Draft A level Sciences 2015 FAQs

1. When are A levels for Science subjects changing?

New specifications for the A level Science subjects will be available for teaching from September 2015, with the first
AS examinations in summer 2016 and the first A level examinations in summer 2017.
2. Are the new A levels going to be very different from the current ones?
The subject criteria for A level Biology, Chemistry and Physics remain mostly the same, with only minor changes, such
as the movement of some content from AS to A Level or vice versa. There are, however, changes to the role of the AS
qualification, the assessment of practical work, and the assessment model for external exams.
3. When will the specifications be available?
Draft specifications, along with sample question papers, will be available on our website shortly after we submit the
draft materials to Ofqual at the end of June. Please note that the qualifications are still subject to change pending their
accreditation by Ofqual, which we hope to happen during the autumn term.
4. How will I know the specifications are accredited? And will I get copies of the final
specifications?
Well let schools know when the accredited specifications are available. To make sure youre informed, simply sign up
to receive our emails. Registering your interest in our AS and A level Biology, Chemistry and Physics specifications is
a great way to ensure youre up to date.
5. Will there only be one set of sample question papers?
Were providing draft sample assessment materials alongside the draft specifications. When they are accredited, we will
use this initial set of sample papers to generate exemplar student answers, with commentary from one of our senior
examiners. A second set of specimen papers will also be created for you around the time you start teaching.
6. How can I provide feedback on the draft specification and sample assessment materials?
We welcome your feedback on the draft materials as well as suggestions for any support material that youd like to
see. You can contact the Science team by email at scienceteamupdates@pearson.com.
7. What training will you be offering teachers for the new specifications?
Our series of free launch events for A level Sciences will be running throughout July and the autumn term. At these
launch events, not only can you learn more about our specifications, but one of our science team will also be available
to point out some key features of the specifications and sample papers.
Theres also a series of pages on our website to help you explore and get the most out of our new specifications.
These pages are filled with videos and interactive documents that illustrate the changes to A level sciences, key
features of the specifications, as well as linking to the draft specifications and sample assessment materials.
8. How can I register an interest in teaching the new Pearson Edexcel A level Sciences
qualifications?
Please register your interest in teaching our new qualifications by completing forms for: Biology, Chemistry and
Physics.

Changes to AS subjects
1. Will AS still exist in science subjects after 2015?
Yes AS will still exist, but it will now be a stand-alone qualification that will not form part of the final A level grade.
For students who take A level, their A level grade depends solely on their performance in the A level papers at the
end of the course.
2. So can students take AS exams and then go on to A level?
Students can take formal AS examinations, as they do now, and proceed to A level. However, their A level grade is
independent of their results for any AS examinations sat.
3. Can I teach AS students and A level students in the same class?
AS and A level are fully co-teachable; the AS material would usually make up the first year of the A level course.
4. My students are going to take full A level, so Id like them to sit AS as a mock halfway
through the course. Is this possible?
Yes, your students can sit the public AS exams. Please note that grades can no longer be declined as part of the UCAS
process. This means that any grades students achieve in the public AS examinations will need to be declared as part of
the UCAS process.
Students are also able to sit the AS paper as a mock examination (perhaps at the start of Year 13), using our Mocks
Analysis service.
5. Whats Mocks Analysis?
Mocks Analysis is part of our ResultsPlus service, that gives you feedback on student performance in our question
papers.
Usually, this feedback happens after the exam has happened; but the Mocks Analysis service means that if you use a
past paper as a mock exam, you can upload your students marks to ResultsPlus and it will give you the same level of
analysis, as if your students had sat the examination in the live examination series.

Changes to assessment, including practical assessment

1. What changes will I see in question papers?
Youll still see a range of question types, from multiple choice to longer open-response questions. A new addition is
the inclusion of questions that will cover aspects of practical work. A proportion of marks will also assess the use of
mathematical skills within science (10% in Biology, 20% in Chemistry and 40% in Physics).
2. What are the arrangements for coursework in the new specifications?
There is no coursework component for any of the A level Sciences.
3. If theres no coursework, how is practical work assessed?
Hands-on practical skills will be assessed by teachers and reported separately to the A level grade as a measure
of practical competency. This assessment will be based on core practicals which we recommend you complete
throughout the course. In addition, there will be assessment of some practical skills in written exam papers so that
the new A levels are 100% externally assessed.
4. Why will practical work be assessed this way?
This system for practical work was proposed by Ofqual and was subject to public consultation. The new regulations
are part of the new subject criteria and are common across all specifications for all awarding bodies.
5. How will we know what practical work to do?
Each specification contains a number of core practicals, which we recommend that you complete whilst teaching the
course. These core practicals are designed to cover the skills and techniques, mandatory for A level students, that
appear in Appendix 5c of the subject criteria and our draft specifications.

6. Why do we need to do the core practicals?

Core practicals represent a minimum number of practicals to complement the learning of your students. Theyre
also part of the specification, so students will have questions about these practical activities as part of their written
examinations. In addition to this, completion of the core practical activities will form the basis for the teacher-assessed
practical competency grade.
7. What if I want to change one of the core practicals?
Well map core practicals to the skills that they cover, so you can change to an alternative practical if you wish to as
long as students develop competency in all the skills and techniques specified.
8. How will the practical competency be assessed?
The grade pass or not reported will be reported alongside the A level grade, but does not affect the A level
grade. Teachers make the judgement whether a student has passed, using a series of competency statements. Awarding
bodies will require some evidence to authenticate your assessment: this will include a record that core practical
activities have been carried out, and will also involve centre visits. Final arrangements for the administration of the
practical competency measure will be made available following an Ofqual trial of the competency statements this
autumn.
9. Will the practical competency form part of UCAS offers?

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That will be a decision for universities to make, but professional bodies involved in science education (Society of
Biology, Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Physics) are strongly recommending that universities should ask for a
pass in the practical competency, as well as an A level grade.