Oxford Cambridge and RSA ENTRY LEVEL CERTIFICATE Specification Qualification Regulated Entry Level Certificate English ENGLISH R393 For first assessment in 2017 Version 1.1 (May 2018)
Oxford Cambridge and RSA
ENTRY LEVEL CERTIFICATESpecification
QualificationRegulated
Entry Level CertificateEnglish
ENGLISHR393For first assessment in 2017
Version 1.1 (May 2018)
DISCLAIMER
Specifications are updated over time. Whilst every effort is made to check all documents, there may be contradictions between published resources and the specification, therefore please use the infor-mation on the latest specification at all times. Where changes are made to specifications these will be indicated within the document, there will be a new version number indicated, and a summary of the changes. If you do notice a discrepancy between the specification and a resource please contact us at: [email protected]
We will inform centres about changes to specifications. We will also publish changes on our website. The latest version of our specifications will always be those on our website (ocr.org.uk) and these may differ from printed versions.
1© OCR 2016 Entry Level Certificate in English
Contents
1 WhychooseanOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglish? 21a. WhychooseanOCRqualification? 21b. WhychooseanOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglish? 31c. Whatarethekeyfeaturesofthisspecification? 31d. WhatisnewinOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglish? 41e. HowdoIfindoutmoreinformation? 4
2 Thespecificationoverview 52a. OCR’sEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish(R393) 52b. ContentofReading 62b. ContentofWriting 72b. ContentofSpokenlanguage 82c. Priorknowledge,learningandprogression 9
3 AssessmentofEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish 103a. Formsofassessment 103b. Assessmentobjectives(AO) 133c. Assessmentavailability 143d. Retakingthequalification 143e. Internalassessmenttasks 153f. Non-examassessment–markingcriteria 153g. Calculatingqualificationresults 19
4 Admin:whatyouneedtoknow 204a. Pre-assessment 204b. Accessarrangementsandspecialconsideration 214c. Adminofnon-examassessment 224d. Resultsandcertificates 254e. Post-resultsservices 254f. Malpractice 25
5 Appendices 265a. Awardingofgrades 265b. Overlapwithotherqualifications 265c. Keyskillssections 265d. Files 275e. Interimawards 28
Summaryofupdates 29
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1 ChooseOCRandyou’vegotthereassurancethatyou’reworkingwithoneoftheUK’sleadingexamboards.OurnewEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish hasbeenrefreshedtofitwithreformedGCSE(9–1)Englishqualificationstoprovidelearnerswithaqualificationthat’srelevanttothemandmeets their needs.
We’repartoftheCambridgeAssessmentGroup,Europe’slargestassessmentagencyandadepartmentoftheUniversityofCambridge.CambridgeAssessmentplaysaleadingroleindevelopinganddeliveringassessmentsthroughouttheworld,operatinginover150countries.
Weworkwitharangeofeducationproviders,includingschools,colleges,workplacesandotherinstitutionsinboththepublicandprivatesectors.Over13,000centreschooseourALevels,GCSEs andvocationalqualifications.
OurSpecifications
Webelieveindevelopingspecificationsthathelpyoubringthesubjecttolifeandinspireyourstudentstoachievemore.
We’vecreatedteacher-friendlyspecificationsthataredesignedtobestraightforwardandaccessiblesothatyou can tailor the delivery of the course to suit your needs.Weaimtoencouragestudentstobecome
responsiblefortheirownlearning,confidentindiscussingideas,innovativeandengaged.
OurEntryLevelCertificateinEnglishismade upof100%internallyassessedtasksandtests. Theflexibilityallowedthroughthisapproachtoassessmentwillallowyoutotakeanyissuesintoaccountinyourplanningthatmayaffectyourlearners’performance.
Weprovidearangeofsupportservicesdesignedtohelpyouateverystage,frompreparationthrough tothedeliveryofourspecifications.Thisincludes:
• Anextensivehighqualitytaskbook
• AccesstoSubjectAdvisorstosupportyouthroughthetransitionandthroughoutthelifetimeofthespecification
• Interimawardstosplitthecourseintomanageablestagesandhelpmotivatelearnersthroughearningteacher-managedawards– Section5e.
AllEntryLevelCertificatequalificationsofferedbyOCRareregulatedbyOfqual,theRegulatorforqualificationsofferedinEngland.TheaccreditationnumberforOCR’sEntryLevelCertificateinEnglishisQN603/0096/6.
1a. WhychooseanOCRqualification?
1 WhychooseanOCREntryLevelCertificate inEnglish?
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1OCR’sEntryLevelCertificateinEnglishencourageslearnerstoreadfluentlyandwriteeffectively. AtEntryLevel,learnerswilldeveloptheskillstoreadandunderstandnon-fictionandliterarytexts.TheywilldeveloptheskillstobeabletodemonstrateanappropriatecontrolofStandardEnglishandtowritegrammaticallycorrectsentences.
Learnerswillalsodevelopconfidenceinusing spokenlanguagetocommunicateandtoeffectivelyparticipateingroupactivities.
Thisspecificationenableslearnerstoprogressattheirownpacesothattheycandeveloptheirknowledgeandskillsandbeputforwardfortheassessmentwhentheyareready.Itisdesignedtobeaccessibleandrelevant,andprovideslearnerswithrecognitionfortheirachievements.
1b. WhychooseanOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglish?
Aimsandlearningoutcomes
Thisspecificationenableslearnersto:
• readarangeoftextswithsomeunderstanding• useknowledgegainedfromreadingtoinform
theirownwriting• writeusingStandardEnglishappropriately
• usegrammarcorrectly,punctuateandspellaccurately
• acquireanappropriatevocabularyinreading,writingandspokenlanguage
• understandandrespondtospokenlanguageandusespokenStandardEnglishwhereappropriate.
1c. Whatarethekeyfeaturesofthisspecification?
OCR’sEntryLevelCertificateinEnglishhasbeendesignedtobeco-teachablewithanyGCSE(9–1)EnglishLanguagequalificationtoofferacoherentpackageforyouandyourlearners.
We understand that learners for this Entry Level qualificationmaycomefromadiverserangeoflearningenvironments.Withthisinmind,ourEntryLevelCertificateinEnglishisdesignedtobeas flexibleaspossible.Therearethreeareasofassessment:Reading,WritingandSpokenlanguage.TheReadingtasksaresetbyOCRandtheWriting andSpokenlanguagetasksaresetbycentres,withdetailedguidancefromOCR.Allthreeassessmentsaremarkedbyteachers.
OurEntryLevelCertificateinEnglishbuildsconfidenceinreading,writingandspokenlanguage
skills,andcanbethegatewaytofurtherqualifications.ItisdirectlylinkedtoGCSE(9–1)inEnglishLanguageandwouldallowforanaturalprogressiontoahigherlevelofstudy.
Thisspecificationwillenablelearnerstodevelop:
• knowledgeandunderstandingofengagingnon-fictionandliterarytexts.
• informativeandimaginativewritingstylesandtheabilitytoproducetextsfordifferentpurposes.
