TL Legal Services: assessment support

This paper covered the following specification content:

• Element 1 – The Business Environment
• Element 2 – Careers within the legal professions
• Element 6 – Professional Services
• Element 8 – Fundamentals of Financial Accounting 
• Element 9 – Technology
• Element 10 – Data Driven Innovation / Analytics and Design Thinking
• Element 11 – Research Skills
• Element 12 – Project / Change Management and Administration

The structure of the paper has two sections; Section A which is worth 18 marks and Section B which is worth 72 marks combined for a total of 90 marks. Section A consists of shorter answer questions worth 1-6 marks and Section B contains longer scenario questions that require more in-depth responses that include justification and evaluation, ranging from 2-12 mark questions.

This paper covered the following specification content:

• Element 3 – Regulation
• Element 4 – Professionalism and ethics/equality, diversity, and inclusion
• Element 5 – Security and risk
• Element 7 – Fundamentals of law (1)
• Element 13 – Fundamentals of law (2)
• Element 14 – The legal services sector
  

Having a good understanding of the content of element 13 fundamentals of financial accounting. It may be useful to consider to start covering some of the occupational specialism, to aid students’ understanding.

Project Monitoring Record

At the end of each task candidates are given an extra 15 minutes to complete the Project Monitoring Record document to review how well that have covered the core skill(s) assessed in each task.

Performance Outcomes
In this project students will:
PO1 – Produce and analyse a trial balance
PO2 – Prepare primary financial statements
PO3 – Analyse business performance and present results
PO4 – Provide support to tax and audit functions
PO5 – Prepare computations for payroll
Assessment overview
There are eight parts to the assessment.
● Task 1: Preparation of a trial balance and complete a reconciliation
● Task 2: Preparation of financial documents for a sole trader
● Task 3: Preparation of tax computation
● Task 4: Preparation of financial documents for a limited company
● Task 5: Payroll activities
● Task 6: Production of a payslip
● Task 7: Audit
● Task 8: Business performance analysis
Students will respond to a given scenario to complete a substantial project. They will be assessed on their application of the skills listed for the Performance Outcomes.
Students will not be assessed against specific ‘knowledge’ outcomes but will be expected to draw on and apply related knowledge to ensure appropriate outcomes when applying the skills in response to an assessment scenario.
● Students will undertake the project under a combination of supervised and controlled conditions.
● The assessment will take place over multiple sessions, up to a combined duration of 17 hours and 25 minutes.
● The project outcomes will consist of a portfolio of evidence submitted electronically.

Past question papers, mark schemes and examiners' reports are available on the qualification page.

These are kept locked for the first 9 months after an examination series and you will require an Edexcel Online username and password to be able to gain access.

For the Core Component, separate entries are required for both the Core Examinations and the Employer Set Project.

The two Core Exams have to be taken in the same exam series.

For the Occupational Specialist Component, an entry is required for the window the student wishes to sit the assessment in.

Students may resit:
● to improve grades
● the Core Examinations
● the Employer Set Project
● the assessments for an occupational specialism, or
● any combination of these.

Where a student fails one of the Core Examinations, they must resit both exams and must do so in the same assessment window.

In order to access a resit opportunity, an entry for the required window must be made.

Resits can take place up until two academic years after the end of the final academic year for the cohort within which the relevant student is included.

This requires candidates to recall a piece of information.

There is no need to explain or clarify.

There is no need to write a sentence.

This requires candidates to recall a piece of information.

There is no need to explain or clarify.

There is no need to write a sentence.

Identify a point (advantage/disadvantage/reason/factor etc) and then give a linked justification/reasoning of the given point.

For a 3-mark question a further linked justification / reasoning is required.

Example: Explain one benefit of ... (2)

• the first mark is for identifying the benefit.
• the second mark is for a linked justification/expansion.
  

Example: Explain one factor/reason why ... (3)

• the first mark is for identifying the point
• the second mark is for an appropriate linked justification/expansion.
  
• the third mark is for a further expansion.

Particular attention should be given to developing skills in answering three mark explain questions. Students should be coached in giving a benefit/reason/cause etc, then justifying their answer in a detailed manner. 

Explain two factors (reasons/benefits, drawbacks etc) - 4 marks

These should be answered as 2 x 2-mark questions.

Obtain a numerical answer, showing relevant working.

