Notice to centres

• FAO: Head of Department/Centre Manager
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: Withdrawal of OCR Legal Advice Qualifications

• Notice to centres - Withdrawal of legal advice qualifications (PDF, 65KB) New

Notice to centres

• FAO: Head of Geography
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: GCSE Geography

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar (SPAG) Assessment

Following the regulator’s request, spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPAG) will be assessed in GCSE Geography from June 2013.

• Specification A, J380, three marks will be added to two questions in each of the units A671/01, A671/02 and A673/01, A673/02. The new total mark for these papers will be 56.
• Specification B, J385, three marks will be added to each case study question on the Key Geographical Themes units B563/01 and B563/02. The new total mark for these papers will be 84.
• GCSE Geography Short Course, J085, three marks will be added to each case study question on the Key Geographical Themes units A772/01 and A772/02. The new total mark for these papers will be 56.

Any SPAG marks should be clearly indicated on the front cover and against applicable questions.

Quality of Written Communication will continue to be assessed within levels marked questions.

You can find further details about SPAG assessments, including the performance descriptors, on the Ofqual website at:

http://comment.ofqual.gov.uk/gcse-reform/section/spelling-punctuation-and-grammar/

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: Diploma lines of learning (Principal Learning)

Withdrawal of Diploma lines of learning (Principal Learning)

This update is to remind all centres that the following Diploma lines of learning (Principal Learning) will be available for assessment and certification for the final time in the June 2013 series:

• Creative and Media
• Information Technology
• Society, Health and Development

If any of your candidates are following one of these lines of learning and are intending to complete the Diploma, please ensure that all assessment is completed and certification arranged in this final series.

Please note that this does not apply to the OCR Principal Learning in Engineering, the Levels 1 and 2 Project or the Level 3 Extended Project.

As these subjects are being withdrawn, we intend that some of the more successful and popular elements of Principal Learning, within certain subjects, will be reflected in the future qualifications we develop. Information on any new qualifications will be made available on the OCR website.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres

• FAO: Exams Officers
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: Changes to A level qualifications

Removal of January Assessment for A Level qualifications

This update is to remind all centres of an Ofqual change to the A level assessment window, effective from September 2013.

The change requires all Awarding Organisations to remove the January assessment window for A levels. This means that in January 2014 there will be no assessment of A level units at AS or A level.

In response to this, we have has revised our A level specifications and support materials accordingly. Updated materials will be available on our website soon. All other qualification content remains unchanged

More information about the changes to A level assessment can be found on the Ofqual website at: http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/qualifications-and-assessments/qualification-reform/questions-and-answers/

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres

• FAO: Head of Science
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: Twenty First Century Additional Science/Physics

Controlled Assessment Task A154/A184

A154 – A184 June 2014 – The factors that affect the air resistance acting on a falling object. Available to download from 12/06/2012

The title has changed to ‘The factors that affect the motion of a falling object’.

Although, the title of this task has been changed, the task itself remains the same.. This is because it was recently brought to our attention that it is not possible for candidates to measure air resistance directly. It was never intended for candidates to undertake this as a specific requirement.. Instead, candidates were expected to investigate the effect of air resistance on a falling object by measuring the speed at which an object falls, or the time taken for an object to fall. Thus, the new title ‘The factors that affect the motion of a falling object’ is a more accurate representation of the intended task.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres

• FAO: Teachers of Cambridge Nationals
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: Cambridge Nationals in Business and Enterprise, Health and Social Care, ICT, Science, Science in the Workplace, Sport Science, and Sport Studies

Administering internal assessment for Cambridge Nationals

We would like to provide clarification about the rules surrounding the production of evidence for internally assessed units for Cambridge Nationals.

Templates and writing frames cannot be used for the creation of assessment evidence.

Learners must independently choose layouts and make decisions about formatting when creating documents etc. presenting their assessment evidence. This is detailed in Section 4 of each qualification’s specification:

“Teachers/assessors must not provide templates, model answers or detail specifically what amendments should be made.”

It is essential that centres follow the JCQ Instructions for Conducting Coursework. In particular, the instructions which clarify what can be considered to be the candidates’ own unaided work.

Providing candidates with worksheets, writing frames and/or additional instructions, or providing formative feedback whilst the evidence is being produced, constitutes help over and above to that permitted, and is liable to be reported as malpractice by the moderator.

If you have any concerns about work not being produced in line with a specification’s guidance and JCQ Instructions for Conducting Coursework you should contact OCR’s Customer Contact Centre.

Any help provided to candidates that conforms to a specification’s guidance and JCQ Instructions for Conducting Coursework must be considered when awarding marks.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres

• FAO: Assessors of OCR Management and Team Leading Qualifications
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: Management and Team Leading Qualifications - Webinar

Management and Leadership 'Networking' Webinar

Thursday 9th May at 2:00PM

This live online webinar is suitable for all Education Professionals delivering OCR Management and Team Leading qualifications or those with an interest in learning more about them.

Areas for discussion include:

• Management news/updates/specific topics
• Questions & Answers
• Freeform chat via WebEx online text messaging
• Best practice with fellow colleagues.

