Level 3 Applied Diploma in Food Science & Nutrition

Award:  Level 3 Diploma

Awarding Body: WJEC

AS Offered: Level 3 Certificate

Specification Code: 601/4552/3 

Specification Website: https://www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/food-science-and-nutrition-level-3/#tab_keydocuments

Institution: Westside

This Level 3 course has three units:

Unit 1: Meeting Nutritional Needs of Specific Groups, completed in Year 12 involves a controlled assessment and a written examination. The unit deals with real life scenarios and case studies involving a spa, care home, café or hotel and there is an examined practical where food suitable for a specific nutritional need is prepared.

Unit 2: Ensuring Food is Safe to Eat, is completed in Year 13 has an internal assessment completed under timed conditions. This involves analysing all the risks in a particular food setting such as a food festival or buffet.

Unit 3: Experimenting to Solve Food Production Problems or Unit 4: Current Issues in Food Science and Nutrition is completed in Year 13 and is chosen by the student. It involves a controlled assessment. Unit 3 deals with a problem such as how to avoid soggy pastry or meringues that break too easily, and the work involves carrying out experiments which would result in how to make the best pastry or meringue. Unit 4 could be an investigation into a contemporary issue such as vegan foods, healthy school meals or eating healthily on a budget.

If you choose to complete Unit 1 only in Year 12 you will be awarded a Certificate of Food Science and Nutrition.

The course covers the following topics: Nutritional needs; Nutrient structure; Energy balance; Dietary planning; Current health factors and concerns; Health promotion; Dietary needs of individuals; Influences of Culture; Food choice; Current issues; Food safety and hygiene; Food science; Food Production; Food poisoning; Risk Assessment and Sensory Analysis.

Internal assessment

Unit 1: Meeting Nutritional Needs of Specific Groups. 

This unit is also externally assessed. Details of the external assessment can be found in section 3.1. Details of the unit grading are in section 4. 

Unit 3: Experimenting to Solve Food Production Problems.

Unit 4: Current issues in Food Science and Nutrition.

External assessment

Unit 1: Meeting Nutritional Needs of Specific Groups will be both internally and externally assessed. Details of internal assessment can be found in section 3.2. Details of how the unit is graded can be found in section 4. 

Details of the external assessment are as follows:

90 minute examination; plus 15 minutes reading time

Total of 90 marks

Three sections on each paper:

Section A is short answer questions .

Section B is extended answer questions.

Section C relates to a case study.

Each paper will be available in June of each year.

Learners are allowed two resit opportunities. The highest grade will contribute towards the overall grade for the qualification.

WJEC will produce a mark scheme which will be used as the basis for marking the examination papers 

The paper will be graded Level 3 Pass, Level 3 Merit and Level 3 Distinction.