Clarification details
Updated December 2021. This clarification has been updated to address issues that have arisen from moderation.
Students must use project management tools and techniques to plan the development of their outcome. The standard does not involve planning the outcome itself.
Examples of suitable project management and version control tools and techniques are given in Explanatory Note 3. These provide guidance about the expectations at Level 2, but are not an exhaustive list. Assessors may need to determine other tools and techniques that are advanced.
Students need to explain at least two of the main relevant implications for the outcome. This could be used to inform the design and development of the outcome. Implications should be explained at an early stage of the evidence to ensure that they are addressed during the creation of the outcome.
For this standard, students are required to decompose the outcome into components, and then trial the components. Different types of digital outcomes will have different components. In this context, trialling is about gathering information to inform decision making.
Testing is seen as confirming decisions. Student evidence shows the assembly of the components into a functional outcome which has been tested to ensure that it is functional.
For Merit, students should trial multiple components and/or techniques, selecting the most suitable. Merit does not simply require the trialling of more components than required for Achieved. A student should trial more than one different way to solve the same sub-problem and select the best.
Students will need to show how their digital outcome has addressed the relevant implications, explained earlier. Students must show the use of adequate project management and version control tools and techniques, in order to manage the development of the outcome.
Student evidence must include how the outcome was improved using testing and trialling procedures, for example using annotated screenshots. This is more than just bug fixes – the outcome’s functionalities should be enhanced as a result of the improvements.
For Excellence, student evidence needs to discuss how the information from planning, testing and trialling of the components has assisted in developing a high-quality outcome. For example, the evidence shows how the student used information and a range of sources, such as user feedback, trialling and research to develop a high-quality outcome.
Moderation requirement
Evidence of the final outcome is required. Assessors will need to ensure that all prepared supporting evidence such as online project management tools, online version control tools or separate testing documents is visible to the moderator. When files are password-protected the access settings should be changed appropriately to allow the moderation process to occur.