If you are interested in attending this free of charge webinar, please follow the link below for more information or to book via our OCR Eventbooker system

Notice to centres - Set texts for examination in 2015

• FAO: Head of Classics
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: GCSE Latin (J281) and GCSE Latin (Short Course) (J081)

Unit A403 Latin prose literature

Section A: Extracts from the section entitled 'Vice and virtue' in OCR Latin Anthology for GCSE (OUP) ISBN 9870198329329

Higher Tier

• Cicero: The corruption and cruelty of Verres and Cleomenes
• Livy: The bravery of Mucius Scaevola and Cloelia

Foundation Tier

• Cicero: The corruption and cruelty of Verres and Cleomenes
• Livy: The bravery of Mucius Scaevola and Cloelia, lines 1-35 (senatum … aderunt)

Section B: Selections from Cambridge Latin Anthology (CUP) ISBN 9780521578776

Higher Tier

• Pliny: Avunculus meus (A day in the life of Pliny the Elder; The death of Pliny the Elder)
• Pliny: Arria, lines 1-39 (C. Plinius Nepoti suo S. ... vale)

Foundation Tier

• Pliny: Avunculus meus (A day in the life of Pliny the Elder; The death of Pliny the Elder)
• Pliny: Arria, lines 1-12 (aegrotabat … reliquisset)

Unit A404 Latin verse literature

Section A: Extracts from the section entitled 'Land and sea' in OCR Latin Anthology for GCSE (OUP) ISBN 9870198329329

Higher Tier

• Horace: A traveller’s tale
• Virgil: A storm at sea
• Horace: The ship of state in troubled waters

Foundation Tier

• Horace: A traveller’s tale, lines 1-34 (egressum … amicus) and 47-72 (tendimus … viaeque est)
• Virgil: A storm at sea

Section B: Selections from Virgil Aeneid 9: Nisus and Euryalus

The Latin text printed on the examination papers will be that of the Oxford Classical Text (ed. Mynors) IBSN 0-19-814653-1

Higher Tier

• Lines 176-196, 308-323, 339-356, 367-445

Foundation Tier

• Lines 308-323, 367-445

The Section A set texts listed in this notice are for examination in June 2014 and June 2015

The Section B set texts listed in this notice are for examination in June 2015 and June 2016

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

• New OCR answer booklets (PDF, 1MB) New

Accreditation of Asset Languages qualifications

• FAO: Exams Officer/Language teachers
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: Asset Languages

Accreditation for Asset Languages qualifications expires in 2013. Following a review and consultation in the autumn of 2012, we have decided to redevelop qualifications in French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish. These revised qualifications will be available at Breakthrough, Preliminary and Intermediate stages for first teaching from September 2013. The first assessment series will be in June 2014.

This means that the four series in 2012–2013 are the last assessment opportunities for Asset Languages qualifications in their current format. These assessment series are also the final opportunity for Advanced stage assessments in any languages and for all assessments in the following languages:

• Arabic
• Bengali
• Cantonese
• Cornish
• Greek
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Irish
• Japanese
• Panjabi
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Somali
• Swedish
• Tamil
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Welsh
• Yoruba

Candidates entering in any assessment series during 2012/13 will have an opportunity to resit in November 2013.

Please note that the November 2013 series is for candidates who are resitting only; we will not accept new candidates for the current qualifications suite after the June 2013 series. For this reason we advise you to ensure that all entries are made by 3 May 2013, which is the final entry deadline for the June 2013 series.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres - Careers Guidance qualifications update

• FAO: Coordinator for the Careers Guidance qualifications
• Date: May 2013
• Subject: Careers Guidance

• Notice to centres - Careers guidance qualification update (PDF, 139KB) New

Notice to centres - Extension of entry dates

• FAO: Centre Coordinators/Tutors of Policing qualifications
• Date: April 2013
• Subject: Level 3 Certificate in Policing (Police Community Support Officer)

We are pleased to announce that the last entry date for the following Policing qualification has been extended to 31 December 2013.

• 03358 – OCR Level 3 Certificate in Policing (Police Community Support Officer)

You may continue to enter candidates for this qualification until that date.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres - Launch of revised Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Plant Operations

• FAO: Exams Officer/Head of Department (Construction)
• Date: April 2013
• Subject: OCR Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Plant Operations (10340)

• Notice to centres - Launch of revised Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Plant Operations (PDF, 111KB) New

Notice to centres - Retake rules for GCSE English / English Language

• FAO: Exams Officer/Head of Department
• Date: April 2013
• Subject: GCSE English and English Language

Change to previous advice.

As part of the change to ‘linear’ assessment, all GCSE English and English Language qualifications will be available in the June series only, from June 2013, with a retake opportunity available in November. Under the present rules, it will be possible in November 2013 either to retake a qualification taken previously, subject to meeting the 40% terminal rule, or to take the complete qualification for the first time with no opportunity of a retake other than with a 100% terminal rule in the following June (2014).

Ofqual previously indicated that the opportunity to retake a qualification in November 2014 would also allow for a qualification to be taken for the first time, but has now written to awarding organisations indicating that it has decided to change this arrangement. Consequently, in November 2014 it will only be possible to make entries for GCSE English or English Language for students who have previously certificated GCSE English or English Language respectively.

This requirement will apply for each of the following qualifications:

• GCSE English (J350)
• GCSE English language (J355).

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres - Retake rules for GCSE Mathematics

• FAO: Exams Officer/Head of Department
• Date: April 2013
• Subject: GCSE Mathematics

Change to previous advice

As part of the change to ‘linear’ assessment, all GCSE Mathematics qualifications will be available in the June series only, from June 2013, with a retake opportunity available in November. Under the present rules, it will be possible in November 2013 either to retake a qualification taken previously, subject to meeting the 40% terminal rule, or to take the complete qualification for the first time with no opportunity of a retake other than with a 100% terminal rule in the following June (2014).

Ofqual previously indicated that the opportunity to retake a qualification in November 2014 would also allow for a qualification to be taken for the first time, but has now written to awarding organisations indicating that it has decided to change this arrangement. Consequently, in November 2014 it will only be possible to make entries for GCSE Mathematics for students who have previously certificated a GCSE Mathematics qualification.