• confidenceinusingspokenlanguageskillstocommunicateclearlyandeffectively.
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1d. WhatisnewinOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglish?
ThissectionisintendedforteachersusingOCR’sEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish.
IthighlightsthedifferencesbetweenthecurrentEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish(R392)andthe newversionforfirstteachingfromSeptember2016:
Whatstaysthesame? What’schanging?
• Therearestillthreeareasofassessment:Reading,WritingandSpokenlanguage(previouslySpeakingandListening)
• Allthreeassessmentsareinternallyassessedandmarkedbycentres
• TheReadingtasksaresetbyOCR
• TheWritingandSpokenlanguagetasksaresetby centres
• TherearetwoWritingtasks–oneinformativeandoneimaginative
• Thetasksaresimilarinstyleandformat
• Therearefivetasksintotal.
• TheSpeakingandListeningcomponentisnowcalledSpokenlanguage
• TheReadingandWritingassessmentsarenowequallyweighted(eachworth40%oftheEntryLevelCertificate)
• TherearetwoReadingtasks–understandinganon-fictiontextandunderstandingaliterarytext.
• ThereisoneSpokenlanguagetask–eitheradiscussionoraroleplayactivity
• Learners’handwritingisnolongeranassessedelementoftheWritingcomponent.
1e. HowdoIfindoutmoreinformation?
IfyouarealreadyusingOCRspecificationsyoucancontactusat:www.ocr.org.uk
IfyouarenotalreadyaregisteredOCRcentrethenyoucanfindoutmoreinformationonthebenefitsofbecomingoneat:www.ocr.org.uk
If you are not yet an approved centre and would like tobecomeonegoto:www.ocr.org.uk
Wanttofindoutmore?
AskaSubjectAdvisor:
CustomerContactCentre:01223553998
Email:[email protected]
Twitter:@OCR_English
Teachersupport:www.ocr.org.uk/english
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2 Thespecificationoverview
2a. OCR’sEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish(R393)
Learnersmustcompleteallthreepartswhichmakeup100%oftheassessment.
ContentOverview AssessmentOverview
• Understandinganon-fictiontext
• Understandingaliterarytext
• Informativewriting
• Imaginativewriting
• Discussion or role play
Reading(01)
40Marks
2tasks:
20markspertask
35minutespertask(suggestedtime)
Set by OCR
Internallyassessed/externallymoderated
40%of total
Entry Level Certificate
Writing(02)
40Marks
2tasks:
20markspertask
35minutespertask (suggestedtimeforproductionofthe finalwrittenwork)
Set by centres
Internallyassessed/externallymoderated
40%of total
Entry Level Certificate
Spokenlanguage(03)
20Marks
One task
10minutes (suggestedtime)
Set by centres
Internallyassessed/externallymoderated
20%of total
Entry Level Certificate
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Learnerscompletetwotasks:
• Understandinganon-fictiontext• Understandingaliterarytext.
Inonetasklearnersreadandrespondtoanon-fictiontext.Intheothertasklearnersreadandrespondto aliterarytext.ThetasksaretakenfromthebankofOCRsettaskswhichremainsliveforthelifetime ofthespecificationandcanbeaccessedviaOCRInterchange:https://interchange.ocr.org.uk.
Duringthecourse,learnersshouldreadarange ofnon-fictionandliterarytextstodevelopsomeunderstandingoftheinformationandideaspresentedindifferenttexts.Thesetextscouldbe
takenfromthebankofOCRsettasks(excludingthoseusedforassessment),orcouldbeofthecentre’sownchoosing.
Learnerswilldeveloptheabilitytoidentifyandunderstandexplicitmeaningsinthesetexts,andtoinfermeanings.
Theywilldeveloptheskillstosummariseinformationinatextandbegintocommentonthelanguagethatisusedinatext.
ThefollowingtablesetsoutthecontentoftheReadingtasks.Itprovidesdetailsontherequiredknowledge,understandingandskillsforeachtask.
2b. ContentofReading
ContentofReading
Task Content Learnersshouldbeableto:
Understandinganon-fictiontext
Learnersreadarangeofnon-fictiontexttypes,suchas:
• newspaper/magazinearticles• letters• information/advicebooklets• persuasivetexts(e.g.
advertisements,charityappeals)• reviews.
Learnersrespondtoquestionsonnon-fictiontextsandshowsomeunderstandingoftheinformationandideaspresentedinthem.
• identifydifferenttypesofnon-fictionandliterarytexts
• identifythepurposeofdifferenttexts
• identifyexplicitinformationandideasintexts
• identifyfactsandopinions
• infermeaningsfromtexts
• summariseinformationintexts
• usecontexttohelpestablishsense
• commentonsomelanguagechoices.
Understandinga literarytext
Learnersreadarangeofliterarytexts,suchas:
• shortstories/narratives• descriptivetexts• autobiography.
Learnersrespondtoquestionsonliterarytextsandshowsomeunderstandingoftheinformationandideaspresentedinthem.
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Learnerscompletetwowritingtasks:
• Informativewriting• Imaginativewriting.
Inonetask,learnersproduceapieceofinformativewritingsuchasaletter,aleafletoranopinionpiece.Intheothertask,theyproduceapieceofimaginativewritingsuchasanarrativeoradescriptivepiece.
Learnersshouldbeencouragedtousetheknowledgetheyhavegainedfromreadingdifferenttextstoinformtheirownwriting.
Learnerswilldeveloptheskillstoadapttheirwritingaccordingtotheform,audienceandpurposeofthetask.
Learners will develop the ability to produce grammaticallycorrectsentences,usingStandardEnglishasappropriate,andtopunctuateandspellaccurately.
Learnersshouldbeencouragedtodeveloptheirhandwritingskillswhereverpossiblebutthiswillnotformpartoftheassessment.
ThefollowingtablesetsoutthecontentoftheWritingtasks.Itprovidesdetailsontherequiredknowledge,understandingandskillsforeachtask.
2b. ContentofWriting
ContentofWriting
Task Content Learnersshouldbeableto:
Informativewriting Learnersproduceaninformativepieceofwriting.Thiscouldtakeavarietyofformsincluding:
• aletter• anadvertisement• apersonalstatement• aspeech• aninformationleaflet• anarticle• anopinionpiece• areview.
• organiseinformationandideasclearlyandlogically
• selectlanguageappropriatefortheform,audienceandpurpose of the task
• writesimple,grammaticallycorrect sentences
• usebasicpunctuation,includingfullstops,capitallettersandquestionmarks,accurately and consistently
• spellsimplewordsaccurately.Imaginativewriting Learnersproduceanimaginativepieceof
writing.Thiscouldtakeavarietyofformsincluding:
• ashortstory/narrative• theopeningofastory• introducingacharacter• adescriptivepiece.
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LearnerscompleteonetaskforSpokenlanguage:
• Discussionor Role play
Learnerswillparticipateineitheradiscussionactivityoraroleplayactivity.
Learnerswillactivelycommunicatewithatleast oneotherperson.Theydevelopconfidencein usingspokenlanguagetocommunicateeffectively
withothers,andtheskillstolistenandrespondtoothers.
