Supporting good practice in GCSE Computing (J275): Practical Investigation (A452) and Programming Project (A453)

We would like to remind centres who are entering candidates for GCSE Computing (Unit A452 Practical Investigation and Unit A453 Programming Project) that teachers must follow the JCQ Instructions for conducting controlled assessments 2015-2016 when delivering controlled assessment sessions.

The GCSE Computing specification, available via the OCR website, also contains further guidance (see section 4.2 – planning and managing controlled assessment). All teachers supervising controlled assessment must be aware of these regulations and abide by them. Within this guidance it states: ‘It is essential that any material directly used from a source is appropriately and rigorously referenced.’

Please remember that teachers are responsible for the authentication of candidate’s work. Where a teacher suspects candidate malpractice, they may validate the work through interrogation. Should the teacher believe that a candidate has breached guidelines, e.g. not referenced material, or that the work is not that of the candidate, teachers may reduce credit appropriately and annotate the URS indicating where this has happened and any relevant justification.

Where candidates reference work accurately, credit should only be awarded where the candidate has developed their solution beyond their research. Credit should not be given where there is no, or very minimal, development from any referenced resources.

Centres must ensure candidates are fully aware of these instructions. Candidates must also be made aware that posting any sections of live work online, including raw code, is a breach of guidelines. Where this happens and it is detected, appropriate action will be taken.

For more information relating to malpractice, please refer to the JCQ Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and Assessments 2015/16 available to download from the JCQ website.

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