The number of marks indicates the number of stages in the calculation.

Candidates should show their workings for computational questions, to ensure that if the final answer is incorrect that marks can be awarded for correct workings.
 

Levels-based mark schemes (LBMS) have been designed to assess students’ work holistically. They consist of two parts:

1) Indicative content
Indicative content reflects content-related points that a student might make but is not an exhaustive list. Nor is it a model answer. Students may make some or none of the points included in the indicative content as its purpose is as a guide for the relevance and expectation of the responses. Students must be credited for any appropriate response.

2) Levels-based descriptors
Each level is made up of a number of traits which when combined together articulate the quality of response that a student needs to demonstrate. The traits progress across the levels to demonstrate the different expectations of each level. When using a levels-based mark scheme, the ‘best fit’ approach should be used.

Applying the levels-based descriptors

Examiners should take a ‘best fit’ approach to determining the mark.

● Examiners should first make a holistic judgement on which level most closely matches the student’s response. Students will be placed in the level that best describes their answer. Answers can display characteristics from more than one level, and where this happens markers must use any additional guidance (e.g. weighting of traits) and their professional judgement to decide which level is most appropriate.

● The mark awarded within the level will be decided based on the quality of the answer and will be modified according to how securely all traits are displayed at that level:

    o Marks will be awarded at the top of that level if the student has evidenced each of the descriptor traits securely.

    o Where the response does not securely meet all traits, the marks should be awarded based on how closely the descriptor has been met.

Teachers should focus on developing students’ ability to answer the longer questions. This can be done by:
o Developing skills in deconstructing question requirements.
o Ensuring that students use the question context in their response. This could include using the facts and circumstances described to support responses.
o Developing skills in forming conclusions, which are supported by the points made in their answer.

Consider the factors that apply in relation to a specific context. Give careful consideration to opposing aspects of an issue, situation, or a problem.

In order to discuss something, there needs to be an ‘argument’ i.e. you need two or more differing or opposing viewpoints. Also, any discussion should, if possible, end with a conclusion. Think about: advantages, disadvantages, and conclusion. Or: reasons why, reasons why not and conclusion. It is also possible to ‘discuss’ one viewpoint.

It might be possible to use 'PEAL.'

Point: Give a point that links to a subject

Explained example: Use evidence to support your point.

Analysis: Explain why this is an advantage or disadvantage.

Link: Evaluate your argument, making sure you link back to the question and your own argument.

Repeat 'PEAL' 2 times, then...

Conclusion: Briefly summarise your points referring back to the question.

Examples of high scoring answers in the following examiners’ reports:

Consider the factors that apply in relation to a specific context.

Give careful consideration to opposing aspects of an issue, situation, or a problem.

One approach might be to use PEAL three times.

Examples of high scoring answers in the following examiners’ reports:

Consider the factors that apply in relation to a specific context.

Give careful consideration to which are the most significant, important, or relevant, leading to a reasoned judgement/conclusion.

One approach might be to use PEAL four times - two for each side of the argument.

Examples of high scoring answers in the following examiners’ reports:

Give careful consideration to which are the most significant, important, or relevant, leading to a reasoned judgement/conclusion.

Examples of high scoring answers in the following examiners’ reports:

Both sides of the argument need to be considered.

Examples of high scoring answers in the following examiners’ reports:

Answers should describe both options and  effectively consider the advantages and disadvantages of each, forming a sustained conclusion as to the most appropriate.

Examples of high scoring answers in the following examiners’ reports:

Students will be given an area of law to research in the pre-release task for two days before Task 1.

Students are advised to spend around 4 hours on this task, but they may choose to spend more time if they wish. Providers will need to schedule a minimum of 4 hours to allow students to complete this familiarisation.

During the pre-release students are permitted to:
• Access the internet
• Work with others
• Make notes about findings

Students will not be allowed to take notes into the supervised assessment sessions.

The area of law changes from one exam series to another.

15 marks (12 marks for the document and 3 marks for appropriate use of language).

Students are marked on the information included within their document and on the suitability of the document for a legal audience. It is useful for students to use the bullet points as providing them with a structure of the key areas they should be covering in their document.

The purpose of this task is to examine students’ ability to analyse research materials. As such, the resource booklet is designed in such a way that it requires students to read the materials presented and identify the relevant information that will support them in producing their document and disregard any information that can be seen as irrelevant.