Learners will develop the skills to use spoken StandardEnglishwhereappropriate,accordingto theaudienceandsituation.
ThefollowingtablesetsoutthecontentoftheSpokenlanguagetask.Itprovidesdetailsontherequiredknowledge,understandingandskillsforthetask.
2b. ContentofSpokenlanguage
ContentofSpokenlanguage
Task Content Learnersshouldbeableto:
Discussion
or
Role play
Learnersparticipateineitheradiscussionoraroleplayactivity.
Discussionscouldtakeavarietyofformssuchasaplanningexercise,adiscussionofanissueoflocalornationalinterestoroftheparticularinterestsofagroupoflearners.Itcouldderivefromatextthatlearnershavebeenstudying.
Roleplaycouldincludeapracticalscenario such as a telephone conversationrequestingorcomplainingaboutaserviceorarrangingtoavisitarelative,oritcouldbebasedonanimaginaryscenariosuchasinterviewinga favourite celebrity.
• speakaudiblyandcomprehensibly
• makeanattempttostructuretheir talk so that it is understandable
• selectlanguagethatisappropriateforthesituationand task
• understandtheconventionsofdiscussionandconversation
• listencarefullytoothers
• understandandrespondappropriately to the ideas of others
• usespokenStandardEnglishwhere appropriate.
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• Nopriorlearningofthesubjectisrequired.
• Progression–thisEntryLevelCertificateisageneralqualificationdesignedtoenablelearnerstoprogresseitherdirectlytoemploymentortofoundationlevelcourses.Theprogressofsomelearnersduringthe
coursemightbesufficienttoallowtheirtransfertoanyGCSE(9–1)EnglishLanguagecourse.
ThereareanumberofEnglishqualificationsatOCR.Findoutmoreatwww.ocr.org.uk
2c. Priorknowledge,learningandprogression
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3 AssessmentofEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish
3a. Forms of assessment
OCR’sEntryLevelCertificateinEnglishconsistsofthreeassessmentsthatareassessedbythecentreandexternally-moderatedbyOCR.
Readingtasks
40%oftotalmarks40marks
Learners respond to twoReadingtasks,onenon-fictionandoneliterary,takenfromthebankofOCR set tasks which remainsliveforthelifetimeofthespecificationandcanbe accessed via OCR Interchange.
TherearetwotaskstocompletefromthebankoftaskssetbyOCR:Understandinganon-fictiontextandUnderstandingaliterarytext.
Eachtaskconsistsofonetextofapproximately250wordsfollowedbyaseriesofshortanswerquestions.Learnersgivewrittenresponsestothequestionsinthespacesprovidedonthequestionpaper.Thequestionstestlearners’understanding ofthetext:theirabilitytounderstandexplicitmeanings,toinfermeanings,tosummariseinformationandtocommentontheuseoflanguage.
Teachersshouldintroduceeachtextbyreadingoutthetitleandthelinesprintedinitalics.Teachersmayalsoreadoutanypropernamesthatmaynotreadilyberecognised.
Teachersshoulddrawlearners’attentiontotheallocationofmarksforeachquestion,andtherelationshipbetweentheanswerspaceprovidedandtheexpectedlengthoftheirresponses.
TherearethreebroadlevelsofsupportwhichteacherscanofferlearnerstoenablethemtocompletetheReadingtasksindependently.Seesection4c,‘Levelsofsupport’,fordetails.
Bothtasksshouldbetakeninaclassroomandconductedbythelearners’ownteacher.Theteachermaybeassistedbyotherteachersorbyclassroomassistantswhomustfollowthisguidance.
Eachtaskwillnormallybecompletedin35minutes,butteachersmayusetheirdiscretionastothetiming,dependingontheneedsofindividuallearners.
Writingtasks
40%oftotalmarks40marks
Learners respond to twoWritingtasks,oneinformativeandoneimaginative.Both tasks are set by centres.
Therearetwotaskstocomplete:oneInformativewritingtaskandoneImaginativewritingtask.BothtasksaresetbycentresfollowingguidancefromOCR.
Teachersshouldsettaskswhichofferchallengesappropriatetotheirlearners’abilities.Appropriatetasksshouldbebasedonpersonalinterestsandcontextsfamiliartothelearner.
TherequirementsfortheWritingtasksareassuchthatthetopicscanbelinkedtovocationalqualificationsandcentresareencouragedtodothisifitisappropriatefortheir learners.
Teachersshouldensurethatthetypesoftextswhichlearnersproduce,particularlyfortheinformativewritingtask,givelearnerstheopportunitytoproducesufficientlysubstantialtexttoenablethemtoaccessthemarkingcriteria.Forexample,aleafletforaneventwouldneedtoincludemorethanheadings,images,andbasictime/dateinformation.Itcouldincludeadescriptionoftheeventandreasonswhypeoplemightwanttoattendetc.
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Learnersmaybegivenasmuchresearchandpreparationtimeastheyneed.Thistimewillbeorganisedbytheteacher.Learnersmayplantheirwritingincollaborationwitheachotherandwiththeteacherwhomaydiscusstopics,themesandideas;considertheform,audienceandpurposeofthewriting;suggestappropriatewaysoforganisinglearners’writingandhelplearnerswithplanningtheirwriting.Inaddition,theteachermayremindlearnersaboutrelevantfeaturesoftheirwritingandofferreassurance as necessary.
Thetwowritingtaskscaneitherbehandwrittenortyped.Teachersshouldensurethatlearnersusingawordprocesserhavethespellingandgrammarchecksdisabled.
Writtenwork(handwrittenortyped)shouldnotbecorrectedaslearnerswrite.Teachersshould,however,indicateonthescriptwordswithwhichtheyhavegivenassistance.
TherearethreebroadlevelsofsupportwhichteacherscanofferlearnerstoenablethemtocompletetheWritingtasksindependently.ItispossibleforteacherstoofferadifferentlevelofsupportforeachWritingtask.Thelevelofsupportwhichalearnerreceivesmayimpactonthemaximummarkthatcanbeawardedforthetask.Seesection4c,‘Levelsofsupport’,fordetails.
Bothtasksshouldbetakeninaclassroomandconductedbythelearners’ownteacher.Theteachermaybeassistedbyotherteachersorbyclassroomassistantswhomustfollowthisguidance.
Theproductionofthefinalwrittenworkforeachtaskwillnormallybecompletedin35minutes,butteachersmayusetheirdiscretionastothetiming,dependingontheneeds of individual learners.
SpokenLanguagetask
20%oftotalmarks20marks
Learnersparticipatein one Spoken languagetask,either a discussion or a role play. The task is set by centres.
ThereisoneSpokenlanguagetask:eitheradiscussionor a role play. The task is set by centresfollowingguidancefromOCR.
Teachersshouldsettaskswhichofferchallengesappropriatetotheirlearners’abilities.Appropriatetasksshouldbebasedonpersonalinterestsandcontextsfamiliartothelearner.
