A Level in Computer Science

© OCR 2021

Programming project (Component 03 or 04) marking criteria – 70 marks

AO 2.2 Analysis (maximum 10 marks)

1–2 marks 3–5 marks 6–8 marks 9–10 marks
The candidate will have:
• Identified some features • Described the features that • Described the features that make the • Described and justified the features that make
that make the problem make the problem solvable by problem solvable by computational the problem solvable by computational methods,
solvable by computational computational methods. methods and why it is amenable to a explaining why it is amenable to a computational
methods. • Identified suitable computational approach. approach.
• Identified suitable stakeholders for the project • Identified suitable stakeholders for the • Identified suitable stakeholders for the project
stakeholders for the and described how they will project and described them and how and described them explaining how they will
project and described make use of the proposed they will make use of the proposed make use of the proposed solution and why it is
them and some of their solution. solution and why it is appropriate to appropriate to their needs.
requirements. • Researched the problem their needs. • Researched the problem in depth looking at
• Identified some appropriate looking at existing solutions to • Researched the problem in depth existing solutions to similar problems, identifying
features to incorporate into similar problems identifying looking at existing solutions to similar and justifying suitable approaches based on this
their solution. some appropriate features problems identifying and describing research.
• Identified some features to incorporate into their suitable approaches based on this • Identified the essential features of the proposed
of the proposed solution. research. computational solution explaining these choices.
computational solution. • Identified the essential • Identified and described the • Identified and explained with justification any
• Identified some limitations features of the proposed essential features of the proposed limitations of the proposed solution.
of the proposed solution. computational solution. computational solution. • Specified and justified the requirements for the
• Identified some • Identified and described some • Identified and explained any limitations solution including (as appropriate) any hardware
requirements for the limitations of the proposed of the proposed solution. and software requirements.
solution. solution. • Specified the requirements for the • Identified and justified measurable success
• Identified some success • Identified most requirements solution including (as appropriate) any criteria for the proposed solution.
criteria for the proposed for the solution. hardware and software requirements.
solution. • Identified some measurable • Identified measurable success criteria
success criteria for the for the proposed solution.
proposed solution.

0 marks = no response or no response worthy of credit.

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AO 3.1 Design (maximum 15 marks)

1–4 marks 5–8 marks 9–12 marks 13–15 marks
The candidate will have:
• Described elements • Broken the problem down • Broken the problem down • Broken the problem down systematically
of the solution using systematically into a series systematically into a series of smaller into a series of smaller problems suitable for
algorithms. of smaller problems suitable problems suitable for computational computational solutions, explaining and justifying
• Described some usability for computational solutions solutions explaining the process. the process.
features to be included describing the process. • Defined in detail the structure of the • Defined in detail the structure of the solution to
in the solution. • Defined the structure of the solution to be developed. be developed.
• Identified the key solution to be developed. • Described the solution fully using • Described the solution fully using appropriate
variables / data • Described the solution fully appropriate and accurate algorithms and accurate algorithms justifying how these
structures / classes using appropriate and accurate explaining how these algorithms form algorithms form a complete solution to the
(as appropriate to the algorithms. a complete solution to the problem. problem.
proposed solution). • Described the usability features to • Described, explaining choices made, • Described, justifying choices made, the usability
• Identified some test be included in the solution. the usability features to be included in features to be included in the solution.
data to be used during • Identified the key variables / the solution. • Identified and justified the key variables / data
the iterative or post data structures / classes (as • Identified and justified the key structures / classes (as appropriate to the
development phase of appropriate to the proposed variables / data structures / classes (as proposed solution) justifying and explaining any
the process. solution) and any necessary appropriate to the proposed solution) necessary validation.
• validation. explaining any necessary validation. • Identified and justified the test data to be used
• Identified the test data to be used • Identified and justified the test during the iterative development of the solution.
during the iterative development data to be used during the iterative • Identified and justified any further data to be
of the solution. development of the solution. used in the post development phase.
• Identified any further data to be • Identified and justified any further data
used in the post development to be used in the post development
phase. phase.

0 marks = no response or no response worthy of credit.

