Guidance

GCSE Assessment Objectives: modern foreign languages, ancient languages, geography and history

Published 9 April 2014

Applies to England

1. Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives are part of the assessment arrangements for these qualifications and we intend to adopt them into our regulatory framework to be published alongside the subject-specific conditions (in the same way as we have today for GCSEs in mathematics, English language and English literature).

However, in order that our decisions and consultation can be considered alongside the relevant content and the assessment objectives we have included the latest versions of the assessment objectives below for information.

We have not included the assessment objectives for the sciences as these will be included in our forthcoming consultation on assessment arrangements.

2. Modern foreign language assessment objectives

Objective	Requirements	Weighting
AO1	Listening: Understand and respond to different types of spoken language.	25%
AO2	Speaking: Communicate and interact in speech.	25%
AO3	Reading: Understand and respond to different types of written language.	25%
AO4	Writing: Communicate in writing.	25%

Assessment objectives will be fully assessed through external assessment. In each of AO2 and AO4 at least 10% of the marks available must be allocated to knowledge and accurate application of the grammar and structures of the language prescribed in the specification.

3. Ancient language assessment objectives

Objective	Requirements	Weighting
AO1	Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the language.	50%: 10% to 20% of this should be attributed to translation into the ancient language (or permitted alternative).
AO2	Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of literature and/or other ancient sources.	25%
AO3	Analyse, evaluate and respond to literature and/or other ancient sources.	25%

4. Geography assessment objectives

Objective	Requirements	Weighting
AO1	Demonstrate knowledge of locations, places, processes, environments and different scales.	15%
AO2	Demonstrate geographical understanding of concepts and how they are used in relation to places, environments and processes, and the inter-relationships between places, environments and processes.	25%
AO3	Apply knowledge and understanding to interpret, analyse and evaluate geographical information and issues and to make judgements.	25%: 10% applied to fieldwork contexts[footnote 1].
AO4	Select, adapt and use a variety of skills and techniques to investigate questions and issues and communicate findings.	25%: 5% used to respond to fieldwork data and contexts[footnote 2].

In each specification as a whole, 5 per cent of the marks must be used to credit the accuracy of candidates’ spelling, punctuation and grammar and their use of specialist terminology.

5. History assessment objectives

Objective	Requirements	Weighting
AO1	Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the key features and characteristics of the periods studied.	35%
AO2	Explain and analyse historical events and periods studied using second-order historical concepts.	35%
AO3	Analyse, evaluate and use sources (contemporary to the period) to make substantiated judgements, in the context of historical events studied.	15%
AO4	Analyse, evaluate and make substantiated judgements about interpretations (including how and why interpretations may differ) in the context of historical events studied.	15%

In each specification as a whole, 5 per cent of the marks must be used to credit the accuracy of candidates’ spelling, punctuation and grammar and their use of specialist terminology.

1. In each specification as a whole 10 per cent of the marks must be for demonstration of AO3 in fieldwork contexts. ↩

2. In each specification as a whole 5 per cent of the marks must be for demonstration of AO4 in fieldwork contexts. ↩