There are changes to this qualification based on the outcomes of the joint Ofqual and DfE consultation on adaptations to be made to assessments in 2021/22 for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) such as Cambridge Nationals.

We are carrying forward the unit level changes that allow alternative approaches to produce work for assessment and permission to produce work from home. We are also making changes to the controls for the moderated unit (R013) in 2020/21 to allow the submission of the January 2022 assignment in June 2022 and will provide advance information for the examined unit (R012) for January 2022 and June 2022.

Overview of changes for Cambridge Nationals in Information Technologies during 2021/22

On 6 August, Ofqual and the Department for Education (DfE) published the outcome of their joint consultation on adaptations to be made to assessments in 2021/22 for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) such as Cambridge Nationals. The adaptations can be found below.

Adaptations for units due to be taken in 2021/22

• Unit level adaptations for all students due to take assessments in 2021/22
• Allowing work for assessment to be done from home
• Set assignment for unit R013 for January 2022

There is no reduction in the number of assessments for Information Technologies (as permitted by other Cambridge National subjects) due to the qualification only having two units. 

Adaptations are available to all students regardless of which year they complete their qualification, however, the adaptations can only be used in the academic year 2021/22. It is expected that all units planned for 2022/23 are completed as normal, without any adaptations.

Advance information

To support student revision, advance information is now available for the January 2022 exam series:

• Advance information R012/01: Understanding tools, techniques, methods and processes for technological solutionsPDF 213KB
• Guidance for teachers on the use of advance information for 2022PDF 193KB

Please note, advance information for January 2022 will be different from the advance information for summer 2022. Advance information for summer 2022 will be published approximately eight weeks before the exam series.

Unit-level adaptations

Our guidance from 2020/21 on using unit-level adaptations such as alternative forms of evidence e.g. professional discussion in place of performance, has been republished.

Our changes are designed to make units to be taken in 2021/22 possible to complete in the event of any further disruption as a result of a changing public health situation and to make sure that the learning outcomes and assessment criteria can still be met. Please read this information alongside the specification.

These adaptations are available to be used with all students, regardless of which year they complete their qualification. However, these adaptations can only be used for assessments being taken during the academic year 2021/22.

Information Technologies	Updated from 2020/21:More detail of software which could be used to support assessment has been added to the guidance from 2020/21
Your guide to the changes for 2022

Allowing work for assessment to be done from home

For unit R013, teachers can continue to assess work that has been produced from home for all students due to take assessments in 2021/22. Please see our guidance on producing work from home. This guidance, first published in November 2020, can still be used for assessments taken during 2021/22.

This adaptation is intended for students who cannot be directly supervised by a teacher or attend school when they are due to take the assessment for reasons related to the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, the student needs to self-isolate, but they are still well enough to work on their assignment. This adaptation can be used with all students that require it, regardless of which year they complete their qualification. However, the adaptation can only be used for assessment taken during the academic year 2021/22.

Set assignment for unit R013 for January 2022 and June 2022

The same set assignment, Progress Cyber Ltd, will be used in January 2022 and June 2022. This adaptation is to help those students:

• intending to enter, or who have already entered, the January 2022 series but are unable to complete work in time for marks submission and need to submit in June instead (or where teachers are absent and can't complete marking in time)
• intending to enter the June 2022 series, and
• who do submit work in January 2022 series and wish to resubmit in June 2022. Our approach will allow these resit students to use the same set assignment to improve their work.

The set assignment will be withdrawn after the June 2022 series when we plan to return to using one unique set assignment per series.

For further information on the changes to controls for the moderated unit R013, please see our FAQ.

Support

OCR’s team of expert subject advisors is here to guide you through these changes and help you prepare your students for their assessments in 2022.

We also add to our frequently asked questions regularly on our online support centre.

Contact us

You can contact us by email support@ocr.org.uk, on Twitter @OCR_vocational or call on 01223 553998.