Engineering Science: National 4 and 5

2. Engineering Science: National 4 and 5 CPD Presentation

3. Outline • Overview of Internal Assessment in Engineering Science • The Verification Process • Unit Assessment Support Packs (UASP) • Course Assignment • Other Support • Key Messages

4. Outline of Internal Assessment • Each level has three discrete Units • Engineering Contexts & Challenges • Electronics & Control • Mechanisms & Structures • Each Unit is made up of Outcomes and Assessment Standards • Candidates must meet the Outcomes and ALL Assessment Standards to achieve a Unit • Evidence of candidates meeting these Standards must be retained

5. The Verification Process • To ensure that consistent standards are being applied across the country, a robust Quality Assurance system is in existence • Centres are requested to supply evidence for 12 candidates • Verification is not assessing pupils’ work – it is ensuring that the centre’s approach to assessment and its judgements about candidates achievement are in line with national standards.

6. The Verification Process • Verification asks the following questions: • Does the approach to assessment generate evidence that meets the Outcomes and Assessment Standards? • Does the centre have robust policies in place for Internal Verification? • Are the assessment judgements in line with national standards?

7. The Verification Process • There are 3 possible outcomes at each level • Accepted • Approaches to assessment for all candidatesat that level are in line with national standards • Assessment judgements for all candidatesare in line with national standards • Accepted* • Overall the approaches to assessments and judgements are in line with national standards but some recommendations have been made • Not Accepted • Significant issue with approaches to assessment • Significant issue with assessment judgements • A hold will be placed on certification in this subject for this centre • Verifier will state what corrective actionis required • Centre must take the corrective action

8. Unit Assessment Support Pack (UASP) • UASP Pack 1 – Portfolio Approach • UASP Pack 2 – Unit by Unit Approach • UASP Pack 3 – Combined Approach • Judging Evidence Tables provide guidance on the Assessment Standards and required evidence. • You can use or adapt any SQA produced Unit Assessment Support Pack • When creating an assessment you must always refer to the Outcomes, Assessment Standards and Evidence Requirements in the Unit Specification and refer to the relevant UASP for guidance.

9. Course Assignment (National 5) • Internally assessed, externally verified • The assignment has 60 marks (40% of the total marks) • Marks will be awarded for: • Analysing the problem 10 marks • Designing a solution 10 marks • Constructing/simulating a solution 20 marks • Testing the solution 10 marks • Reporting on the solution 10 marks

10. Course Assignment (National 5) • Assignments should be completed on an “open book” basis • Each section should be marked by using the Band descriptors in the Assignment document (Coursework Assessment Task) • Marks should be allocated using the Band descriptors which have a mark range from 10 – 0 • Colleagues are already experienced in assessing Application of Technology assignments

11. Other Support • Understanding Standards materials from Verification • Prior Verified Materials • Common Questions • Verification Key Messages Reports

12. Key Messages • If using Unit Assessment Support Pack (UASP), ensure that the most recent version is used • If the approach to assessment varies considerably from the UASP, centres are advised to use SQA’s Prior Verification service • Ensure that evidence of Internal Verification is included in samples sent for External Verification • Ensure that internal assessment judgements are cross matched against Outcomes and Assessment Standards.