How the marks and bands work: the four objectives equally weighted at 25 percent, the marks per component, the performance band grid, and how internal marking and external moderation produce the grade.

What this dot point is asking

Eduqas turns your portfolio into a grade through a clear system: four equally weighted objectives, a fixed number of marks per component, a performance band grid, and internal marking with external moderation. This dot point explains how the marks add up and how the bands work, so you can read the grid as a set of targets and aim your work at the top bands.

Equal weighting

The foundation of the marking is that the four objectives are equal: each is 25 percent of the A-Level. This single fact shapes how you should work, because it means no objective can be neglected without losing a quarter of the marks. A candidate brilliant at one objective and weak at another is capped, while an even candidate is rewarded.

How the marks add up

Each component is marked one objective at a time. For each of AO1 to AO4, the moderator places the work in a performance band and reads off a mark; the four marks add to the component total. The Personal Investigation gives a mark out of 120 (four scores out of 30); the Externally Set Assignment gives a mark out of 80 (four scores out of 20). The two add to 200, which is graded.

The performance band grid

The grid is the heart of the marking, and reading it well is the most useful exam skill in the subject.

Reading the bands as targets

The band verbs are not just labels; they are instructions. To improve, find the band that describes your current work for each objective, read the descriptor of the band above, and make the change it demands. If your AO1 is "competent" but not "sustained and focused", the fix is to deepen and continue the investigation. This turns marking into a clear improvement plan.

Internal marking and external moderation

Eduqas does not mark every portfolio from scratch. Centres (your school) mark the work internally using the grid, then Eduqas externally moderates a sample to confirm the standard is correct and consistent across centres. This is why your teacher's marking against the grid matters, and why presenting your work clearly for a moderator (dated, annotated, ordered) is part of doing well.

Try this

Q1. State the weighting of the four objectives and the marks per objective in each component. [Knowledge recall]

• Cue. The four objectives are equally weighted at 25 percent each; in the Personal Investigation each is worth 30 marks (120 total), in the Externally Set Assignment each is worth 20 marks (80 total), for an A-Level total of 200, graded A* to E.

Q2. Explain how a candidate should use the performance band descriptors to improve. [Short explanation]

• Cue. Identify the band that describes the current work for each objective, read the descriptor of the band above, and make the change it demands; prioritise the weakest objective because the four are equal, and aim for sustained, connected quality across the whole project rather than single strong pages.