This requirement will apply for each of the following qualifications:

• GCSE Mathematics A (J562)
• GCSE Mathematics B (J567)
• GCSE Applications of Mathematics pilot (J925)
• GCSE Methods in Mathematics pilot (J926).

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres - Administering internal assessment for Cambridge Nationals in ICT

• FAO: Teachers of ICT
• Date: April 2013
• Subject: Cambridge Nationals ICT

Templates and writing frames cannot be used for the creation of assessment evidence.

Learners must independently choose layouts and make decisions about formatting when creating documents, etc. to be used for providing their assessment evidence. This is detailed in section 4 of the qualification specification.

“Teachers/assessors must not provide templates, model answers or detail specifically what amendments should be made.”

It is essential that centres follow the JCQ Instructions for Conducting Coursework. In particular, the instructions clarify what can be considered to be the candidates’ own unaided work.

Providing candidates with worksheets, writing frames and/or additional instructions, or providing formative feedback whilst the coursework is being produced, constitute help additional to that which is allowed, and is liable to be reported as malpractice by the moderator.

Any such help provided to candidates must be considered when awarding marks.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Changes to evidence requirements for units 3 and 6

• FAO: Coordinator for Teaching, Specialist Teaching and Teaching Support qualifications
• Date: March 2013
• Subject: QCF Level 7 Diploma in Teaching and Assessing Learners with Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties (10219)

We would like to draw your attention to some changes to the evidence requirements for Units 3 and 6. These changes have been made to relate the evidence requirements more closely to the unit assessment criteria. The changes to the evidence requirements will come into effect for all candidates entered for this qualification or these units from 1 September 2013 onwards.

Changes to Unit 3: Assessing individuals for dyslexia/specific learning difficulties

Additional information has been added to the ‘Exemplification’ column against the following Learning Outcomes:

• LO1: Range of purpose details added.
• LO3: Clarification that this Learning Outcome refers to specific learning difficulties, not general learning difficulties.
• LO4: The outcome must be a full diagnostic report.
• LO5: Cognitive processing, differential diagnosis and neurodiversity factors added.
• LO6: Main recommendations set out in the form of long-term and short-term targets.

Evidence requirements have been re-ordered in places and the short diagnostic report from Unit 6 is now a requirement for LO2 and LO5 of Unit 3 (see point 5 of the Evidence Requirements section of the unit). This unit now requires the production of three full diagnostic reports (see the note at the end of the unit specification).

Other changes:

• LO4 and LO5 (point 4): Clarification that this must be a full diagnostic report.
• LO2 and LO5 (point 5): The short diagnostic report needs to relate to the learner’s specific learning difficulties, not exclusively their literacy difficulties as previously required.
• LO3 (point 7): Carry out a supervised assessment to determine access arrangements for one learner and to include cognitive processing and attainment.

Changes to Unit 6: Relating theoretical and methodological perspectives to practice in the context of dyslexia/specific learning difficulties

The short diagnostic report previously required for Learning Outcome 3 is now in Unit 3 (see above).

Changes to Unit 6: Relating theoretical and methodological perspectives to practice in the context of dyslexia/specific learning difficulties

Please refer to the amended unit specifications which can be accessed from the qualification page.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 02476 851509.

New qualification accredited by Ofqual

• FAO: Tutor for Management and Team Leading
• Date: March 2013
• Subject: QCF Management and Leadership

We are pleased to announce that OCR has received accreditation for the Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership (Technical Certificate). The new qualification will be available for entries from 1 April 2013 and we expect it to be incorporated in to the Higher Apprenticeship framework for Management.

We are currently finalising the scheme documentation and will load all documents to the qualification page.

We will send out updates in due course; however, you can keep up to date by signing up for email alerts.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Notice to centres - Revised basedata files for June 2013 general qualifications (6b)

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: March 2013
• Subject: June 2013 basedata

We have recently discovered an error with the maximum uniform mark score (UMS) for GCE Geography Units F761 and F762 in the Option file of the 6b basedata. The files have now been revised to correct this error.

The updated files can be found on the OCR website and should be downloaded in the usual way to ensure your MIS is up to date. Please note that downloading the updated basedata will not affect any entry information that you have already created.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this causes.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

• Notice to centres - Revised basedata files for June 2013 general qualifications (6b) (PDF, 29KB) New

Key Skills end of certification (England and Northern Ireland)

• FAO: Exams Officers/Key Skills tutors – England and Northern Ireland centres
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: Last visit arrangements for Key and Wider Key Skills - 2013

All Key Skills (01711–01713) and Wider Key Skills (03904–03906) qualifications end for certification on 30 September 2013 in England and Northern Ireland.

Candidates must have completed all portfolios to meet the assessment criteria, and claims for certification must be made before 30 September 2013. As part of the quality assurance process, all claims must be a part of a sample seen by your OCR Visiting Standards Moderator (VSM). If you have outstanding portfolios after your scheduled 2012/13 visit, you must arrange an additional final visit with your VSM - this may incur a cost.

If you have already had a visit this academic year, and you still have active candidates, OCR will contact you by the end of February. If you have not been contacted by this time, but still have active candidates, please contact the OCR QAP Team (ocrqapt@ocr.org.uk).

In addition, if a candidate is entitled to claim a proxy, please ensure you have informed OCR before 16 September 2013; otherwise, the claim may not be processed in time for certification.