TherequirementsfortheSpokenlanguagetaskareassuchthatthetopiccanbelinkedtovocationalqualificationsandcentresareencouragedtodothisifitisappropriate for their learners.
Teachersshoulddiscussthetaskoptionswithlearners.Thetopic(forthediscussiontask)orsituation(fortheroleplaytask)shouldbedecidedinadvance,indiscussionwith the learner. Teachers should ensure that the task enables learners to access the markingcriteria.
Learnersmaybegivenasmuchresearchandpreparationtimeastheyneed.Thistimewillbeorganisedbytheteacher.LearnersmayplantheirSpokenlanguageactivityincollaborationwitheachotherandwiththeteacherwhomaydiscusstopics,themesand ideas for the discussion or role play.
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Eithertaskrequireslearnerstoactivelycommunicatewithatleastoneotherperson.Learnersshouldbepreparedforthetasksothattheyarecomfortablewiththeotherparticipant(s)andhaveaclearunderstandingofwhattheyarebeingaskedtodo.
Duringthetasktheteachershouldinterveneaslittleaspossible.
TherearethreebroadlevelsofsupportwhichteacherscanofferlearnerstoenablethemtocompletetheSpokenlanguagetaskindependently.Thelevelofsupportwhichalearnerreceivesmayimpactonthemaximummarkthatcanbeawardedforthetask.Seesection4c,‘Levelsofsupport’,fordetails.
Thetaskshouldbetakeninaclassroomandconductedbythelearners’ownteacher.Theteachermaybeassistedbyotherteachersorbyclassroomassistantswhomustfollowthisguidance.
Thetaskwillnormallybecompletedin10minutes,butteachersmayusetheirdiscretionastothetiming,dependingontheneedsofindividuallearners.
TheSpokenlanguagetaskwillneedtobeaudiorecordedin*.mp3audioformat.Seesection5dfordetails.
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TherearethreeAssessmentObjectivesinOCR’sEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish.Thesearedetailedinthetablebelow.
AssessmentObjective
AO1 Reading
Learnersshowthattheycanreadandunderstandnon-fictionandliterarytextsby:
• Identifyingexplicitinformationandideas• Recognisingfactsandopinions• Inferringmeanings• Summarisinginformation• Usingcontexttoestablishsense• Commentingonsomelanguagechoices.
AO2 Writing
Learnersshowthattheycanproduceinformativeandimaginativepiecesofwritingby:
• Organisinginformationandideasaccordingtothepurposeofthetask• Selectinglanguagewhichisappropriatetotheform,audienceandpurposeof
the task• UsingthegrammaticalstructuresofsimpleStandardEnglish• Usingbasicpunctuationaccuratelyandconsistently• Accuratelyspellingcommonlyoccurring,simplewords.
AO3 Spokenlanguage
Learnersshowthattheycanunderstandandparticipateinaspokenlanguage activityby:
• Speakingaudiblyandcomprehensibly• Engaginginadiscussionorconversation• Attemptingtostructuretheirtalksothatitisunderstandable• Selectinglanguagethatisappropriateforthesituationandaudience• Listeningtootherswithattentionandconcentration• Understandingandrespondingtotheideasofothers• UsingandrespondingtospokenStandardEnglishwhereappropriate.
3b. Assessmentobjectives(AO)
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TherelationshipbetweentheAssessmentObjectivesandtheassessmentsareshowninthefollowingtable:
Assessments%ofoverallEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish(R393)
TotalAO1 AO2 AO3
Reading 40 0 0 40%
Writing 0 40 0 40%
Spokenlanguage 0 0 20 20%
Total 40 40 20 100%
AOweightingsforOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglish
3c. Assessmentavailability
TherewillbeoneexaminationseriesavailableeachyearinMay/Junetoall learners.
ThisspecificationwillbecertificatedfromtheJune2017examinationseriesonwards.
3d. Retakingthequalification
Learnerscanretakethequalificationasmanytimesasthey wish.
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AllinternalassessmenttasksaresetbyOCRorbythecentre.
Assessment SetbyCentre SetbyOCR
Readingtasks ü
Writingtasks ü
Spokenlanguagetask ü
ThebankofReadingtaskscanbefoundonOCRInterchange:https://interchange.ocr.org.uk
GuidanceforsettingtheWritingandSpokenlanguagetaskscanbefoundontheOCRwebsite: www.ocr.org.uk/english
3e. Internalassessmenttasks
3f. Non-examassessment–markingcriteria
WorksubmittedfortheEntryLevelassessmentsshouldreflectthestandardexpectedforalearnerafterafullEntryLevelcourseofstudy.
AllassessmentsforOCR’sEntryLevelinEnglishareinternallyassessedandexternallymoderated.
EachReadingtaskisworth20marks,givingatotalof40marksforReadingassessment.BothReadingtasksassessAO1:Reading.
EachWritingtaskisworth20marks,givingatotalof40marksforWritingassessment.BothWritingtasksassessAO2:Writing.
TheSpokenlanguagetaskisworth20marks,givingatotalof20marksforSpokenlanguageassessment.TheSpokenlanguagetaskassessesAO3:Spokenlanguage
Learners’workshouldbemarkedbythecentreassessortothemarkingcriteriaintherelevanttable,usinga‘best-fit’approach.
Markingshouldbepositive,rewardingachievementratherthanpenalisingfailureoromissions.The
awardingofmarksmustbedirectlyrelatedtothemarkingcriteria.
TheReadingmarkschemescanbefoundwitheachindividualReadingtaskonOCRInterchange.ForthetwoReadingtasksteachersshouldonlyawardmarksaccordingtothemarkschemeforeachindividualtask.Thisistoensurethatallteachersmarktothesamestandard.Learnersarenotexpectedtouseexactlythesamewordsasthosegiveninthemarkschemeandteachersshouldmakejudgementsastowhetherlearnershavegraspedthegistoftheanswersufficientlyforamarktobegiven.
ForthetwoWritingtasksandtheSpokenlanguagetask,teachersshouldusetheirprofessionaljudgementinselectingtheleveldescriptorthat bestdescribestheworkofthelearnertoplacethemintheappropriatelevelforeachassessment.
Toselectthemostappropriatemarkintheleveldescriptor,teachersshouldusethefollowingguidance:
• wherethelearner’sworkconvincinglymeetsthestatement,thehighestmarkshouldbeawarded
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• wherethelearner’sworkadequatelymeetsthestatement,themostappropriatemarkinthemiddleoftherangeshouldbeawarded
• wherethelearner’sworkjustmeetsthestatement,thelowestmarkshouldbeawarded.
Teachersshouldusethefullrangeofmarksavailabletothemandawardfullmarksinanylevelforworkwhichfullymeetsthatdescriptor.
Thelevelofsupportwhichalearnerreceivesmayimpactonthemaximummarkthatcanbeawarded.
Teachersshouldrefertotheguidancegiveninsection4c,‘Levelsofsupport’,beforetheybeginmarkingtheassessments.
