Final Checks

Checking Evidence in the Report

You will need to compare your write up against the 'To Do Lists' on this website to make sure you have carried out each item that is applicable to your project.

You should also compare your work against the mark scheme to make sure you have covered each of the areas covered in it.

One way of checking your work is to get a printed copy of the mark scheme and use a highlighter to highlight each of the areas there is clear evidence for in your project. If there are any areas missing or where the evidence is not clear this should be noted down and improved if time allows.

Always consider how long it will take to develop your evidence for the different sections. If you would need to spend ten hours improving some minor features of the solution to gain only a few marks this may not be as important as spending three hours improving the Testing Section to take it from a Level 2 on the mark scheme to a Level 4.

Documentation and Evidence

Your documentation is essential for success in the NEA because it allows you to show the process you have followed and allows you to show the final solution works.

You will need to spend some time reviewing the layout to make sure that the document is ready to be submitted.

The following checks should be carried out on your documentation:

• Each page has a suitable header and footer containing:

  • • Candidate name

    • Candidate number

    • Centre name

    • Centre number

    • Project title

    • Page number

• A table of contents has been added and it has been updated

• Each section has a clear heading and relates to part of the mark scheme

• Sub-headings are used effectively

• Screenshots are readable and clear

• References to evidence are accurate

• Wording is clear and concise

• Referencing is complete and accurate

Proof-reading

A spellchecker is usually an in-built component of the word processing package that has been used. Make sure you use it to find any errors and correct them. Submitting work with poor spelling and grammar gives a bad impression.

Remember that spellcheckers do not catch all errors so be sure to have read through your work at least once from the beginning to the end. Confusing wording or inaccurate terminology can lose you marks if they cause the moderator to misunderstand what is being said.

Referencing

not referencing sources that you have used is considered cheating. If you are found to have used sources and not referenced them then you may :

• Receive no marks for your work

• Be stopped from taking your A level

Markers and moderators must be able to see the following:

• What has been copied from another source

• That the source has been acknowledged

• Where/how you have developed the source material into your own project or words.

Plagiarism checkers may be used if there is any worry about the works authenticity. These are sophisticated in flagging up areas of reports or projects that have been copied.

Submitting Video Evidence

It is perfectly acceptable to submit video evidence for your project. It is most likely that this will be used for evidence of testing.

No electronic work may be submitted to the exam board, however, the moderator will be able to view evidence that is publicly accessible. It is suggested that you use Google Drive or YouTube to post your video.

You will need to make sure that:

• The video has been uploaded

• You have checked the video plays correctly

• The settings allow the general public to access the video

• You have added the links to the video into your report - make sure the full URL is printed, not hyperlinked with an underline.

• If uploading the video to a file-sharing site you make sure it is in an MP4 format, testing it on at least two different devices to make sure that it plays correctly

When giving the URL to your video in the report you will need to:

• Remove the hyperlink formatting in the document as it is printed and the hyperlink may obscure characters and symbols

• Check that characters such as 1,i,I,l and L are easy to differentiate

• Ask someone else to check that they can enter the URL without difficulty.

Submitting Your Report

Your report must be submitted in paper form.

When submitting your work you must include:

• The paper report

• A signed Candidate Record Form (CRF)

• If you are providing video evidence, then the URLs of the videos.