Please note that the test element for Key Skills Communication, Application of Number and/or ICT must also be completed and certificated prior to 11:59pm on 30 September 2013. The final test dates for paper-based examinations are as follows:

• 10 June 2013 - Level 3 and 4 Application of Number
• 11 June 2013 - Level 3 and 4 Communication
• 12–14 - June 2013 Level 3 and 4 ICT
• 9 September 2013 - Level 1 and 2 Application of Number
• 10 September 2013 - Level 1 and 2 Communication
• 11 September 2013 - Level 1 and 2 ICT

No claims can be made after 30 September 2013 for any element of the Key or Wider Skills qualifications in England and Northern Ireland.

ACS centres: Please note that OCR will remove your ACS status after your final visit. If you have outstanding portfolios after this visit, you must arrange an additional visit with your VSM – this may incur a cost.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 02476 851509.

Notice to centres - Accreditation of Asset Languages qualifications

• FAO: Exams Officer/Language teachers
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: Asset Languages

Accreditation for Asset Languages qualifications expires in 2013. Following a review and consultation in the autumn of 2012, we have decided to redevelop qualifications in French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Spanish. These revised qualifications will be available at Breakthrough, Preliminary and Intermediate stages for first teaching from September 2013. The first assessment series will be in June 2014.

This means that the four series in 2012–2013 are the last assessment opportunities for Asset Languages qualifications in their current format. These assessment series are also the final opportunity for Advanced stage assessments in any languages and for all assessments in the following languages:

• Arabic
• Bengali
• Cantonese
• Cornish
• Greek
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Irish
• Japanese
• Panjabi
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Somali
• Swedish
• Tamil
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Welsh
• Yoruba

Candidates entering in any assessment series during 2012/13 will have an opportunity to resit in November 2013.

Please note that the November 2013 series is for candidates who are resitting only; we will not accept new candidates for the current qualifications suite after the June 2013 series. For this reason we advise you to ensure that all entries are made by 3 May 2013, which is the final entry deadline for the June 2013 series.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Suspension of entries

• FAO: Customer Service Tutor
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: Principles of Customer Service Levels 2 and 3

I regret to inform you that we are suspending entries for all centres for the above qualification. This suspension will be effective immediately, and I sincerely apologise for this short notice and the inconvenience that this may cause you and your learners.

The two mandatory units in the qualification are no longer current and have been withdrawn. Therefore, we can no longer offer this qualification for entries. Revised versions have been written to replace the existing units and we are currently working to incorporate these into the qualification. This will mean that there will be a new qualification number shortly.

Candidates who are already registered on the existing qualification may claim their certificates. However, new candidates will need to be entered for the revised qualification when it is available. We are working quickly to provide you with a replacement qualification as soon as we can.

In the meantime, I enclose copies of the revised units for you to refer to and to introduce to your learners as they continue their training and development.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 02476 851509.

Yours faithfully

Rachel Bailey
Qualifications Leader

• Notice to centres - Suspension of entries (PDF, 237KB) New

Set texts for examination - 2015-2017

• FAO: Head of Classics
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: GCE Classical Greek

GCE AS Unit F372 Classical Greek Verse and Prose Literature

Section A Prose Literature:

Lysias: Against Simon
Sections: 5–39 and 44–48.

Lysias, ‘Selected Speeches’ by Christopher Carey, Cambridge University Press 1989. (ISBN 0 521 26988 1)

Section B Verse Literature:

Homer Iliad 22 lines 247–474
There are many editions of the Iliad; but a useful version is by Malcolm Willcock, Iliad Books 13–24, MacMillan 1989. Teachers may also find it useful to have The Iliad: A Commentary, Vol 6: books 21–24, by Nicholas Richardson, Cambridge University Press 1993.

The set texts listed in this notice are for examination from June 2015 to June 2017 inclusive.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Set texts for examination - 2015-2017

• FAO: Head of Classics
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: GCE Latin

GCE AS Unit L2 (Entry code F362) Latin Verse and Prose Literature

Section A Prose Literature:

Ovid, Metamorphoses III. 511–733

Section B Verse Literature:

Cicero, De Imperio Sections 27–45

Important information for teachers

Please note that the prescribed editions of both these set texts are not yet available as they are undergoing revision. We will therefore issue a further notice to centres as soon we have details of the new editions.

In the meantime, the existing Bloomsbury Academic editions are still available, details of which are given below. Note that the editions listed below will not be the prescribed editions:

• Ovid, Metamorphoses III ed. A Henderson ISBN 9780906515020
• Cicero, De Imperio ed. C MacDonald ISBN 9780862921828

The set texts listed in this notice are for examination from June 2015 to June 2017 inclusive.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Set texts for examination - June 2015

• FAO: Head of Classics
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: GCSE Classical Greek (J291) and GCSE Classical Greek (Short Course) (J091)

Unit B403 Classical Greek Prose Literature

Section A: Selections from Herodotus

Section XI: Captures of Babylon B, Second Capture, by Darius

The text will be taken from Tales from Herodotus (pages 33–38) eds GS Farnell and M Goff (Duckworth/BCP) ISBN 9780862920913

Candidates will be expected to have read the introduction to Section XI and the accompanying notes.

