Guidelines for Graded Unit 3 Examination Marking

2. HN BUSINESS HND GRADED UNIT 3 Marking the Examination

3. General Marking Guidelines : 1 [Come before the suggested solutions in the exemplar assessment] • Refer to the table in the Graded Unit specification [describes the level of performance associated with each of the three grades] • Candidates should apply knowledge and draw reasoned conclusions or make judgements on the basis of this application

4. General Marking Guidelines : 2 • Answers should be related to the case study • Candidates should make use of 6 mandatory Units used in the Graded Unit specification – other Units may be relevant • Marking is a matter of judgement

5. Suggested solutions • Give guidance on allocation of marks within each question eg 1 mark for each relevant point; maximum of 6 marks • Development points – ones which extend or justify an initial point eg examples from case study; reasons; draw comparisons; refer to relevant concepts • Highlight relevant concepts which could be used

6. Suggested solutions Give an indication of what a response could contain. Are not intended to be comprehensive but often have much more than a response needs to gain a high mark.

7. Making an assessment decision: 1 This means making sure that marks are awarded for points which are valid in the context of an examination at SCQF level 8. • A broad knowledge of the scope, defining features and main areas of a subject/discipline • Detailed knowledge in some areas • Use a range of routine skills, techniques, practices and/or materials associated with a subject/discipline, a few of which are advanced or complex • Critical analysis, evaluation and/or synthesis of ideas . . . • Critically evaluate evidence based solutions • Convey complex information

8. Making an assessment decision: 2 Need to be more demanding at Level 8 than Level 7 • Importance of reasons and justification • Recognition that in any situation there may be benefits and drawbacks; advantages/disadvantages – relative size may vary • Understanding that there may be a number of different consequences of something • Acknowledgement that a particular result may depend on a particular set of circumstances • Coherence and structure of answer

9. Making an assessment decision: 3 Remember graded boundaries – 5/10 = C; 6/10 = B; 7/10 = A and look for: • Direct responses to the question asked • Words like ‘whereas’, ‘on the other hand’ • Answers which move coherently from one point to another • Answers which deal with more than one discrete point • Answers which give examples etc to support and explain points • Answers which indicate that candidates have studied a Level 8 course in Business

10. Making an assessment decision: 4 • Do not credit repetition • Avoid making assumptions about what the candidate is trying to say • Do not give marks for vague statements • Do not give marks for generalisations or assertions • Do not credit ’name dropping’ without explanation • Avoid crediting unjustified speculation • Do not credit simplistic statements which would be acceptable at lower levels

11. Let’s do some marking!