Weighting of each criterion

Personal engagement assesses the extent to which the student engages with the exploration and makes it their own. These could include addressing personal interests or showing evidence of independent thinking, creativity or initiative in the designing, implementation or presentation of the investigation.

Exploration assesses the extent to which the student establishes the scientific context for the work, states a clear and focused research question and uses concepts and techniques appropriate to Diploma level. Where appropriate, this criterion also assesses awareness of safety, environmental, and ethical considerations.

Analysis assesses the extent to which the student’s report provides evidence that the student has selected, recorded, processed and interpreted the data in ways that are relevant to the research question and can support a conclusion.

Evaluation assesses the extent to which the student’s report provides evidence of evaluation of the investigation and the results with regard to the research question and the accepted scientific context.

Communication assesses whether the investigation is presented and reported in a way that supports effective communication of the focus, process and outcomes