Section B: Selections from Lucian

Lucian A True Story, Sections 7, 8 and 9, omitting sections 9b (12 lines) and 9c (10 lines)

The text will be taken from Lucian (pages 40–54) ed Keith C. Sidwell (Bristol Classical Press) ISBN 09065 1536X

Unit B404 Classical Greek Verse Literature

Section A: Selections from Homer Odyssey XXI

Homer Odyssey XXI, lines 288–423

The text will be taken from: Homer Odyssey XXI

The text will be taken from Lucian (pages 40–54) ed Keith C. Sidwell (Bristol Classical Press) ISBN 09065 1536X

Euripides: Iphigenia in Aulis, lines 1–55, 155–201, 280–309

The text will be taken from Euripides: Scenes from Iphigenia in Aulis & Iphigenia in Tauris ed. E C Kennedy

(Bristol Classical Press) ISBN 0-906515-97-1

The set texts listed in this notice are for examination in June 2015.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Assignments updated with additional guidance

• FAO: Tutor for Business Enterprise
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: Business Enterprise

OCR Level 1 Award in Understanding Business Enterprise (10315)
OCR Level 2 Award in Understanding Business Enterprise (10316)
OCR Level 3 Award in Understanding Business Enterprise (10317)

We are pleased to announce that, following a review of centre performance and feedback on the above qualifications, we have provided additional guidance in the OCR assignment booklets. The updated versions can be downloaded from the qualifications pages of the OCR website.

The requirements of the assignments have not changed. However, we recommend that you download the updated versions of the assignment booklets for added clarification on the requirements.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Revised Basedata files for March and June 2013 General Qualifications

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: March and June 2013 basedata

We have identified an error in each of the following files:

• The Disallowed file of the March 2013 basedata (3a13)
• The Link file of the June 2013 basedata (6a13).

Both files have now been revised to correct these errors.

The updated files can be found on the OCR website and should be downloaded in the usual way to ensure your MIS is up to date. Please note that downloading the updated basedata will not affect any entry information that you have already created.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this causes.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

• Revised Basedata files for March and June 2013 General Qualifications (PDF, 30KB) Updated 15/02/2013

Improved support for OCR's Principles of Customer Service Qualifications

• FAO: Exams Officer/Head of Department (Construction)
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: OCR Level 2 Certificate in Plant Operations (01793)

Revised Candidate Evidence Sheets and Checklists

We have taken on board your feedback and considered the FAQs for our Principles of Customer Service qualifications.

As a result, we are pleased to announce that a revised set of Candidate Evidence Sheets and Checklists has now been created. These items are now available from the Principles of Customer Service webpages and are designed to benefit both tutors and learners. They will address the areas that currently generate the most queries from our centres.

You will now have access to both the old and the new sets of Evidence Sheets/Checklists until 31 July 2013, allowing for a managed but simple transfer to the new documentation. From 1 August 2013, all candidates must complete the new Evidence Sheets or Checklists. Only submissions made using the new materials will be accepted after this date.

You will still have the option to use ‘NVQ evidence’ accompanied by the corresponding checklist or centre-devised workbooks. Please refer to the FAQ document regarding submission requirements using these methods.

Additional support materials

We have also developed a set of support materials to accompany the new Candidate Evidence Sheets. Guideline ‘hints and tips’ are available on completed Candidate Evidence Sheets to provide you with full support. In addition, marking guidance documents are now available. Please ensure that you refer to these documents when assessing candidate evidence sheets or portfolios.

We hope you will find the new materials, including the additional support documents, really helpful. If you have any queries regarding the changes, please contact our Customer Contact Centre on 02476 851509 or at vocational.qualifications@ocr.org.uk. Alternatively, you can raise a topic on the Skills for Business e-community.

March 2013 exams directory - Amendment for GCSE Mathematics B (j567)

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: February 2013
• Subject: Amendment to Exams Directory for March 2013 series MARCH

• Notice to centres - March 2013 exams directory - Amendment (PDF, 145KB) New

Revised Basedata files for June 2013 General Qualifications (6A13)

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: January 2013
• Subject: June 2013 basedata

We have recently discovered a duplication of data for Cambridge Nationals Science Unit R073 in the Component and Option files of the 6a basedata. The files have now been revised to remove this duplication.

The updated files can be found on the OCR website and should be downloaded in the usual way to ensure your MIS is up to date.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Important Notice Regarding PTLLS/CTLLS/DTLLS Qualifications

• FAO: Centre Coordinators/Tutors of PTLLS/CTLLS/DTLLS qualifications
• Date: January 2013
• Subject: Extension of entry dates for PTLLS/CTLLS/DTLLS qualifications

We are pleased to announce that the last entry date for the 2007 versions of the following PTLLS/CTLLS/DTLLS qualifications has been extended to 31 December 2013.

• 06459 – OCR Level 3 Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector
• 06612 – OCR Level 4 Award in Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector
• 04510 – OCR Level 3 Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector
• 06613 – OCR Level 4 Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector
• 10173 – OCR Level 5 Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector

You may continue to enter candidates for these qualifications until that date.

These qualifications will, until 31 December 2013, be available alongside the revised suite of qualifications, which were launched on 1 September 2012 (scheme codes 10318, 10319, 10320, 10321, 10322).

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

• FAO: Exams Officer

• Notice to centres - Entry Codes: 14–19 Qualifications 2012/13 (PDF, 56KB) New

Important notice regarding Leisure Management and Sports Development

FAO: Centre Coordinators/Tutors of Leisure Management/Sports Development qualifications

Date: January 2013

Subject: Extension of entry dates

We are pleased to announce that the last entry date for the 2011 versions of the following Leisure Management and Sports Development qualifications has been extended to 31 December 2013.

• 10281 – OCR Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Leisure Management
• 10282 – OCR Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Sports Development

You may continue to enter candidates for these qualifications until that date.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 02476 851509.

Update to Admin Guide: Vocational Qualifications 2012/13

• Date: December 2012

• Notice to centres - Update to admin guide: Vocational qualifications 2012/13 (PDF, 65KB) New

Revised basedata files for Cambridge Technicals (Z9C12_72)

• Date: December 2012

• Notice to centres - Revised basedata files for Cambridge Technicals (Z9C12_72) (PDF, 29KB) New

Revised basedata files for June 2013 General Qualifications (6A13)

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: December 2012
• Subject: June 2013 basedata

Following the recent accreditation of Cambridge Nationals Science in the Workplace, the 6a13 basedata files have been revised and now include the associated units and certification (R074, R075, R076, R077, R078 and J816).

