OxfordAQA IGCSE English Language: Non-Exam Assessment Project — Revision Notes

The non-exam assessment (NEA) in OxfordAQA International GCSE English Language (9270) is a research project taken instead of Paper 2. You research a topic using at least five sources, write a centre-set task with a specified purpose and audience, and complete a Candidate record form with details of your sources, an example of your note-making and a commentary on your writing. It is worth 60 marks (30 reading, 30 writing) and 40% of the qualification. For the full explanation, use the Non-exam assessment study guide.

Route check

Component	Weighting	Format
Paper 1: Literary non-fiction and composition	60%	2-hour exam, 80 marks; compulsory
Either Paper 2: Source-based reading and directed writing	40%	2-hour exam, 80 marks
Or Non-exam assessment project	40%	60 raw marks, scaled ×1.33 to 80

The NEA is teacher assessed and moderated by the board. The qualification is linear, and the specification states that NEA marks can be carried forward for the lifetime of the specification.

The three-stage process

1. Task set. Before research, your centre sets a written task with a specified purpose and audience. Tasks can vary between students and may relate to academic study, a sport or interest, a famous person or an organisation. A word limit may be set.
2. Research. Use at least five different sources: research texts (encyclopaedia, textbook), literary texts (novel, poem), non-fiction (review, autobiography), media (film, documentary) or other valid sources. Keep clear records of sources and processes (note-taking, highlighting).
3. Write and reflect. Write the assignment (diagrams and illustrations are allowed where relevant), then complete the Candidate record form.

What goes on the Candidate record form

Requirement	Detail
Sources	Details of all sources, enough for a moderator to access them; at least five
Selection and process	How and why you chose sources, and how you gathered information (note-making, annotation, highlighting)
Note-making example	One example of your note-making method
Commentary	Why you included or rejected information and ideas; how and why you organised your writing; presentational and stylistic features used to achieve your purpose

The form “is an important feature of the assignment and will be considered in the assessment”.

Assessment objectives assessed

AO	Strands relevant to the NEA
AO1 Reading	R1 select and use material for purpose; R2 collate and synthesise from sources; R3 develop interpretations of writers’ ideas and perspectives; R4 explain and evaluate writers’ use of features
AO2 Writing	W1 communicate clearly and imaginatively, adapting form and vocabulary; W2 range of sentence structures; W3 organise for cohesion and coherence; W4 technical accuracy

Reading bands (30 marks)

Band	Marks	Key words
6	26–30	“impressive” breadth of reading; “sophisticated and independent integration and adaptation” of sources; “impressive condensing and extrapolating”
5	21–25	“substantial” reading; “assured and independent integration”
4	16–20	“variety” of relevant information; “clear and effective use” of sources
3	11–15	“a range of relevant information”; “appropriate selection”
2	6–10	“some relevant information”; “some use” of sources
1	1–5	“little to no” information or evidence of sources

Every band lists “five sources cited on Candidate record form”.

Writing bands (30 marks)

Band	Marks	Key words
6	26–30	“convincing and/or compelling”; “sustained personal voice”; “clear and controlled manipulation of sentence structures”
5	21–25	“effectively most of the time”; “sophisticated vocabulary”; “beginning to manipulate the reader’s response”
4	16–20	“clearly engages the audience”; “deliberate structure”; integrated discourse markers
3	11–15	“begins to engage”; logically sequenced; some conscious control of paragraphing
2	6–10	“at times clear”; “occasional awareness of purpose and audience”
1	1–5	“some relevant meaning”; some ideas in order

Both grids include the commentary: Band 6 needs “explanation, example and commentary to show sophisticated and independent command” of the reading and research processes (reading) and of the writing process (writing).

The specification’s example tasks

• A letter to the organisers of an international conference on global warming, discussing causes and consequences for your generation and proposing solutions.
• A magazine article for a business centre’s clients on designing, maintaining and developing an effective website, to inform, educate and persuade.
• The opening speech in a radio debate, for or against “Bill Gates is a true hero of our times”, combining factual accuracy, logical consistency and emotional appeal.

Worked example: synthesising, not copying

Copying (Band 2–3): “According to Source 3, sea levels rose by a certain amount. Source 4 says glaciers are melting.”

Synthesising (Band 5–6): “Rising seas and shrinking glaciers are two sides of the same warming: the scientific sources I consulted describe the physical change, while a documentary I watched showed what that change means for coastal families. For delegates, the point is that my generation will inherit both the data and the displacement.”

The second version condenses, combines sources, adapts them for the audience (conference organisers) and keeps a personal voice, which is what “integration and adaptation” means. Note that it avoids inventing figures: in your own work, every statistic must come from a cited source.

Common mistakes / traps

• Fewer than five sources, or sources described too vaguely for a moderator to find.
• No note-making example on the Candidate record form.
• A commentary that only describes the writing instead of explaining choices.
• Copying source wording: integration and adaptation are rewarded, not reproduction.
• Ignoring purpose and audience: the task specifies both, and the writing grid rewards engaging the intended reader.
• Weak accuracy: W4 (grammar, punctuation, spelling) runs through every writing band.

Frequently asked questions

How many sources do I need for the OxfordAQA 9270 NEA? At least five, recorded on the Candidate record form with enough detail for a moderator to access them.

Can the NEA task be on any topic? The task is set by your centre and may differ between students. The specification’s examples include academic study, a sport or interest, a famous person or an organisation.

Is the commentary assessed? Yes. The Candidate record form, including the commentary, is considered in the assessment, and both mark grids refer to explanation and commentary.

Can I take both Paper 2 and the NEA? No. The NEA project is the alternative to Paper 2; each is worth 40%.

Syllabus coverage

OxfordAQA International GCSE English Language (9270), Version 5.1: 3.3 Non-exam assessment (the process, the task, the Candidate record form, summary of assessment); 4.2 assessment objectives AO1 (R1–R4) and AO2 (W1–W4); 4.3 assessment weightings; 4.4 NEA marking criteria for reading and writing; section 5 NEA.

Self-test

1. What does the NEA replace? (Paper 2.)
2. How many raw marks is it worth, and how are they split? (60: 30 reading, 30 writing.)
3. What is the minimum number of sources? (Five.)
4. Name the three parts of the Candidate record form. (Sources; processes with a note-making example; commentary.)
5. What scaling factor applies to the NEA? (1.33.)

Related pages

• Non-exam assessment study guide
• Non-exam assessment practice questions
• Source-Based Reading and Directed Writing revision notes

Official specification

OxfordAQA International GCSE English Language (9270) specification, Version 5.1 — oxfordaqa.com.