1. In-Service Teacher Training
Assessment in IGCSE Business Studies 0450
Session 2: Question papers and mark schemes

2. Welcome Introductions Background Aim of training
1. It is important that you introduce yourself and outline your experience. The delegates should then introduce themselves and outline their experience. (It is often a good idea to get the delegates to write this information down as it is unlikely you will remember it - unless you already know the delegates, in which case you may wish to skip this slide.)
2. Explain the background to the training, such as:
who requested it;
where the training is from (a pack acquired from CIE for self
delivery, adapted for your own needs);
why they are taking part.
3. Explain that the aim of the training is to give teachers a greater understanding of the assessment process so that they will feel in a better position to prepare their students for the examination. By improving teachers’ understanding of the process they will be able to guide and prepare students to help ensure that candidate performance is maximised.

3. Session 2 looks at: how question papers are set
how mark schemes are constructed
Session 2 looks at:
how question papers are set;
how mark schemes are constructed.

4. Assessment process stages
1. Draft question papers 
2. Committee stage  3. Final draft  4. Papers sat by
candidates
9. Appeals process available Papers marked
 
8. Results  7. Grade review  6.Grade boundaries
published meeting set
1. First, question papers are drafted by the principal examiner. They will refer to the syllabus to ensure questions only come from the curriculum content and also set questions which test the assessment objectives in their correct weightings according to the weightings outlined in the syllabus.
The draft paper is then sent to one or two paper moderators. Comments are sent back to the principal examiner who makes adjustments to the paper in the light of the comments from the moderators.
2. The adjusted draft papers are then brought before a Question Paper Examination Committee. This Committee goes through all the papers for a particular examination session. The questions are checked for their wording, concepts being tested, weighting of assessment objectives and coverage of the curriculum content across the different papers to ensure breadth of coverage and no overlap of questions across the different papers. They are also compared with previous years to ensure that they are consistent and fair to candidates.
[NOTES CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE.]

5. Assessment process stages
1. Draft question Papers 
2. Committee stage  3. Final draft  4. Papers sat by
candidates
9. Appeals process available Papers marked
 
8. Results  7. Grade review  6.Grade boundaries
published meeting set
Assessment process stages contd.
3. In the light of the comments of the committee and vetter and reviser the final drafts of the question papers are produced.
The papers are sent to be printed and are checked several times for accuracy and clarity of questions.
4. The papers are then sat by candidates.
5. The scripts (completed papers) are then sent to the examiners for marking. The principal examiners will have set the mark schemes alongside the preparation of the question papers and they will have also been checked at each stage of the question paper preparation process. The principal examiner and the team leaders for the paper will mark several scripts to see how the mark scheme is being applied. They will check that the mark scheme is fair and allows for variations in candidate answers to questions. The mark scheme will be finalised. There is then a co-ordination meeting for all the examiners to ensure they are all applying the mark scheme accurately and fairly to all scripts.
[NOTES CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE.]

6. Assessment process stages
1. Draft question Papers 
2. Committee stage  3. Final draft  4. Papers sat by
candidates
9. Appeals process available Papers marked
 
8. Results  7. Grade review  6.Grade boundaries
published meeting set
Assessment process stages contd.
6. All the candidate marks are entered onto the computer. There is a grading meeting where the principal examiners and the CIE Product Manager set the grade boundaries for the examination. The grade boundaries are set for each examination session to ensure that they are fair to candidates. If a paper has proved slightly more difficult than in previous years then the boundaries will be adjusted down, or if slightly easier then the boundaries will be raised. The committee will look at previous years’ scripts to ensure the boundaries are fair to candidates.
7. The candidate grades will be calculated by adding all the marks achieved on the different examination papers. A grade review meeting, where candidates have their grades and scripts reviewed, is then carried out by the principal and senior examiners.
8. Finally the results are published. The Report on the Examination is also published and issued to Centres.
9. If candidates feel that they had done better than the grade they achieved they can pay to have their scripts re-marked. The candidates’ teachers would normally be expected to support the re-mark. Very few enquiries result in grades being changed and, as grades can go down as well as up, there is a risk to the candidate in the process.

7. Setting questions Selection of assessment objectives
Use of command words
Selection of assessment objectives
When deciding on the questions to ask on the examination paper, the principal examiner must decide which assessment objectives, as outlined in the syllabus, they want to test.
ACTIVITY 2.6 In small groups, get the delegates to look at the assessment objectives in the syllabus again. Give the delegates some past papers (June 2002).
Using Handout 2.6 as a model, put a grid on the board with 4 labelled columns, one for each of the assessment objectives (demonstrate knowledge and understanding, apply knowledge and understanding, analyse, evaluate) The groups copy the grid and then put the command words from the past papers in the assessment objective column they think the command word is testing. Get the whole group to combine their words and discuss their choices. NB Some command words can test more than one objective.
Once complete, give the delegates Handout 2.6 to show which command words go in which column. Delegates should be given chance to compare what they thought with the handout before you discuss the similarities and differences.

8. Practising setting questions
Teacher Activity 2.7
Curriculum content
Assessment objectives
Multiple marks
Practising setting questions
ACTIVITY 2.7
The delegates should get into groups and each group should select a different section of the curriculum content.
The groups should then each set a question which has several parts and adds up to 20 marks. The parts of the question should test the different assessment objectives. Each assessment objective should have the same number of marks, i.e. 5 marks for knowledge and understanding, 5 marks for application, 5 marks for analysis and 5 marks for evaluation.
The command words used should result in 5 marks for each of the assessment objectives. However, a question part can have, for example, 10 marks, but reward several assessment objectives.
Reminder: some questions will cover more than one assessment objective.

9. Setting mark schemes Points-based mark schemes
Levels of response mark schemes
Practising setting mark schemes
Setting mark schemes
Hand out the June 2002 mark scheme for Paper 1 and Paper 2, together with handout 2.8a. Discuss what is meant by a points-based mark scheme and a levels of response mark scheme. (Points-based marking schemes normally use the principal of one mark for each appropriate point made. Further marks may then be awarded for applying the point or developing it in detail. Level of response marking schemes are used to reward the quality of the answer, not the number of points made.)
(The mark scheme provided may not say level 1, level 2, level 3 but they are implied by the different levels of marks that are allocated, e.g. for a 10 mark question 8-10 marks = level 3, 4-7 marks = level 2, 1-3 marks = level 1.)
ACTIVITY 2. 8b PRACTISING SETTING MARK SCHEMES
In groups, delegates need to produce a mark scheme for their questions prepared in ACTIVITY 2.7 in line with the mark scheme provided and including levels of response where applicable. They need to reward the assessment objectives in proportion to those set originally, i.e. 5 marks for knowledge and understanding, 5 for application, 5 for analysis and 5 for evaluation.
When complete, each group should swap with the other groups and then compare questions and mark schemes, considering such questions as, would the mark schemes be applied accurately? Are the mark schemes clear?

10. Closing comments
Discuss with delegates that they should now appreciate what examiners are looking for when they set question papers and the mark schemes which go with them. Teaching methods should develop the skills outlined in the assessment objectives and formative assessment should inform the teacher the extent of development of these skills.