There should be clear evidence that work has been attemptedandsomeworkproduced.Ifalearnersubmitsnoworkforanassessmentthenthelearnershouldbeindicatedasbeingabsentfromthatassessment.Ifalearnercompletesanyworkatallfortheassessmentthentheworkshouldbeassessedaccordingtothemarkingcriteriaandtheappropriatemarkawarded,whichmaybezero.Amarkofzeroshould be awarded where there is no response for an itemortask,ornoresponseworthyofcredit.
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ThemarkschemesforeachoftheReadingtaskscanbefoundwiththeindividualtasksonOCRInterchange:https://interchange.ocr.org.uk.
Markingcriteriaforinternalassessments:Reading
Markingcriteriaforinternalassessments:Writing
AO2
Writing
Level3:
[14–20]marks
Learners’writingshowsaclearattempttoorganiseinformationandideastosuitthepurposeofthetaskandtheworkisexpressedwithclarity.Themainfeaturesofnon-fictionandnarrativeformsareusedappropriatelyandthereissomeawarenessofthereader.
Thereisclearevidenceofsustainedwriting.Informativewritingisreasonablycompleteandorderly,andvocabulary,thoughitmaybestraightforward,issuitableforthetask.Statementsofopinionareclearandhavesomeexplanation.Inimaginativewriting,narrativesaresimplewithalogicalseriesofeventsandwithsomedetail.
Sentencesareusuallyarrangedinalogicalsequenceandtheirbasicgrammaticalstructureisusuallycorrect.
Learnersusebasicpunctuation,suchasfullstops,capitallettersandquestionmarks,accuratelyandgenerallyconsistently.Simple,commonlyoccurring,monosyllabicandpolysyllabicwordsarespeltcorrectly
AO2
Writing
Level2:
[7–13]marks
Learners’writingshowssomeattempttoorganiseinformationandideas.Mostoftheworkisexpressedwithclarity.Thewritingcommunicatesoverallmeaninginbothnon-fictionandnarrativeformsandbeginstoshowsomeawareness of the reader.
Thereissomeevidenceofsustainedwriting.Ininformativewriting,informationispresentedinalogicalsequence.Statementsofopinionarebriefandgivesomeexplanationonverysimpleissues.Inimaginativewriting,narrativesaresimple,withsomelogicalseriesofevents.
Somesentencesarearrangedtoshowconnectionsofideas.Sentencesaregenerallysimplewithsomegrammaticalaccuracy.
Learners’useofbasicpunctuation,suchasfullstops,capitallettersandquestionmarks,isgenerallyaccuratebutmaynotbeconsistent.Simple,commonlyoccurringmonosyllabic,andsomepolysyllabic,wordsarespeltcorrectly.
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AO2
Writing
Level1:
[1–6]marks
Learners’writingshowsalimitedattempttoorganiseinformationand ideas.Innon-fictionandnarrativeforms,verysimplemeaningsarecomprehensible.
Learners’writingisbrief.Ininformativewriting,factualworkisusuallypresentedaslistsandopinionpiecesareunelaborated.Inimaginativewriting,storiesandnarrativesaresimpleandmaypresentarandomseriesof events.
Learners’writingcommunicatesthroughsimplewordsandphraseswhichmaynotbecoherentorgrammaticallycorrect.
Basicpunctuation,suchasfullstopsandcapitalletters,aresometimesusedaccurately.Commonlyoccurringmonosyllabicwordsaregenerallyspeltcorrectly.
0marks=noresponseornoresponseworthyofcredit.
Markingcriteriaforinternalassessments:Spokenlanguage
AO3
Spokenlanguage
Level3:
[14–20]marks
Learnersmakedevelopedcontributionstothediscussionorroleplayandwillattemptexplanationsandusedetailindescriptions.Theyspeakaudiblyandarecomprehensiblethroughout.Learnerslistentoothersandrespondappropriately,withsomedetail.TheyusespokenStandardEnglishwhereappropriate.
Learnersfollowandbegintoexplainorexpandonthemainpointsinadiscussionorroleplay.Theycanconveymeaningusingsomedevelopedvocabularytosuitthesituationandaudience.
AO3
Spokenlanguage
Level2:
[7–13]marks
Learnersmakesomecontributionstothediscussionorroleplayandusesomedetail.Learnersspeakaudiblyandarecomprehensible.Theyshowanabilitytolistentoothersandtorespondappropriately,sometimeswithalittledetail.TheybegintousespokenStandardEnglishwhereappropriate.
Learnersfollowthemainpointsinadiscussionorroleplayandshowthattheyhavedonesointheirresponses.Theyconveymeaningusingsimplevocabularytogenerallysuitthesituationandaudience.
AO3
Spokenlanguage
Level1:
[1–6]marks
Learnersspeakbrieflyandmakebasic,undevelopedcontributionstothediscussionorroleplay.Theyspeakaudiblyandaremostlycomprehensible.Theyshowsomeevidenceoflisteningtoothersandofrespondingappropriately.
Theyfollowthemaindriftofatleastpartofadiscussionorroleplayandconvey,insimplevocabulary,simplemeaningsthatarerelevanttothesituationandaudience.
0marks=noresponseornoresponseworthyofcredit.
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Alearner’soverallqualificationgradeforOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglishwillbecalculatedbyaddingtogethertheirmarksfromthetaskstakentogivetheirtotalmark.
Thismarkwillthenbecomparedtothequalificationlevelgradeboundariesfortherelevantexamseriestodeterminethelearner’soverallqualificationgrade.
3g. Calculatingqualificationresults
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Theinformationinthissectionisdesignedtogiveanoverviewoftheprocessesinvolvedinadministeringthisqualificationsothatyoucanspeaktoyourexamsofficer.AllofthefollowingprocessesrequireyoutosubmitsomethingtoOCRbyaspecificdeadline.
MoreinformationabouttheprocessesanddeadlinesinvolvedateachstageoftheassessmentcyclecanbefoundintheAdministrationareaoftheOCRwebsite.
OCR’s Admin overview is available on the OCR website at www.ocr.org.uk/administration.
4 Admin:whatyouneedtoknow
4a. Pre-assessment
Estimatedentries
Estimatedentriesareyourbestprojectionofthenumberoflearnerswhowillbeenteredforaqualificationinaparticularseries.Estimatedentries
shouldbesubmittedtoOCRbythespecifieddeadline.Theyarefreeanddonotcommityourcentre in any way.
Finalentries
FinalentriesprovideOCRwithdetaileddatafor eachlearner,showingeachassessmenttobetaken. Itisessentialthatyouusethecorrectentrycode,consideringtherelevantentryrules.
FinalentriesmustbesubmittedtoOCRbythepublished deadlines or late entry fees will apply.
AlllearnerstakingthisOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglishmustbeenteredforR393.
Entryoption Components
Entry code Title Code Assessment type Submissionmethod
R393 English 01 Non-examassessment OCR Repository
02 Non-examassessment OCRPostalModeration
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Specialconsiderationisapost-assessmentadjustmenttomarksorgradestoreflecttemporaryinjury,illnessorotherindispositionatthetimetheassessmentwastaken.
