Jon Varey, PE and Sport Subject Advisor

Here at OCR we’ve had lots of queries from centres in recent weeks about marking coursework, or non-exam assessment (NEA). For the Cambridge Nationals in Sport Studies (J803, J813 and J829) and Sport Science (J802, J812 and J828), this means the NEA set assignment tasks.

There have been questions about how to apply the mark scheme and questions about administrative requirements. In the light of these recent 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

Sport Science (J802, J812 and J828)

There are several resources that will help you have confidence in your application of the mark scheme for Sport Science (J802, J812 and J828).

• On OCR Train a free on-line marking course is available. This can be completed in your own time and includes a series of tests designed to ensure that you are marking to the correct standard. Also, for the redeveloped qualification (J828), you will find a helpful course outlining the essentials for the NEA and a subject-specific course for Cambridge National in Sport Science: A Focus on Internal Assessment. This has been designed for you to build your knowledge, skills and understanding on internal assessment.
• On Teach Cambridge, for the legacy specification (J802, J812) we have candidate exemplars with the moderator’s commentary for all units, which could be useful to you to understand and improve internal assessment of the NEA marking. For the redeveloped qualification (J828) we have candidate style work for all units which will offer an insight into how the teacher objectives are applied.
• Each year we run CPD sessions which include exemplar scripts as well as advice and guidance. You can access the materials from past courses on the training page of the qualification: Sport Science (J802, J812), Sport Science (J828)

Sport Studies (J803, J813 and J829)

There are several resources that will help you have confidence in your application of the mark scheme for Sport Studies (J803, J813 and J829):

• On OCR Train a free on-line marking course is available. This can be completed in your own time and includes a series of tests designed to ensure that you are marking to the correct standard. Also, for the redeveloped qualification (J829) you will find a helpful course outlining the essentials for the NEA and a subject-specific course: Cambridge National in Sport Studies: A Focus on Internal Assessment. This has been designed for you to build your knowledge, skills and understanding of internal assessment.
• On Teach Cambridge, for the legacy specification (J803, J813) we have candidate exemplars with the moderator’s commentary for all units, which could help you to understand and improve internal assessment of the NEA marking. For the redeveloped qualification (J829) we have candidate style work for all units which will offer an insight into how the teacher objectives are applied.
• Each year we run CPD sessions which include exemplar scripts as well as advice and guidance. You can access the materials from past courses on the training page of the qualification: Sport Studies (J803, J813), Sport Studies (J829).

General support

The following resources will help you and your students understand and follow the process involved with the Cambridge Nationals qualifications:

• A classroom poster for students to understand how to reference work and avoid plagiarism. You can download this from the assessment section of the qualification webpage.
• A video presentation on how to complete the unit recording sheet (URS) for the Cambridge National Information Technologies internally assessed unit.
• A resource on effective assessment practices provides further help and support on generating and submitting students’ work for moderation.
• Finally, do refer back to the reports on J802/J812 which are published after each series, and which often include pointers on internal assessment marking. You can access these on the Assessment section of our website.

Administrative points to remember

Submitting grades and getting candidate work ready for submission within the given deadlines can be a challenging task for teachers and exams officers. However, it is crucial to make sure that the marks and work are submitted on time to facilitate the moderation process and enable students’ results to be released on time. For guidance and a useful checklist on the process please see our recent subject update.

General information on NEA administration is available on our website.

Stay connected

If you have any questions, you can email us at pe@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_PhysEd.

You can also sign up to subject updates and receive information about resources and support.

About the authors

Jon joined OCR as a PE and sport subject advisor in September 2021 having taught in a variety of secondary schools across the country for over 20 years gaining a wealth of experience and subject knowledge. During this time, he has set up, delivered, and assessed a wide range of courses within physical education and sport. In his spare time, he is a keen runner and enthusiastic mountain biker, enjoys attending sporting and music events when possible and walking his two whippets.