Students are also required to use their own knowledge and understanding to produce the evidence required for the task in addition to the information they are presented with. Therefore, the information will not be presented in in the order of the requirements of the task and will not be in a manner that simply requires students to copy and paste information.

When preparing their students Centres should ensure that they encourage students to practise identifying relevant/irrelevant materials.

In order to successfully complete their document, students are therefore required to:

1. Select the relevant information from the resources and include this under the appropriate heading;
2. Disregard irrelevant information within the resource booklet;
3. Include their own knowledge to expand upon points raised in the resource booklet;
4. Structure their work in a way that would be suitable for a legal audience, including appropriate language.

It was pleasing to note that the majority of students were using the bullet points to form their work, using them as sub-headings. In this regard, the majority of students were able to score highly on their ability to produce a document suitable for a legal audience.

Where students did tend to struggle, however, was selecting the appropriate information from the resource booklet and aligning this with the correct heading. Many simply reproduced the information from the resource booklet without determining where it would fit most appropriately. 

Students should focus on:
• Structuring their document in Task 1 in line with the bullet points from the task, using these as headings.
• Practising selecting relevant information from resource materials for Task and disregarding irrelevant information so that they are not copying and pasting from the resource booklet.

Examiner report feedback:

The information provided should be used in order to produce a report for the case file which:
• Reviews how the issue applies:
• Details the advice they would give to the client in relation to the issues with reference to legal principles;
• Justifies the advice given.

There were many students who did not read the instructions of the task clearly.

Students should ensure that they read the task instructions clearly and refer only to the issues identified in the instructions.

Students should focus on:

• Reading the legal document carefully in Task 2, ensuring that they are identifying which aspect of the document aligns with each specific element of the task instructions.
• Ensuring that where a task directs students to refer to legal principles that statute and/or case law are included within the response.

Mark breakdown:  21 marks in total:

• 6 marks for Task 3a, 
• 12 marks for Task 3b, and 
• 3 marks for use of language suitable for a legal audience.

Task 3b

Similar to Task 1, students are marked on the information included within their document and on the suitability of the document for a legal audience. Therefore, in producing their document students should ensure that they are using appropriate legal terminology and supporting legal authorities where appropriate.

Examiner report feedback:

The 2024 Examiner's Report includes an example of a Task 3a response which achieved full marks and a Task 3b response which was placed at the top of Band 3.

Task 4a outline:

Task 4b outline:

Task 4c outline:

Examiner report feedback:

Task 5a outline:

For the slides (mark scheme below) students should ensure that:

• there is a logical flow between slides
• they use relevant visual aids
• they use bullet points
• they use headings and subheadings
• there is consistency in appearance between slides - fonts, colours, style
• they have used transitions and animations to help with the flow and following of the presentation.
• there is not too much information on the slides themselves. The accompanying presentation notes would be where the majority of the information to be presented would be contained.

Examiner report feedback:

Task 5b outline:

Examiner report feedback:

The final task within the ESP is reflective in nature. Throughout the assessment, students have been completing their reflective account of the five core skills which are demonstrated in the ESP. 

Examiner report feedback:

The Core Component uses an aggregation of points from each of the three Core Assessments to calculate the A* to E.

Uniform Mark Scale

Students’ raw sub-component marks will be converted to a Uniform Mark Scale (UMS). The UMS is used to convert students’ sub-component ‘raw’ marks into uniform marks. This is done to standardise marks from one series to another as assessments may vary in difficulty. For example, a student who achieves the lowest mark worthy of a C grade in the Employer Set Project in one series will receive the same uniform mark as a student achieving that same grade and level of performance in another series, regardless of their raw marks.

The maximum number of uniform marks available for each sub-component, and the uniform marks relating to each grade boundary, are fixed. These are shown in the table above.

The Core Examination has two exam papers, the results of which are combined before conversion to UMS.

To be awarded the T Level, a student must complete both components and achieve a minimum of a grade E in the Core Component and a Pass in the Occupational Specialism Component. In addition, they must successfully complete the other elements of the T Level as required by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute) and the T Level Panel, such as 315 hours of industry placement.

Students whose level of achievement for either component is below the minimum judged by Pearson to be of sufficient standard will receive an unclassified U result.