06 March 2025

NEA: Tips & Guidance - CAS A - Level Online Community Event

Written by

Computing at School

If you were unable to join us for the CAS A-Level Community thematic meeting on NEA tips and guidance, don't worry! You can catch up on all the key insights from the session below.

Maximising the Impact of the A-Level NEA: Tips and Guidance

Key Takeaways

The NEA carries significant weight and can boost overall student grades—don’t underestimate its value.
Start early! A well-planned timeline can prevent last-minute stress and improve marking efficiency.
AI and plagiarism detection require proactive strategies—monitor students’ progress and educate them on ethical AI use.
Success criteria are pivotal for marking, particularly for AQA, where they impact overall project grading.
Effective marking is streamlined with clear structure, referencing, and ongoing progress checks.

The Value of the NEA

The Non-Exam Assessment (NEA) is often seen as “just 20%” of the final grade, but this session reinforced how crucial it is. Strong NEA performance can lift overall grades significantly, helping students who may struggle in written exams. It also builds real-world skills, preparing students for university and careers in software development.

The session shared real examples of students securing higher final grades due to their NEA scores, as well as feedback from former students who found their NEA projects instrumental in job applications and university interviews. Encouraging students to choose meaningful projects linked to their future aspirations can enhance engagement and project quality.

Planning and Time Management

A clear timeline is essential to avoid a last-minute rush. The recommended approach is:

Set an internal deadline well before the official May 15th submission date.
Allow time for checking, marking, and AI/plagiarism detection.
Share raw scores with students in advance, giving time for internal reviews.
Consider students’ workload and other commitments when scheduling deadlines.

Starting the NEA in Year 12, at least for the research and analysis phase, allows students to make steady progress and reduces pressure in Year 13. Some schools opt to start in the spring term of Year 12, ensuring students hit the ground running after summer.

Effective Marking and Structuring Student Work

For both AQA and OCR, the success criteria are key to marking consistency. With AQA, weak success criteria can lower an entire project’s marks, while OCR focuses on clarity and justification. Marking is made significantly easier when students:

Use clear headings, tables of contents, and page references.
Embed cross-referencing between their success criteria, development, and evaluation.
Provide structured test evidence, with video demonstrations proving system functionality.

Teachers should also be mindful of JCQ guidelines on feedback. Direct feedback on drafts is not permitted, but whole-class discussions on common misconceptions are encouraged. Using exam board mark schemes to help students self-assess is also an effective strategy.

AI and Plagiarism: Detection and Prevention

AI-generated work is a growing concern. The session highlighted key warning signs, such as inconsistencies in writing style, unexplained code, and factual inaccuracies. Teachers are advised to:

Monitor students working on their projects in lessons.
Ask students to explain their code to ensure understanding.
Use multiple AI detection tools but avoid relying on them solely.
Reinforce the ethical implications of AI misuse from the outset.

JCQ provides official guidance on AI usage, and students should be made aware that failure to acknowledge AI-generated content could result in serious consequences, including receiving zero marks for their NEA.

Next Steps: Reflecting on Your Own Practice

As you prepare your students for the NEA, consider the following:

How early do my students start their NEA, and could I give them more structured preparation in Year 12?
Do I ensure students’ success criteria are ambitious enough to demonstrate A-level standard work?
Am I using class time effectively to observe students working and identify potential plagiarism?
What strategies could I implement to make marking and moderation more efficient?

Example Exercises to Try

Success Criteria Workshop – Have students peer-review each other’s success criteria against mark scheme expectations.
Testing Walkthroughs – Encourage students to record video walkthroughs of their testing process to reinforce evidence.
Plagiarism Awareness Session – Show examples of AI-generated text and discuss how to ensure work remains original.