Internal Assessment Guide

• Makes up 20% of your marks• 6-12 page report• Based on 5 criteria

1. Personal Engagement (8%)• Show that you have specific reasons for being interested in the

research question.• Show that your investigation involved as many of your own ideas as

possible and were not just copied from elsewhere without modification.

2. Exploration (25%)• Describe the biology relating to your investigation so that it is clear

why you want to ask your research question.• State the research question clearly. It must be focused so you can

make definitive conclusions at the end.• Explain how you designed and developed your experimental

procedures, including preliminary trials, how you will make sure the data is reliable. • Include a risk assessment of the methods involved. Include an audit of

environmental and ethical considerations.

3. Analysis (25%)• Present raw data appropriately.

• Titles• Headings• SI Units• Decimal places• Uncertainties

• Calculate means, standard deviations and relevant statistical tests.• Plot graphs

• Means with variation• Join points with straight lines• No extrapolation

4. Evaluation (25%)• Explain in detail your conclusions based on your data and analysis of

it.• Compare with published research or with general scientific

consensus.• Assess strengths and weaknesses of all aspects of your investigation.• Discuss suggestions for improving and extending your investigation.

5. Communication (17%)• Present it clearly.• Divide report into sections with suitable headings:• Developing the research question• Methods• Results and analysis• Conclusion• Evaluation

• Keep it concise• Check for errors and correct terminology• Include a numbered list of sources (bibliography)

Section Total Marks AvailablePersonal Engagement 2Exploration 6Analysis 6Evaluation 6Communication 4

Total Marks Available: 24