DetailedinformationabouteligibilityforspecialconsiderationcanbefoundintheJCQpublication A guide to the special consideration process. Adjustmentstostandardassessmentarrangementsaremadeonthebasisoftheindividualneedsoflearners.Itisimportant,therefore,thatcentresidentifyasearlyaspossiblewhetherlearnershavedisabilitiesorparticulardifficultiesthatwillputthematadisadvantageintheassessmentsituationandselectanappropriatequalificationoradjustmentthatwillallowthemtodemonstrateattainment.
TheresponsibilityforprovidingadjustmentstoassessmentissharedbetweenyourcentreandOCR;forfurtherinformationpleasereadtheJointCouncilofQualifications’(JCQ)bookletAccess Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments.
Therearesectionsprovidingeligibilitycriteriaanddetailsrelatingtothedeliveryofeachaccessarrangement.Pleasepayparticularattentiontopages96–97inrelationtoEntryLevelCertificate.Subjecttoanyspecifiedqualificationrestrictions,ifacentrehasapprovalfromAccessArrangementsOnlineforaccessarrangementsforaGCSEorGCElearner,thisapprovalextendstoEntryLevelCertificatequalifications.
TheaccessarrangementspermissibleforuseintheEntryLevelCertificatequalificationsareasfollows:
4b. Accessarrangementsandspecialconsideration
AccessArrangementsforEntryLevelCertificateinEnglish
Thearrangementslistedontherightmaybegrantedbythecentreand do not need to be recorded.
Evidence of need is not required tobeheldonfile.
• Amplificationequipment,tapedquestionsandresponses• Bilingualdictionary• Braillers• Braillingofnon-secureassessmentmaterial• ClosedCircuitTelevision(CCTV)• Colournamingbytheinvigilatorforlearnerswhoarecolour
blind• Colouredoverlays• Lowvisionaid/magnifier• Prompter• ReadAloud• Separateinvigilation(withinthecentre)• Supervisedrestbreaks• Transcript• WordProcessor(withspellcheckandgrammarcheckdisabled)
Wherepermittedbythespecification,thearrangementslistedtotherightmaybegrantedby the centre without prior approvalfromOCR,buta Form11(JCQ/EL/NF)mustbecompletedandkeptonthecentre’sfiles.
Form11isavailablefrom www.jcq.org.uk.
• ComputerReader• Extratimeintimedcomponents• PracticalAssistant• Reader• Scribe/SpeechRecognitionTechnology• SignLanguageInterpreterforfrontpageinstructionsonly
TheForm11(JCQ/EL/NF)mustlistthenamesandnumbersoflearnerswhoweregrantedanyofthesearrangements.
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Theaccessarrangementsdetailedabovemaybeappropriateforlearnerswithdisabilities,specialeducationalneedsortemporaryinjuriesimpactingontheirabilitytoaccesstheassessment,butthisisnotanexhaustivelist.Reasonableadjustmentswhichmaybeappropriateforlearnerswithdisabilitieshavenotbeenlisted;applicationsshouldbemadeonanindividualbasistoOCR.Applicationsreceivedwillbeconsideredinthecontextofthestandardswhichmustbemetineachunitandtheevidenceofneed.
ApplicationsshouldbemadetotheSpecialRequirementsTeamatOCR([email protected]).
TheJCQdocumentA Guide to the Special Consideration Processdocumentshouldalsobereferredtoregardingpost-assessmentspecialconsiderationincasesoftemporaryillness,indispositionorinjury,atthetimeoftheassessment.EntryLevelCertificateapplicationsforspecialconsiderationshouldbesubmittedusingSpecialConsiderationOnline,accessedviaOCRInterchange
4c. Adminofnon-examassessment
Regulationsgoverningarrangementsfor internalassessmentsarecontainedinthe
JCQInstructions for conducting non-examination assessments.
Levelsofsupport
ForeachoftheEntryLevelassessments,theteachermayhelplearnerstounderstandthetasksbutmaynothelpthemwiththecontentoftheiranswers.There are three broad levels of support which teacherscanoffertoenablelearnerstocompletetasksindependently,fromHighlevel,substantialsupport,toLowlevel,minimalsupport.Teachers canofferadifferentlevelofsupportfordifferenttasks.Thelevelofsupportgiventoalearnermayimpacttosomeextentonthemaximummarkwhichcanbeawardedforatask.Thefollowingdescriptionsindicatethedegreeofsupportthatteacherscan givetoenablelearnerstocompletethetasksindependently.
Readingtasks
Teachersshouldintroducethetextbyreadingout thetitleandthelinesprintedinitalics.Theymay alsoreadoutanypropernamesthatmaynotreadilyberecognised.Teachersmayreadoutanyquestion to any learner. Teachers are free to write down answersatthelearner’sdictation.Whereawordinalearner’sresponseisillegible,teachersshouldsupplyareadableversion.Ifnecessary,alearnermaybeaskedtoidentifytheword.
High:LearnersworkingwithhighlevelsupportwillcompletetheReadingtasksincollaborationwiththeteacher.Theteacherwillhelpthemtounderstand thesituationandthetasks.Theteacherwillexpect toreadthetextswiththelearnerandtohelpthemunderstandthemeaningsofwords.Theteachermayfinditappropriatetogetlearnerstoreadthetextaloud.
Medium:Learnersworkingwithmediumlevelsupportwillshowprogresswithindependentreadingandwillreceiveoccasionalhelpwithunderstandingthemeaningsofthetasksandwithunderstandingoccasionalindividualwordsandmeaningsinthetexts.Theteachermayadviselearnerstoreadthetextaloud.
Low:LearnersworkingwithlowlevelsupportwillreadquietlyandworkindependentlyontheReadingtasks.Theteachermayoccasionallyanswerquestionsaboutthewordingsoftasks.
Writingtasks
Theteachermayremindlearnersaboutallrelevantfeaturesoftheirwritingandofferreassuranceas
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necessary. Work should not be corrected as learners write,butteachersshouldindicateonthescriptanywordswithwhichtheyhavegivenassistance.
High:Learnersworkingwithhighlevelsupportwillmakepositiveachievementsincollaborationwith the teacher. The teacher can help learners with individualwordsandphrasesintheirwritingandofferguidancewhereitisneeded.LearnersworkingwithhighlevelsupportwillusuallyfinditdifficulttowritemorethanabriefresponseandwillthereforeusuallybeexpectedtobeworkingatLevel1standard.
Medium:Learnersworkingwithmediumlevelsupportwillshowprogresswithindependentwritingbuttheteachermayhelpthemwithindividualwordsintheirwriting.LearnersworkingwithmediumlevelsupportshouldgivesomeevidenceoftheirabilitytosustainwritingandwillusuallybeexpectedtobeworkingatLevel2standard.
Low:Learnersworkingwithlowlevelsupportwillcompletetheirworkundernormalinternalassessmentconditions.Learnersworkingwithlowlevel support should be able to plan and write independentlyandshouldgiveevidenceoftheirabilitytosustainwritingatareasonablelength.LearnersworkingwithlowlevelsupportwillusuallybeexpectedtobeworkingatLevel3standard.
