correct digital file format along with their submission for any NEA units to their teacher for internal assessment and subsequent external moderation.

Guides to applying the mark scheme

We have various resources to help you develop confidence in applying the marking criteria for Cambridge Nationals qualifications:

• Online marking course. We have a free on-line marking course for teachers on OCR Train which you can complete at your own pace. It includes a series of moderation tests designed to make sure you correctly allocate mark band levels to practical performances.
• Candidate exemplars. We provide candidate exemplars, including the moderator’s commentary for NEA units at low, mid and higher levels. Reviewing these exemplars can help you understand and improve the internal assessment of the NEA marking.
• Professional development courses. Attend a professional development course focused on NEA delivery and assessment. These courses provide in-depth training and support to enhance your skills and knowledge.
• Classroom poster on referencing and plagiarism. Display a poster in your classroom to help students understand how to reference work and avoid plagiarism. You can download this from the assessment section of the qualification webpage.

Using these resources will help your understanding and application of the marking criteria, ensuring accurate and fair assessments for your students.

General information on NEA administration

Detailed guidance on NEA administration is available from our website:

• Unit Recording Sheet. You must complete a URS for each student entered for certification.
• Authentication forms. You must complete a centre authentication form and a candidate authentication form for each student. Keep these forms in the school.

Stay connected

If you have any questions please comment below, or email us at vocational.qualifications@ocr.org.uk or support@ocr.org.uk. You can also call our customer support centre on 01223 553998.

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About the author

Vinay joined OCR in July 2014 to support the GQ reform and development of the AS and A Level Computer Science qualifications. Since then, he has been involved in the development of the reformed GCSE (9-1) Computer Science, Entry Level Computer Science, and Cambridge National in IT, new Level 3 Cambridge Advanced National (AAQ) in IT: Data Analytics and the Level 3 Cambridge Advanced National (AAQ) in Computing: Application development qualification. He is currently working on the Wave 2 Level 3 Cambridge Advanced National (AAQ) in Cyber Security and Digital Networking qualification.

Before joining OCR, Vinay spent more than 25 years in IT and Computer Science teaching and leadership roles, working for several schools as well as local authorities educational support team. He was the National Bid Lead for the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative within Capita IT, and also the Head of Operations for an audio-visual educational software development company. Vinay has a degree, three post-graduate masters and NPQH from Warwick, Coventry, and Nottingham Universities. Outside work, he takes part in karate, cricket, and badminton. He doesn’t believe in ‘just sitting down and watching TV'.