Clarification details
Updated November 2015. This document has been updated in its entirety to address new issues that have arisen from moderation.
General notes
As stated in Explanatory Note 5, the specifications need to be agreed prior to the product being made, and must be of sufficient rigour to allow the student to meet the standard. That is, they must be such that they allow complex techniques to be selected. They may be teacher-given or developed in negotiation with the student.
The selection of complex techniques must be the result of trialling different procedures appropriate for the particular selected materials and using this feedback to inform practice. Students will need to explore different ways of implementing at least two complex procedures (as in Explanatory Note 3). For example, there may be several ways of inserting an invisible zip into an outfit that is made with a sheer fabric.
The standard also requires a construction plan to be developed and applied. If students are using a commercial pattern that suggests an order of construction, they will either need to confirm that they have established it is an appropriate order to follow, or they will need to make modifications or develop an alternative.
Merit and Excellence
Assessors are required to make judgements for Merit and Excellence about the manner in which techniques are implemented, as well as the quality of the finished product. Students could provide evidence by establishing a schedule of their testing and recording the outcomes, and taking and annotating photos or video.
Annotating an assessment schedule is one way for the assessor to confirm judgements around independence and accuracy (for Merit) and whether the student has worked in a manner that economises time, effort and materials (for Excellence). These annotations could be derived from classroom observation and/or discussions with students.