,Edexcel and BTEC Qualifications
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• All candidates must receive the same treatment. Examiners
must mark the first candidate in exactly the same way as they
mark the last.
• Mark schemes should be applied positively. Candidates must be
rewarded for what they have shown they can do rather than
penalised for omissions.
• Examiners should mark according to the mark scheme not
according to their perception of where the grade boundaries may
lie.
• There is no ceiling on achievement. All marks on the mark scheme
should be used appropriately.
• All the marks on the mark scheme are designed to be awarded.
Examiners should always award full marks if deserved, i.e. if the
answer matches the mark scheme. Examiners should also be
prepared to award zero marks if the candidate’s response is not
worthy of credit according to the mark scheme.
• Where some judgement is required, mark schemes will provide
the principles by which marks will be awarded and
exemplification may be limited.
• When examiners are in doubt regarding the application of the
mark scheme to a candidate’s response, the team leader must be
consulted.
• Crossed out work should be marked UNLESS the candidate has
replaced it with an alternative response.
, Mark schemes have been developed so that the rubrics of each mark scheme reflects
the characteristics of the skills within the AO being targeted and the requirements of
the command word. So for example the command word ‘Explain’ requires an
identification of a point and then reasoning/justification of the point.
Explain questions can be asked across all AOs. The distinction comes whether the
identification is via a judgment made to reach a conclusion, or, making a point through
application of knowledge to reason/justify the point made through application of
understanding. It is the combination and linkage of the marking points that is needed
to gain full marks.
When marking questions with a ‘describe’ or ‘explain’ command word, the detailed
marking guidance below should be consulted to ensure consistency of marking.
Assessment Command Word
Objective
Strand Element Describe Explain
AO1 An answer that combines the An explanation that links
marking points to provide a identification of a point with
logical description reasoning/justification(s) as
required
AO2 An answer that combines the An explanation that links
marking points to provide a identification of a point (by
logical description, showing applying knowledge) with
application of knowledge and reasoning/justification
understanding (application of understanding)
AO3 1a and An answer that combines
1b points of
interpretation/evaluation to
provide a logical description
AO3 2a and An explanation that combines
2b identification via a judgment
to reach a conclusion via
justification/reasoning
AO3 3a An answer that combines the
marking points to provide a
logical description of the
plan/method/experiment
AO3 3b An explanation that combines
identifying an improvement of
the experimental procedure
with a linked
justification/reasoning
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