Submitting A level coursework in Summer 2018 for Component 4
This update contains a quick summary of how to submit A level coursework marks and samples for component 4 (Performance Analysis/Performance Development Plan). It includes a reminder of the submission deadline, the materials you need to send to the moderator, and lots of other useful advice and links.
How do I submit my coursework marks to Pearson?
You can no longer submit marks on an OPTEMS form (optically scanned mark sheets) so all marks must be submitted online via Edexcel Online.
Important: You may need to amend your Edexcel Online access to allow you to submit coursework marks online. To do this your exams officer will need to go into your Edexcel Online account and under ‘profiles’ tick the box next to ‘Coursework and Portfolio’. If they also tick the ‘Results’ box you will be able to view your E9 moderator report on results day.
After submitting marks online you should print out a copy of the marks for the moderator and a copy for your own records.
Where is the Edexcel Online link?
Links can be found on the Edexcel website.
If you need to be set up with an Edexcel Online account please ask your exams officer.
If you've forgotten your Edexcel Online password you can generate a new one.
What happens if I make an error when submitting coursework marks?
If you have already submitted a mark but it needs to be amended (eg because of an administrative error), please email courseworkmarks@pearson.com with details of the student and amended point score.
When will I be able to access Edexcel Online to submit marks and see the requested sample?
You should be able to start submitting marks from March 2018 but you won’t be able to view the requested sample until the beginning of April 2018.
How do I identify the sample of work that needs to be sent to the moderator?
When you log in to Edexcel Online and go to the coursework mark submission screen there will be a tick next to the candidates' names that need to be sent for moderation. You also need to send the work of the highest- and lowest-scoring candidates if they are not part of the requested sample.
If, for some reason, you're unable to send the work for a particular student, you should send the work of an equivalent student with a similar mark. You should also write a note to the moderator explaining the reason for the change.
What is the deadline for submitting coursework marks?
The final date for submitting A level coursework marks and samples of work for Component 4 for the summer 2018 series is 15 May 2018.
This is the date by which you must have submitted your A level coursework marks to us via Edexcel Online, and have sent your sample of student work to the moderator. Please note that your Exams Officer will have their own internal deadlines and you also need to take into account the requirement to inform students of their centre assessed marks.
JCQ notice to centres – informing candidates of their centre assessed marks
Centres have, for many years, been required to have a written internal appeals procedure relating to internal assessment decisions. As part of this procedure, candidates must be told the mark given by their centre for a centre-assessed component/unit. This applies to legacy and new GCE and GCSE qualifications. The Joint Council have recently issued some Frequently Asked Questions about this process.
Who is my moderator and what is their address?
Moderators are randomly allocated to centres. You will be able to find out your moderator’s name and address from early April via Edexcel Online.
Your centre will receive a stationery send which will contain envelopes suitable for sending coursework to the moderator.
What other materials need to be sent to the moderator?
As well as the sample of student work and Edexcel Online print out of student marks, you should also send to the moderator the students' individual candidate authentication form - this will be available on the qualification page shortly.
Where is the mark scheme?
This may seem obvious, but we always get a lot of queries asking where the mark schemes are.
The mark scheme can be found in the specification (AS pages 41-47 and A level pages 52-61).
Do I need to carry out internal standardisation of marking?
In large centres with multiple teachers, it's essential that you carry out internal moderation before you finalise the coursework marks. You should sample double-mark, selecting mark points within the same level from different teaching sets. The double marking should continue until you are satisfied that you have achieved comparability.
Small schools with only one teacher need not carry out internal standardisation.
How should I annotate the work?
I always recommend that you annotate the coursework to show the moderator how you have interpreted the mark scheme and applied it to the students' work.
What are the grade boundaries?
You should not attempt to grade the work; you should be marking the work by applying the marking criteria in a consistent manner.
The coursework grades will be awarded at the end of each examination series using the standard code of practice awarding process.
Grade boundaries are always published on the grade boundaries page of our website. They will be available to download from results day.
E9 Moderator Report
While moderating your centre's coursework, the moderator will write an E9 report which will provide you with detailed feedback on your marking and administration. You will be able to download this report on results day. More details on how to access your E9 report will be provided in my results day update.
I hope you've found this update useful. If you have any further questions about the submission of coursework, please do not hesitate to contact me.
