OCR EPQ LEVEL 3

The following checklist is designed to help you get maximum marks for each assessment
objective. Go through each assessment object and colour the middle column red, amber
or green to represent whether you have evidenced that aspect of the assessment
objective in your project. In the final column make a note of where/how you have
evidenced it in your project and if not how you will be doing this over the next 3 months.
Each aspect of the assessment objectives can be evidenced in any form e.g. Photographs,
recordings, comments, emails, booking process, meeting minutes, letters, blogs, diaries,
calendars etc.

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 1 MANAGE (12 MARKS)

Have you included good evidence of: Where/How have you evidenced it?
Independence of choice with limited support from I came up with my topic entirely on my
others? own and wrote down my thought
process of coming up with a title on my
blog. I spoke to my history teacher to
check that she thought it was a suitable
title and she agreed that it would be
very interesting to compare two
countries since we dont do this much in
history A level so it will add something
different to my application to study
history at university.
Taking full responsibility for the whole project and have I have had no support with my project
had limited support in transition from topic to final and have done all the research and
project? planning myself. The only guidelines I
had was a deadline for my initial
presentation and the final date it is due.
Quality planning of individual sections/aspects? I produced a long-term plan which I
spoke about on my blog which
provided a rough guideline for when I
wanted major aspects of my project to
be completed. Then I also produced
short term plans most weeks which I
posted on my blog at the end of the
week with an assessment of how well I
had met my targets.
Good project management skills utilizing IT have been I have managed my project using my
demonstrated? Good decision making, good problem blog which I think has been very
solving, creatively finding solutions to problems you effective for this since it is easy to go
encounter/changes in timetables. back and look at previous posts and I
have also been able to keep everything
in one place (except the video of my
presentation because this was too large
to upload).
My main problem initially was that there
was nothing in the school library or my
local library on my topic, but I managed
to overcome this by using the internet to
find articles and useful websites, and by
ordering some books. I also looked in
university libraries when I looked round
on open days.
 I had to manage my timetable at points
because I also had my history
coursework to do over the summer and
the first month of college so I had to
make sure to allocate time for both of
these research projects.
Completed the project within agreed timescale? Did I managed to stick to my long term plan
you manage to meet virtually all of your intermediate by getting all my research done and the
goals? majority of my dissertation written in the
summer which I wanted to ensure Id
done so that I didnt get too
overwhelmed with work when I returned
to college. I also met most of the targets
in my short term plan, or if I didnt do it
on the day I planned I usually made
sure Id completed it by the end of the
week so that I didnt get behind. All of
my plans are on my blog and I have
recorded when I completed each
target so this shows that I met nearly all
of the goals I made throughout the
project.

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 2 RESEARCH (12 MARKS)

Have you included good evidence of: Where/How have you evidenced it?
A wide range of sources used to obtain, select, collate I have used 46 sources which are all
and analyse data and information relevant to the listed in my bibliography. I have used a
project? Little or no guidance has been given by the vast range of types of sources such as
mentor. books, journals, websites, legislation etc.
I didnt receive any guidance from a
mentor to help me decide on my
sources.
Sophisticated and perceptive understanding of I have analysed all my sources in my
connections/links between sources? bibliography and have written about
links between some of them, if relevant,
and also spoke about the reliability of
some of the sources.
Wide range of appropriate technology/skills used to I have used the internet to find a lot of
research? my sources, but also visited college,
local and university libraries and also
visited museums in Cape Town. I also
used online databases such as JStore
and online archives of History Today.
I also had to develop my skills of how to
cite these sources which I developed by
looking at videos and websites online.
A wide range of appropriate information and/or data I managed to obtain some information
has been obtained working with others- e.g from my email correspondence with
engagement with a business or volunteer/community Lydia Plath (which I have documented
venture etc. The learner has offered leadership or in my blog) and although I unfortunately
direction within this context. didnt receive replies from the other
historians I emailed, I tried to ask as
many questions as I could in the slavery
museum in Cape Town and on the
apartheid tour I took part in. This helped
 me to answer all the questions I had on
South Africa anyway which was really
useful.

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 3 DEVELOP AND REALISE (24 MARKS)

Have you included good evidence of: Where/How have you evidenced it?
A wide range of relevant skills being selected and used in I developed my skills using google drive
a sophisticated manner to complete your project? to make sure that all my documents
(problem solving techniques, analytical techniques, were organised. On google docs itself I
functional skills, presentational skills and any technical learnt how to cite and reference all my
skills) sources which Id never done before.
I definitely needed good time
management and developed this by
creating long term and short term plans
and by assessing my progress each
week on my blog.
I developed my professionalism when I
emailed university historians.
I definitely developed my note taking
skills as this was one of my main
weaknesses at the beginning. I wasnt
very concise and so I really worked at
improving this so that it didnt waste as
much time.
Skills: Evidence of skills being used critically, creatively and Throughout my essay I definitely
flexibly in the development and realisation of your developed my skills of comparison as I
project. have never compared two different
countries before, or written about such
a wide time period and so this was
something I needed to develop.
In my conclusion I critically analysed
the importance of comparing race
relations in different countries.
New Technology: Evidence of skills being used critically, Producing and keeping up a blog was
creatively and flexibly in the development and realisation definitely a new skill which I developed
of your project. as I had never done anything like that
before, but I think that it was really
useful for keeping track of my progress.
I had also never used online databases
and academic journals before and so I
had to develop my skills of searching
for relevant documents.

ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 4 EVALUATION AND PRESENTATION (12 MARKS)

EVALUATION
Have you included good evidence of: Where/How?
Have you developed a critical and reflective approach I have critically analysed the reliability of
to learning? a lot of my sources and when reading
 them I definitely assessed their
importance before I considered
including them in my dissertation. Whilst
writing my essay I had to be very
reflective as I wrote about 1000 words
too many and had to decide what I
should cut and what I should keep.
Presentation is perceptive, thorough and an accurate
review of both the developmental aspects and eventual
outcome of the project?
Sophisticated usage of communication skills and media
to present an effective review of the project.
Presentation meets the needs of its audience?
Audience is engaged?
Clearly and realistically addressed how this project
relates to you in terms of: personal, academic and
career development, as well as skills (new and
developed) that are transferrable to further
study/employment.

In Summary: You understand what you have achieved,

and what these achievements can help you go on to do.

Please remember that your project will be assessed at A2 standard. Although you were given the
choice of completing one of three formats at the beginning of the course you will not be marked
down if your project straddles all formats dissertation, investigation or artefact. However it is a good
idea that you research dissertation formats at top universities to show planning and management
of your project as well as new skills being developed.