The updated files can be found on the Basedata page and should be downloaded in the usual way to ensure your MIS is up to date.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Live Assessment Material Update

• Date: December 2012

• Notice to centres - Update to live assessment material (PDF, 68KB) New

Correction to Entry Codes: Level 1/2 Certificate Applied History

• Date: December 2012

• Notice to centres - Correction to entry codes: Level 1/2 certificate applied history (PDF, 107KB) New

Supplement to Admin Guide: Vocational Qualifications 2012/13

• Date: December 2012

• Supplement December 2012 - Admin guide: Vocational qualifications 2012/13 (PDF, 370KB)

Achievement of SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate

• Date: December 2012

There is a requirement that specialist teachers must hold an SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate issued by their relevant professional association; for example, PATOSS (the Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Difficulties), the Dyslexia Guild, or the British Dyslexia Association.

SASC (the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee) has given approval that the OCR Level 7 Diploma in Teaching and Assessing Learners with Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties (scheme code 10219) fulfils the requirements for achieving an SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate.

Using the OCR Diploma in Teaching and Assessing Learners with Dyslexia/Specific Learning Difficulties to qualify for an Assessment Practising Certificate is dependent on candidates successfully achieving either the full qualification or Units 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Successful candidates can apply to their relevant professional association to be issued with a current SpLD Assessment Practising Certificate. There will be a requirement for those holding the Assessment Practising Certificate to demonstrate ongoing CPD.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 02476 851509.

Change to the layout of GCE Law examination papers

• Date: December 2012

A change to the layout of GCE Law examination papers will be introduced from January 2013 onwards. The units affected by this change are

• G151 English Legal System (Advance Subsidiary GCE Unit)
• G153 Criminal Law (Advanced GCE Unit)
• G154 Criminal Law special study (Advanced GCE Unit)
• G155 Law of Contract (Advanced GCE Unit)
• G156 Law of Contract special study (Advanced GCE Unit)

Currently, candidates write their responses to these units’ examinations in either a generic 8-sided or 16-sided answer booklet. From January 2013 onwards:

• G151 English Legal System - Candidates will write their responses in a specific G151 answer booklet within designated spaces. They will be instructed on which page of the answer booklet to begin their response to each question. The answer booklet includes space towards the back of the booklet where candidates can continue responses, where required.
• G153 Criminal Law and G155 Law of Contract - Candidates will write their responses in unit-specific answer booklets within designated spaces. They will be instructed on which page of the answer booklet to begin their response to each question.
• G154 Criminal Law special study and G156 Law of Contract special study - Candidates will write their responses in unit-specific combined question papers/answer booklets. A clean copy of the case study will still be provided to candidates for use on the day of the examination.

These changes are only a cosmetic/layout change and will have no impact on the content of a particular series’ set of assessment material. The existing set of Sample Assessment Material has been amended to demonstrate the new layout for units G151, G153, G154, G155 and G156 and is available from the OCR website.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Changes to note-taking procedures

• FAO: Head of Media Department/All GCSE Media Studies Teachers
• Date: December 2012
• Subject: GCSE Media Studies J526

• Notice to centres - Changes to note taking procedures (PDF, 60KB) New

• Date: November 2012

• Notice to centres - Preliminary entries - Order for materials - June 2014 examinations (PDF, 87KB) New

Removal of files

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: November 2012

We would like to make you aware that, on 1 December 2012, we will be deleting files loaded by centres onto the OCR Repository for assessment in the following exam series:

• January 2010
• June 2010
• January 2011
• June 2011

If you need to retain any files from these series, please make arrangements to move or copy them before 1 December.

We will retain materials from the most recent two series in archive on the Repository. Therefore, materials from the January and June 2012 series will remain on the system. However, please note that materials from the January 2012 series will be removed on 1 April 2013.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Arrangements for assessment in Welsh for Cambridge Nationals in ICT

• FAO: Exams Officers of Welsh centres
• Date: November 2012

For centres in Wales only, assessment is available in the Welsh language for Cambridge Nationals qualifications in ICT. You can request:

• Question papers in Welsh for the examined unit, R001 ('Understanding computer systems')
• A bilingual moderator for the internally assessed units, R002–R011.

Full instructions on how to request these arrangements are provided in Section 9 of the Admin Guide: Cambridge Nationals 2012/13, which can be downloaded from the OCR website.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Admin Guide Addenda - New Health and Social Care unit R031

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: November 2012

We are pleased to let you know that Unit R031, ‘Using basic first aid procedures’, has been accredited with first availability in the June 2013 series. This unit can be used towards the Level 1/2 Cambridge National Certificate (J811) and Diploma (J821).

Please add this information to your hard copy OCR Admin Guide: Cambridge Nationals 2012/13. This affects pages 50–51 of the Admin Guide – replacement pages are provided below. The online version is correct and up to date.

See the Addendum - Admin Guide: Cambridge Nationals - New Health and Social Care unit R031 for more details.

New Cambridge National Certificate in Science in the Workplace

We are pleased to let you know that our Cambridge National Certificate in Science in the Workplace has been accredited with first availability in the January 2013 series.

Please add this information to your hard copy OCR Admin Guide: Cambridge Nationals 2012/13. Details of the new qualification are provided below. The online version of the Admin Guide is correct and up to date.

See the Addendum - Admin Guide: Cambridge Nationals – Science in the Workplace for more details.

