King: GCSE Astronomy
New ‘controlled assessment’
structure for GCSE Astronomy
Julien King outlines the content
and effects of changes to the
popular GCSE Astronomy
qualification.
L
ast summer marked the first examination
session for the new GCSE Astronomy
specification from Edexcel. The new spec­
ification represents an updating of the syllabus
for this increasingly popular qualification, to
take account of recent discoveries and advances
in the world of astronomy.
However, a significant change to the qualifi­
cation in the summer, in line with other GCSE
subjects, was the change from the familiar
coursework to “controlled assessment”. This
development was primarily motivated by a need
to improve the security of work completed by
students outside the formal written examina­
tion. Following wide consultation with profes­
sional astronomers, this change has also been
used to refocus this aspect of GCSE Astronomy
firmly on observational work.
Students now have to complete two pieces
of astronomical observational work for their
GCSE, one with the naked eye and the other
using some form of optical aid such as binocu­
lars, telescope or camera. Although they may
complete the actual observations in their own
time, the written report which is finally submit­
ted must be completed under supervised con­
ditions within their school or college. There is
a wide range of observational tasks to choose
from, such as drawing lunar features, estimat­
ing stellar magnitudes, measuring light pollu­
tion levels, observing a meteor shower, using a
shadow stick to determine longitude and photo­
graphing star trails to determine the length of
the sidereal day.
Observational tasks
The new system also encourages students not to
focus both their controlled assessment tasks on
the same astronomical body. Full details of all
the controlled assessment observational tasks
can be found in the specification document
available from the GCSE Astronomy page at
http://www.edexcel.com.
The quality of candidates’ final reports on
their observations is now assessed under four
areas: design, observations, analysis and evalu­
ation. This new system helps to emphasize the
fact that all astronomical observations are
A&G • February 2012 • Vol. 53 Star trails captured by a GCSE Astronomy student.
scientific measurements and, following the first their other major benefit for candidates trying
to obtain observations for a controlled assess­
year of its use, seems to work well.
Although many of the tasks in the new sys­ ment deadline in early May has been their vastly
tem were popular activities in the former GCSE improved seeing conditions compared to the
Astronomy coursework system, this updating of UK! A number of candidates, hampered by poor
the qualification has led to a significant increase weather in the UK between September and May
in the use of robotic telescopes
have used the “wide field”
by candidates. There are now
cameras on robotic tel­
several such devices available
escopes to obtain excellent
constellation photographs.
for use by schools and col­
leges which allow students
Although this has been
only the first year of the
to log on via the internet and
new system, the continu­
request the telescope to take
images of their chosen astro­
ing popularity of the GCSE
nomical object. This facility
Astronomy qualification
and positive feedback
obviously increases dramati­
from centres suggest that
cally the range of observa­
its increased focus on the
tions available to GCSE
observational work at the
candidates. All the robotic
telescopes available are rela­
heart of the subject has been
tively large, well beyond the
a welcome one. ●
standard usually available
to most school or college
Julien King is the principal
students. Last summer A leaflet publicizing the GCSE
moderator for GCSE
therefore saw an increase Astronomy qualification.
Astronomy with Edexcel
and a former Chair of the
in the number of students
taking detailed photographs of Messier objects RAS Education Committee. He teaches physics
– an example of observations now easily acces­ and astronomy at Ermysted’s Grammar School,
sible to GCSE candidates through the robotic Skipton, North Yorkshire. [email protected]
telescope facility.
Interestingly, although the robotic telescopes Further information
increase significantly the standard of opti­ GCSE Astronomy http://www.edexcel.com/quals/
cal equipment to which students have access, gcse/gcse09/Astronomy/Pages/default.aspx
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