A Level in Computer Science
© OCR 2021
A Level in Computer Science
© OCR 2021

AO 3.2 Developing the coded solution (maximum 25 marks)

Iterative development of a coded solution (maximum 15 marks)
1–4 marks 5–8 marks 9–12 marks 13–15 marks
The candidate will have:
• Provided evidence • Provided evidence for most stages • Provided evidence of each stage of • Provided evidence of each stage of the iterative
of some iterative of the iterative development the iterative development process for development process for a coded solution
development for a coded process for a coded solution a coded solution relating this to the relating this to the break down of the problem
solution. describing what they did at each break down of the problem from the from the analysis stage and explaining what they
• Solution may be linear. stage. analysis stage and explaining what they did and justifying why.
• Code may be inefficient. • Solution will have some structure. did at each stage. • Provided evidence of prototype versions of their
• Code may not be • Code will be briefly annotated to • Provided evidence of some prototype solution for each stage of the process.
annotated appropriately. explain key components. versions of their solution. • The solution will be well structured and modular
• Variable names may be • Some variable and/or structure • The solution will be modular in nature. in nature.
inappropriate. names will be largely appropriate. • Code will be annotated to explain all • Code will be annotated to aid future
• There will be little or no • There will be evidence of some key components. maintenance of the system.
evidence of validation. basic validation. • Most variables and structures will be • All variables and structures will be appropriately
• There will be little • There will be evidence that the appropriately named. named.
evidence of review development was reviewed at • There will be evidence of validation for • There will be evidence of validation for all key
during the development. some stage during the process. most key elements of the solution. elements of the solution.
• The development will show review at • The development will show review at all key
most key stages in the process. stages in the process.
Testing to inform development (maximum 10 marks)
1–2 marks 3–5 marks 6–8 marks 9–10 marks
The candidate will have:
• Provided some evidence • Provided some evidence of testing • Provided evidence of testing at most • Provided evidence of testing at each stage of the
of testing during the during the iterative development stages of the iterative development iterative development process.
iterative development process. process. • Provided evidence of any failed tests and the
process. • Provided evidence of some failed • Provided evidence of some failed tests remedial actions taken with full justification for
tests and the remedial actions and the remedial actions taken with any actions taken.
taken. some explanation of the actions taken.

0 marks = no response or no response worthy of credit.

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AO 3.3 Evaluation (maximum 20 marks)

Testing to inform evaluation (maximum 5 marks)
1 mark 2 marks 3–4 marks 5 marks
The candidate will have:
• Provided evidence of • Provided evidence of final product • Provided annotated evidence of post • Provided annotated evidence of post
some post development testing for function. development testing for function. development testing for function and robustness.
testing. • Provided annotated evidence for • Provided annotated evidence for usability testing.
usability testing.
Evaluation of solution (maximum 15 marks)
1–4 marks 5–8 marks 9–12 marks 13–15 marks
The candidate will have:
• Commented on the • Cross referenced some of the test • Used the test evidence to cross • Used the test evidence to cross reference with
success or failure of evidence with the success criteria reference with the success criteria the success criteria to evaluate the solution
the solution with some and commented on the success or to evaluate the solution identifying explain how the evidence shows that the criteria
reference to test data. otherwise of the solution. whether the criteria have been met, has been fully, partially or not met in each case.
• The information is basic • Provided evidence of usability partially met or unmet. • Provided comments on how any partially or
and communicated in an features. • Provided comments on how any unmet criteria could be addressed in further
unstructured way. The • Identified some limitations on the partially or not met criteria could be development.
information is supported solution. addressed in further development. • Provided evidence of the usability features
by limited evidence and • The information has some • Provided evidence of the usability justifying their success, partial success or failure
the relationship to the relevance and is presented with features. as effective usability features.
evidence may not be limited structure. The information • Considered maintenance issues and • Provided comments on how any issues with
clear. is supported by limited evidence. limitations of the solution. partially or unmet usability features could be
• There is a line of reasoning presented addressed in further development.
with some structure. The information • Considered maintenance issues and limitations of
presented is in the most part relevant the solution.
and supported by some evidence. • Described how the program could be
A Level in Computer Science

developed to deal with limitations and potential

improvements / changes.
• There is a well developed line of reasoning which
is clear and logically structured. The information
© OCR 2021

presented is relevant and substantiated.

0 marks = no response or no response worthy of credit.