Changes to examination period for Unit B353 - June 2013 Series

• FAO: Exams Officer and teachers of GCSE Music
• Date: November 2012

The period in which this unit may be examined is 5 March to 5 May 2013. This is a change from the June 2012 series. This examination must be delivered inside the stated window, without exception.

Individual centres should decide on a convenient date within this window and, once decided, that date will become part of the centre’s examination timetable.

Please ensure that each candidate’s submission is accompanied by a completed Creative Task Cover Sheet and a track list if the tasks are submitted on CD.

When completed, candidates’ work must be sent to the appropriate examiner immediately and not stored in the centre until the end of the examination period.

Please take care not to send the work for Unit B353 to your moderator for units B351 and B352. If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Reinstatement of Unit C.39 at Level 2

• FAO: Head of Department, Retail
• Date: November 2012

We are pleased to announce that unit C.39, ‘Enable customers to dispense motor fuel on a forecourt’, will shortly be reinstated into the Level 2 Retail Skills qualifications. The unit details are as follows:

Unit title: Enable customers to dispense motor fuel on a forecourt
Sector unit no.: C.39
Level: 2
Credit value: 7
GLH: 43
Qualification number: L/504/3744

This unit will be available from mid-November as an optional unit within the following qualifications:

The addition of this unit does not affect the rules of combination or the numbering of other units in these qualifications.

Please check the qualifications page of the OCR website for updates to key documents and additional support materials, including the unit information sheet with additional guidance on assessment and evidence requirements. The Admin Guide: Vocational Qualifications 2012/13 has been updated.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Changes to the layout of GCE General Studies examination paper

• FAO: Exams Officer and teachers of GCE General Studies
• Date: November 2012

From January 2013 onwards, there will be a change to the layout of the examination paper for GCE General Studies F732, ‘The Scientific Domain’.

The existing format consists of a separate examination paper and eight-sided answer booklet. From January 2013, this will be replaced with a combined question paper/answer booklet.

This is a change to the layout of the examination paper only. It will have no impact on the content of the assessment material. An amended specimen question paper (June 2011) showing the new layout is available on the qualification page of the OCR website.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

New OCR Employment Related Services qualifications

• FAO: Centre Coordinators/Advice and Guidance and Career Guidance Tutors
• Date: November 2012

We are pleased to let you know that we have recently launched the following qualifications:

• 09867 – Employment Related Services Level 3 Award
• 09868 – Employment Related Services Level 3 Certificate
• 09869 – Employment Related Services Level 3 Diploma

People working in the Employment Related Services Sector deliver contracts and/or services which help people into employment and/or support them to sustain employed status. This can include, for example, one-to-one work to identify needs and career aspirations to help achieve a positive outcome; group work on employability skills; job search/interview techniques; employer liaison to generate opportunities; customer liaison to initially screen clients and develop relationships with clients and employers.

These qualifications are aimed at those who are already working in the sector or who are considering a career in the sector or wishing to transfer their skills and experience from related areas of advice and guidance.

Candidates have the opportunity to progress within the suite of qualifications. For example, a candidate achieving the Level 3 Award may wish to progress horizontally to the Level 3 Certificate or Diploma, or vertically to a Level 4 qualification. Alternatively, candidates may wish to progress to other OCR qualifications in areas such as generic Advice and Guidance, Career Information, Advice Guidance and Development, Learning and Development or Management.

Two units have been written especially for these qualifications:

• Understanding the Employment Related Services Sector
• Sustaining an Employment Outcome.

All other units have been drawn from existing schemes and you will recognise many of the advice and guidance, learning and development, customer service and management units.

If you are interested in offering these new qualifications, please contact the OCR Customer Contact Centre on 02476 851509 for further information.

Free resit in November 2012

• FAO: Exams Officer and Head of English
• Date: September 2012

After extended discussion with the regulator, Ofqual, and other awarding organisations, the arrangements for a November resit have been agreed. More information is available in the Notice to centres - Free GCSE English and English Language resit in November 2012 and our handy overview document: November 2012 series for GCSE English and English: FAQs and key dates.

Getting started

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: September 2012

We are aware that you may be preparing to start delivering the new qualifications in September 2012. But before you get going, there are a couple of very important steps you need to take.

1. Choose the right moderation method for you

For all moderated units, a choice of moderation methods is available:

• Moderation via the OCR Repository
• Postal moderation
• Visiting moderation.

To help you choose the right one, please read our Administration Overview, which is available to download from the OCR website.

2. Submit your estimated entries for 2013

It is essential that you make estimated entries for any of the Cambridge Nationals qualifications you are planning to deliver. Without these, we will not be able to allocate a visiting moderator to your centre. Please ensure you submit your estimated entries via Interchange by the deadlines below:

• January 2013 series - 21 September 2012
• June 2013 series - 10 October 2012

Coming soon: administrative guidance

We’re working on a brand-new Admin Guide to help you administer Cambridge Nationals, and we’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready. In the meantime, please refer to the Administration Overview on the OCR website. This contains further advice on how to get started, as well as a summary of the key dates for 2012/13.

• Cambridge Nationals - Getting started (PDF, 61KB)

Entry Codes Erratum

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: September 2012

We have identified a typing error on page 110 of the Entry Codes: GCSE 2012/13. The code for Unit A354 (postal moderation) is listed as A355B. This should say A354B. Please correct this in your hard copy Admin Guide; the online version is correct and up to date.

See the Erratum - Admin Guide: 14-19 Qualifications 2012/13 document for more details.