Spokenlanguage
Teachers should ensure that learners understand whattheyhavetodobeforethebeginningofthetask.Duringthetasktheteachershouldinterveneaslittleaspossible.
High:Learnersworkingwithhighlevelsupportwillmakepositivecontributionstotheactivityincollaborationwiththeteacher.Theteachermayencouragelearnersandpromptthemtocommunicateinformationortorespondtoquestions.Theteachercanremindlearnersofthesituationandaudienceforthe task. The discussion or role play will be led by the teacher.LearnersworkingwithhighlevelsupportwillusuallybeexpectedtobeworkingatLevel1standard.
Medium: Learnersworkingwithmediumlevelsupportwillshowprogresswithindependentparticipationintheactivity.Theteachermayencouragelearnersandpromptthemtoexpandoncomments.Theycanremindlearnersofthesituationandaudienceforthetask.LearnersworkingwithmediumlevelsupportwillusuallybeexpectedtobeworkingatLevel2standard.
Low: Learnersworkingwithlowlevelsupportwillindependentlyparticipateintheactivity.Theteachermayoccasionallyencouragelearnersandpromptthemtoexpandoncomments.LearnersworkingwithlowlevelsupportwillusuallybeexpectedtobeworkingatLevel3standard.
Authenticationoflearner’swork
Centresmustdeclarethattheworksubmittedforassessmentisthelearner’sownbycompletingacentreauthenticationform(CCS160).ThisinformationmustberetainedatthecentreandbeavailableonrequesttoeitherOCRortheJCQcentre
inspectionservice.ItmustbekeptuntilthedeadlinehaspassedforcentrestosubmitanEnquiryAboutResults(EAR).OncethisdeadlinehaspassedandcentreshavenotrequestedanEAR,thisevidencecanbe destroyed.
HeadofCentreAnnualDeclaration
The Head of Centre is required to provide a declarationtotheJCQaspartoftheannualNCNupdate,conductedintheautumnterm,toconfirmthatthecentreismeetingalloftherequirementsdetailedinthespecification.
AnyfailurebyacentretoprovidetheHeadofCentreAnnualDeclarationwillresultinyourcentrestatusbeingsuspendedandcouldleadtothewithdrawalofour approval for you to operate as a centre.
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Privatecandidates
PrivatecandidatesmayenterforOCRassessments.
Aprivatecandidateissomeonewhopursuesacourseofstudyindependentlybuttakesanexaminationorassessmentatanapprovedexaminationcentre.Aprivatecandidatemaybeapart-timestudent,someonetakingadistancelearningcourse,orsomeonebeingtutoredprivately.TheymustbebasedintheUK.
TheEntryLevelCertificateinEnglishrequireslearnerstocompleteatotaloffivetasks:twoReadingtasks,twoWritingtasksandoneSpokenLanguagetask.
Thesetasksareanessentialpartofthecourseandwill allow learners to develop skills for further study oremploymentaswellastheconfidencetocommunicateeffectively.
Private candidates need to contact OCR approved centres to establish whether they are prepared to hostthemasaprivatecandidate.ThecentremaychargeforthisfacilityandOCRrecommendsthatthearrangementismadeearlyinthecourse.
FurtherguidanceforprivatecandidatesmaybefoundontheOCRwebsite:http://www.ocr.org.uk.
Internalstandardisation
Centresmustcarryoutinternalstandardisationtoensurethatmarksawardedbydifferentteachersare
accurate and consistent across all learners entered for thecomponentfromthatcentre.
Moderation
Thepurposeofmoderationistobringthemarkingofinternally-assessedassessmentsinallparticipatingcentrestoanagreedstandard.Thisisachievedbycheckingasampleofeachcentre’smarkingoflearner’s work.
Followinginternalstandardisation,centressubmitmarkstoOCRandthemoderator.Ifthereare10learnersorfewer,alltheworkshouldbesubmittedformoderationatthesametimeasmarksaresubmitted.
OncemarkshavebeensubmittedtoOCRandyourmoderator,centreswillreceiveamoderationsamplerequest.Sampleswillincludeworkfromacrosstherangeofattainmentofthelearners’work.
Therearetwowaystosubmitasample:
ModerationviatheOCRRepository–Whereyouupload electronic copies of the work included in the sampletotheOCRRepositoryandyourmoderatoraccessestheworkfromthere.
Postalmoderation–Whereyoupostthesampleofworktothemoderator.
Themethodthatwillbeusedtosubmitthe moderationsamplemustbespecifiedwhen
makingentries.TherelevantentrycodesaregiveninSection4aabove.
Alllearners’workmustbesubmittedusingthesameentryoption.Itisnotpossibleforcentrestoofferbothoptionswithinthesameseries.
Each learner’s work should have a cover sheet attachedtoitwithasummaryofthemarksawardedfortheReading,WritingandSpokenlanguagetasks. Iftheworkistobesubmittedindigitalformat,thiscoversheetshouldalsobesubmittedelectronicallywithineachlearner’sfolder.Formoreinformation ontheevidencerequiredformoderation,seesection5dFiles.
Centreswillreceivetheoutcomeofmoderation when the provisional results are issued. This will include:
ModerationAdjustmentsReport–Listingany scalingthathasbeenappliedtointernallyassessedassessments.
Moderator Report to Centres–Abriefreportby themoderatorontheinternalassessmentoflearners’ work.
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GradeScale
EntryLevelqualificationsaregradedonthescale:Entry3,Entry2andEntry1,whereEntry3isthehighestgradeavailable.LearnerswhofailtoreachtheminimumstandardofEntry1willbeUnclassified(U).
OnlysubjectsinwhichgradesEntry3,Entry2 andEntry1areattainedwillberecordedoncertificates.
Results
Results are released to centres and learners for informationandtoallowanyqueriestoberesolvedbeforecertificatesareissued.
Centreswillhaveaccesstothefollowingresultsinformationforeachlearner:
• thegradeforthequalification
• thetotalmarkforthequalification.
Thefollowingsupportinginformationwillbeavailable:
• gradeboundariesforeachentryoption.
Untilcertificatesareissued,resultsaredeemedtobeprovisionalandmaybesubjecttoamendment.
Alearner’sfinalresultswillberecordedonanOCRcertificate.Thequalificationtitlewillbeshownonthecertificateas‘OCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglish’.
4e. Post-resultsservices
Anumberofpost-resultsservicesareavailable:
• Enquiriesaboutresults–Ifyouarenothappywiththeoutcomeofalearner’sresults,centresmaysubmitanenquiryaboutresults.
• Missingandincompleteresults–Thisserviceshouldbeusedifanindividualsubjectresultforalearnerismissing,orthelearnerhasbeenomittedentirelyfromtheresultssupplied.
4f. Malpractice
It is the responsibility of the Head of Centre to report (inwriting)allcasesofsuspectedmalpracticeinvolvingcentrestafforcandidates,[email protected].
WhenaskedtodosobyOCR,HeadsofCentres arerequiredtoinvestigateinstancesofmalpracticepromptly,andreporttheoutcomesto [email protected].
