GCSE (for first teaching in 2009) Health and Social Care: Single/Double Award - J406/J412

What are the changes?

While we've made some important changes and improved our GCSEs, we haven't changed everything. Here you can see which aspects of GCSE Health and Social Care are changing, and which will stay the same.

 

What changes?

What stays the same?

Structure
  • This qualification is now available as a single and double award
  • To obtain a single award, the learner must complete two units. To obtain a double award the learner must complete all four units
  • The new Unit A914 has been introduced into the double award.
  • It remains unitised but can be approached in a linear fashion if required.

Content
  • The new Unit A914 about safeguarding and protecting people has been introduced into the double award.
  • Unit A911 is similar to the current Unit 1 – content reduced to one service only
  • Unit A912 is similar to the current Unit 3, – although it now forms part of the double award
  • Unit A913 is similar to the current Unit 2 – just 'slimmed down' to reflect single award status.

Assessment
  • There is now more flexibility with Unit A914, as the assessment could be via computer-based testing and we have allowed a one-week window for this. Alternatively, you may choose a traditional paper-based entry.
  • Controlled assessment has been introduced for internally assessed units
  • The OCR Repository option is now available for internally assessed units – this is our new online moderation service – although centres that wish to continue using the paper-based postal service will still be able to do so.
  • Unit A912 has a very similar approach to the current Unit 3 – it's paper-based with a similar style of questioning, although texts will have less content, therefore reducing the amount of reading
  • Coursework, now controlled assessment, is internally marked and externally moderated.