 Admin Guide Erratum

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: September 2012

We have identified some amendments to the following pages of the Admin Guide: Vocational Qualifications for 2012/13. Please correct these in your hard copy Admin Guide; the online version is correct and up to date.

See the Erratum - Admin Guide: Vocational Qualifications 2012/13 document for more details.

Entry Codes Addendum

• FAO: Exams Officer
• Date: September 2012

At the time of going to print, GCE Film Studies was awaiting accreditation by Ofqual. We are pleased to let you know that this specification has now been accredited, and the entry codes are given below. Please add this information to your hard copy OCR Admin Guide and Entry Codes: 14–19 Qualifications. This affects page 28 of the GCE Entry Codes. The online version is correct and up to date.

See the Addendum - Admin Guide: 14-19 Qualifications 2012/13 document for more details.

Key information about conducting H154/H554 assessments in 2012/13

• FAO: The Head of Physical Education and the Exams Officer
• Date: September 2012

It is important to visit the OCR website at the beginning of the academic year, as well as regularly throughout the year, in order to access the most up-to-date and relevant materials which support the specification. Key updates, such as those to assessment criteria for practical activities, are available now for use in assessments this academic year.

See the Notice to centres - Key information about conducting H154/H554 assessments in 2012/13 for more details.

Unit F662 and F664 - Coursework submissions word limits

• FAO: Head of English Department
• Date: September 2012

In the June 2012 series there was a significant increase in the number of F662 and F664 coursework folders submitted for moderation which exceeded the 3000 word limit.

We would like to remind Heads of English and teachers that the OCR GCE English Literature specification and Coursework Guidance released to support Units F662 and F664 state that:

The maximum length of coursework folders for submission should be 3000 words.

The 3000 word limit does not include titles, footnotes, quotations and bibliographies.

When preparing to submit coursework to OCR for moderation, please fill out the Coursework Cover Sheet for these units fully, and include two word counts, one including and one excluding titles, footnotes, quotations and bibliographies.

If a folder is submitted which exceeds the 3000 word limit, moderators will return the work to the centre, and the folder will need to be remarked.

If a student submits work over the 3000 word limit, the Coursework Guidance for these units states that the teacher should rule off where the 3000 word limit is reached, and stop marking after that point.

In order to avoid delays during moderation, caused by the return of over length folders, it would be helpful if teachers preparing candidates to submit their coursework in 2013 could remind their students that they must not exceed this maximum word length. This will help to ensure that candidates do not write more than is required, which cannot be assessed towards their GCE English Literature qualifications.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Unit F373 - Amendment to set texts for first examination - June 2013

• FAO: Head of Department - Classics
• Date: September 2012

The amended set line references for Aristophanes, Clouds texts listed below will be examined from the June 2013 series onwards. Centres must start teaching these amended texts in September 2012 to candidates taking F373 for the first time in June 2013. These details are an amendment to the information on page 39 of the GCE Classics specification.

From June 2013 the A2 Aristophanes, Clouds set texts will be amended to:

• 80-262, 961-1008, 1399-1475. The rest of the play should be read in English translation.

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Changes to structure of question papers for first examination - June 2013

• FAO: Head of Department - Classics
• Date: September 2012

From the June 2013 series onwards, the GCE AS Latin (F361 and F362) and Classical Greek (F371 and F372) and A2 Latin (F363 and F364) and Classical Greek (F373 and F374) papers will no longer be presented in the form of a separate question paper and answer booklet. These will be combined and there will be spaces provided in the question paper where the candidates will write their answers. New specimen papers will be available on the website to illustrate the new format.

As part of this change to the format of the papers, the order of Section A and Section B is being reversed in A2 Latin (F363 and F364) and A2 Classical Greek (F373 and F374). Section A will now contain the unprepared translation and comprehension questions and Section B will contain the questions on the set texts.

• Latin A2 F363 Section A: unprepared translation and comprehension; Section B: set texts
• Classical Greek A2 F373: Section A: unprepared translation and comprehension; Section B: set texts
• Latin A2 F364 Section A: unprepared translation and comprehension or prose composition; Section B: set texts
• Classical Greek A2 F374: Section A: unprepared translation and comprehension or prose composition; Section B: set texts

If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998.

Change to specification for GCE Mathematics (MEI) from June 2013

• FAO: Head of Mathematics, Teachers of Mathematics and Exams Officers
• Date: September 2012

Two changes have been made to this specification.

There are two versions of the specification on the OCR website. The version labelled ‘from June 2013’ includes the changes below. The contents page lists which pages are different from the specification labelled ‘up to January 2013’.

Unit 4756 - Further Applications of Advanced Mathematics, FP2

From the June 2013 series onwards, the ‘Investigations of Curves’ topic is to be removed from this unit. This topic will be examined for the final time in the January 2013 series.

From the June 2013 series onwards, there will no longer be an optional topic on this paper. Section A will continue to have three compulsory questions on the topics Polar Coordinates, Calculus, Series, Complex Numbers and Matrices. Section B will have one compulsory question on Hyperbolic Functions.

We advised centres of this in a Notice to Centres dated April 2012.

Unit 4797 - Further Pure Mathematics with Technology, FPT

This new unit is available for first examination in June 2013 and subsequent June series only. It is an A2 Further Mathematics unit and may contribute to any of the qualifications 3896, 7896, 3897, 7897. The use of a computer with appropriate software is required in the examination. Centres must inform OCR of the software they wish to use, using a form available on the OCR website, and will receive written approval of its suitability. Centres should contact MEI for advice on hardware and software, and for support in teaching the unit.

More information is available on our website. If you have any queries about this notice, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 01223 553998 or contact the dedicated Maths line on 0300 456 3142 or at maths@ocr.org.uk