This book will help students to understand the coursework specifications and marking criteria for a number of key exam boards, including; AQA (specification A and B), OCR, EDEXCEL and SQA. It provides specific and highly relevant advice on how to maximise achievement in coursework.
Below is a brief summary of the coursework requirements and marking criteria for the four main A-Level specifications. This had been adapted from an excerpt from the appendix in A Guide to Coursework in Psychology. See pages 197-219 of this book, where fuller details can be found.
AQA-A
The coursework will count as 15% of your total A-Level grade, and is taken within the A2 component of the course.
The investigation must use one of the following research methods: a laboratory, field or natural experiment, a survey, an observational study or a correlational method.
You will be expected to use appropriate descriptive statistics and you will be expected to present summary data in tables and graphs. You will also be expected to use inferential statistics, where appropriate. Other more advanced tests could also be used, such as t-tests, but you would not be expected to use advanced tests such as ANOVA or factor analysis.
You will have to complete a project brief before you carry out your investigation and a final report which will both be marked.
AQA-B
There are two requirements for coursework in AQA-B. The first is a component of the AS specification and represents 30% of the total AS mark. The second is a component of the A2 specification and represents 15% of the total A-Level mark.
At AS Level
Your investigation must use any suitable psychological method of inquiry.
You will be expected to use appropriate descriptive statistics and these should be presented according to report-writing conventions in psychology. All calculations should be shown in a separate appendix at the end of the report.
Marks are allocated for four specific skills in your investigation: Design, Implementation, Analysis and interpretation and Communication.
At A2 Level
Your investigation must use any suitable psychological method of inquiry.
You will be expected to calculate and present both descriptive and inferential statistics. The inferential test should be appropriate for the data you have obtained.
As at AS Level, marks are allocated for four specific skills in your investigation: Design, Implementation, Analysis and interpretation and Communication.
OCR
There are two levels of coursework for OCR AS and A2 courses. The AS coursework accounts for 16.7% of your final A-Level grade as does the A2 coursework (so about 1/3 of your total A-Level grade is based on your coursework).
At AS Level
The practical work involves four data-collection exercises on the following:
- Activity A: Questions, self-reports, and questionnaires
- Activity B: Observation
- Activity C: Data collection of differences between two groups
- Activity D: Collection of data suitable for a test of correlation
You will be expected to write up the Method and Results for each, which will form your practical work folder.
You will take the practical work folder into the exam and use the details to help you answer questions set in the exam.
At A2 Level
You will be required to produce one practical project and one assignment.
The practical project
The practical project involves carrying out a psychological investigation, by developing a research question and hypothesis, designing a study and gathering, analysing and evaluating data.
You will be expected to know about observational and experimental methods as well as case studies, simulations and content analysis.
You will be expected to present the results of descriptive statistics, including the representation of the data in tables and graphs. You will be expected to carry out inferential statistics.
You will be marked on various sections of your report, with the 'Discussion' section most heavily weighted.
The assignment
The assignment requires you to apply psychological concepts and theories to an everyday event, illustrated by source material such as a newspaper article.
You are marked on Issues and assumptions, Evidence, Applications and Presentation and communication.
Edexcel
The coursework contributes to 1/3 of your AS mark, so if you go on to A2 it will contribute to just over 16% of the final grade.
You should use a field or natural experiment, a correlation, a naturalistic observation, a questionnaire or survey, or a content analysis.
You are required to calculate and present descriptive statistics. The use of tables, charts and graphs to present summary data is encouraged. You will not be expected to present inferential statistics.
Your work is marked according to the various headings of your report, with most marks being allocated to the Discussion section.
