Shelley Monk, Geography Subject Advisor

Here at OCR we’ve had lots of queries from centres in recent weeks about marking non-exam assessment (NEA) for A Level Geography.

There have been questions about how to apply the mark scheme. This isn’t surprising as it hasn’t been assessed for two years, so a larger number of teachers than normal will be submitting marks for moderation for the first time. We’ve also had questions about administrative requirements, and most particularly about whether any allowances should be made when marking for the abnormal and difficult circumstances many students have had to contend with while completing their assignments. 

Regarding that last point, the JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) has recently released guidance, which makes it clear that all NEA must be marked in the same way as before the pandemic disruption. This is really important, as it will help ensure that all students’ work is marked to the same standards. 

As the JCQ guidance also says, the 2022 grading process that takes place after marking, when the grade boundaries are set, will provide a safety net. So please don’t think that by marking your students’ work to pre-pandemic standards this year, you are in any way doing them an injustice. (For more on 2022 grading, please see this Ofqual article from September last year.) 

In the light of that recent JCQ announcement, and the queries we’ve had from you, we thought it would be helpful to provide a quick summary of the support available to ensure that you are marking to the correct standard.

Guides to applying the mark scheme

There are several resources that will help you have confidence in your application of the mark scheme for the geography NEA (component 04/05):

• A free on-line marking course is available on OCR Train. This can be completed in your own time and includes a series of tests designed to ensure that you are correctly allocating levels to pieces of work. 
• Each year we run CPD sessions on marking and internal moderation of the NEA, which include candidate exemplars as well as advice and guidance. You can access the materials to our latest marking and moderation course on the professional development section of our website. 
• We have candidate exemplars available from the 2018 and 2019 exam series. These include commentary from the principal moderator explaining why the candidates achieved particular levels and marks. They can be found in the assessment section of the A Level Geography qualification page.
• Finally, do refer to the examiner reports on the NEA which are published after each exam series (2018 and 2019), which often include pointers on marking and annotation. You can access these on the assessment section of the A Level Geography qualification page.

Administrative points to remember

General information on NEA administration is available on our website. 

For A Level Geography specifically, there are a few points to remember: 

• The deadline for marks to be submitted to OCR is 15 May 2022. 
• For any candidate work that is submitted to us for moderation, please ensure the following documents are included at the front of the candidate’s written report: 
  • Independent Investigation proposal form (signed by the teacher) 
  • Candidate record form and centre declaration (signed by the teacher and student) 
  • Mark recording sheet 
• If you need further information about malpractice, please refer to page 66 of our A Level Geography specification and the JCQ document – Instructions for conducting non-examination assessments. If you have any concerns about this, please speak to your exams officer.

Looking forward to next year’s cohort

The independent investigation remains an important part of A Level Geography and an aspect of the qualification well-regarded by higher education institutions.

Remember, there is support available for students when they come to think about their independent investigation focus:

• There is an independent investigation student guide on our website, which details approaches students may wish to take. 
• Our guide to developing titles and completing the proposal form can be found under the non-exam assessment tab on our qualification page. 
• We have seven infographics to support students in planning and working through their investigation. 
• Finally, we will, as always, be offering professional development in the next school year. Keep an eye on the Professional Development section of our website and be sure to have signed up for geography updates (details below) to get details of when these become available.

Stay connected

If you have any questions, you can email us at geography@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_Geography. You can also sign up to subject updates and receive information about resources and support.

About the author

Shelley Monk joined OCR seven years ago after teaching geography for 16 years. She has considerable experience in delivering GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and the International Baccalaureate qualifications, as well as leading departments in Secondary Schools in the UK and Internationally. Shelley has eight years’ experience as Head of Year 12 and 13, supporting students both pastorally and academically. 

At OCR Shelley worked with the geography team to reform the GCSE, AS and A level qualifications and she currently supports teachers through the development of a variety of resources, the CPD programme and subject communications. Beyond this role Shelley is clearly a geographer, as she loves walking her dog, exploring distant places and finding new recipes to trial on family and friends.