FurtherinformationiscontainedintheJCQpublication: General and Vocational Qualifications – Suspected Malpractice in Examinations and Assessments whichisavailablefromwww.jcq.org.uk.
4d. Resultsandcertificates
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5a. Awardingofgrades
ThegradesawardedfortheEntryLevelCertificateinEnglishwillbeatthreelevels:Entry1,Entry2andEntry3.
Allmarkschemeshavebeenwrittentoaddressthefollowingtargetedthresholds:
5 Appendices
SpecificationGrade Entry 3 Entry 2 Entry 1
Target 80% 60% 40%
5b. Overlapwithotherqualifications
ThereissomeoverlapofcontentwiththeOCRGCSE(9–1)inEnglishLanguage,althoughtheassessmentrequirementsaredifferent.
ThereisadegreeofoverlapbetweenthecontentofthisspecificationandthoseforotherEntryLevelCertificatesinEnglish.
5c. Keyskillssections
ThisspecificationprovidesopportunitiesforthedevelopmentoftheKeySkillsofCommunication, Application of Number, Information Technology, Working with Others, Improving Own Learning and Performance and Problem Solving at Level 1. However,theextenttowhichthisevidencefulfilstheKey Skills criteria at these levels will be totally
dependentonthestyleofteachingandlearningadopted for each unit.
ThefollowingtableindicateswhereopportunitiesmayexistforatleastsomecoverageofthevariousKeySkillscriteriaatLevel1foreachunit.
Unit C1
AoN1
IT1
WwO1
IoLP1
PS1
R393 ü ü ü ü ü
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AllcentresenteringlearnersfortheOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglishmustsubmitasampleoflearners’filesasevidenceformoderation.Learners’filescanbesubmittedelectronicallyviatheOCRRepositoryorsubmittedforpostalmoderation. Seesection4afortherelevantentrycodes.
AlltheEntryLevelEnglishtasksareinternallyassessed.Theyaremarkedbytheteacherandinternally standardised by the centre. Marks are thensubmittedtoOCRby15Mayonanannualbasis,afterwhichmoderationtakesplaceinaccordancewithOCRprocedures.Thepurposeofmoderationistoensurethatthestandardoftheawardofmarks forworkisthesameforeachcentreandthateachteacher has applied the standards appropriately acrosstherangeoflearnerswithinthecentre.
OncemarkshavebeensubmittedtoOCRandyourmoderator,centreswillreceiveamoderationsamplerequest.
Thesamplewillconsistof10learnersfromacross thecentre’sattainmentrange.Where10learnersorfewerareenteredforthequalification,thecentre willsubmitfilesforalllearners.Filessubmittedformoderationshouldbeclearlylabelledandincludethefollowingdetails:
• centrenumber
• centrename
• candidatenumber
• candidatename
• tasktitle.
Eachlearner’sfileshouldincludeacoversheet withdetailsofthemarksawardedforeachtaskinaccordancewiththemarkingcriteria.Ifthework istobesubmittedelectronically,thiscoversheetshouldalsobesubmittedelectronicallywithineachlearner’sfile.
Eachlearnerfileshouldcontainthefollowingevidenceandshouldbesubmittedforeachlearner inthesample:
• thetwoReadingtasks
• thetwoWritingtasks
• ACDorDVDcontaininganaudiorecordingofthelearner’sSpokenlanguagetask.ThecentreisresponsibleforprovidingaCDorDVDforthispurpose.
CompatibleaudiofileformatsfortherecordingoftheSpokenlanguagetaskaregiveninthetablebelow.
Audioorsoundformats
MPEGAudioLayer3(*.mp3)
5d. Files
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5e. Interimawards
TheEntryLevelEnglishcoursewillleadtofinalcertificationbyOCRatEntryLevel1,2or3.However,thisspecificationalsoprovidestheopportunityforinterimcertificationtobeachievedbylearnersatstagesduringthecourse.Theseinterimcertificatesareavailableatthreedifferentlevels:Bronze,SilverandGold.Thesecertificatesareawardedtolearnersbythecentreinrecognitionoftheprogresstheyhavemade.
ThecentremayawardinterimcertificatesatBronze,SilverandGold,asdescribedbelow.Theseinterimawardsprovidemotivationandmaintainengagementbyrecognisinglearners’progressintheOCR EntryLevelCertificateinEnglish.Thecertificates areavailabletodownloadviaInterchange https://interchange.ocr.org.uk.
Awardsarebasedoncreditaccumulationduringthecourse. Any combinationofmarksgainedfrom theinterimassessmenttaskscanbeusedtoreachthethresholdtotalforeachlevelofinterimawards.
Teacherswillneedtomonitortheperformanceoflearnersatfrequentintervalsduringthecourse.AstheyapproachthethreekeypointsfortheinterimawardsofBronze,SilverandGold,learnersshouldbeawareofhowclosetheyaretoachievingtheiraward.
BronzeAward(40%):Threshold:40marksAnexampleofaperformanceforBronzeaward wouldbe:
Reading(01)Understandinganon-fictiontext– 7marksoutof20Understandingaliterarytext – 8marksoutof20
Writing(02)Informativewriting – 10marksoutof20Imaginativewriting – 5marksoutof20
Spokenlanguage(03)Discussionorroleplay – 10marksoutof20
Thisrepresentsanoverallachievementof40%.
SilverAward(60%):Threshold:60marksAnexampleofaperformanceforSilveraward wouldbe:
Reading(01)Understandinganon-fictiontext– 12marksoutof20Understandingaliterarytext – 13marksoutof20
Writing(02)Informativewriting – 13marksoutof20Imaginativewriting – 10marksoutof20
Spokenlanguage(03)Discussionorroleplay – 12marksoutof20
Thisrepresentsanoverallachievementof60%.
GoldAward(80%):Threshold:80marks AnexampleofaperformanceforGoldawardwouldbe:
Reading(01)Understandinganon-fictiontext– 17marksoutof20Understandingaliterarytext – 17marksoutof20
Writing(02)Informativewriting – 14marksoutof20Imaginativewriting – 16marksoutof20
Spokenlanguage(03)Discussionorroleplay – 16marksoutof20
Thisrepresentsanoverallachievementof80%.
InterimcertificatesforBronze,SilverandGoldawardscanbeawardedbycentresatanytimeduringtheEntryLevelcourse,butfinalgradecertificateswillonlybeissuedbyOCRwhenlearnershavecompletedtheOCREntryLevelCertificateinEnglish.Interimcertificationisasuggestionforthiscourseofstudyandisnotarequirementofthisspecification.
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Summaryofupdates
Date Version Section Titleofsection Change
May2018 1.1 Frontcover Disclaimer Additionofdisclaimer
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OCR is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group, a department of the University of Cambridge.
For staff training purposes and as part of our quality assurance programme your call may be recorded or monitored. ©OCR 2018 Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations is a Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England. Registered office 1 Hills Road, Cambridge CB1 2EU. Registered company number 3484466. OCR is an exempt charity.
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