NCR Top Tips:
- 20% So not TOOO IMPORTANT
- 63/70 is an A* (2022 grade boundaries 55/70)
- The program will not get you marks. Your report will (since they do not run your program).
- Write-up is KEY for marks
- Teacher marks, moderator MAY check it (as a sample). So marks are not final until results day!
- Due May 2023 but aim to send it in earlier in order to revise for exams
Picking the project:
- “Well defined user driven problem” with a “substantial coded element”.
o Clear problem
o Make sure that there are users out there that will want this software
o Substantial -> make sure there’s enough code. E.g.
▪ School staff timetabling
▪ Video game with a map that is generated dynamically to get progressively harder. Be careful
with video games make sure there is a complicated algorithm.
▪ ‘Just in time’ stock management system than reorders stock based on past trends and
predictions
o Bad examples:
▪ Program that stores details of teachers and classes (database)
▪ Video game with basic (Left & Right movement) and random NPCs
- Teacher is able to help you at this stage to tell you if your project is substantial enough
- GAMES: careful not to waste time on sounds, nice graphics (won’t get you any marks). How it looks and feels
is secondary to what is needed to make it work.
- Don’t make a multiple choice quiz – won’t get that many marks.
- Make sure there is a GUI
Analysis – setting out what your project is and why (10 Marks)
- Four pages is WAY too short. 8-15 pages (quality not quantity though)
- “Could anyone reading this understand what I’m doing any why?”
o Are you being clear? Cleared out jargon & keywords? Nice background?
- Structure:
o Identify the problem
▪ (“I like video games but there’s not a good one on this topic”)
o Research the problem
▪ What other solutions are out there and what are their limitations.
▪ Explain loads (e.g. chess – explain what it is and rules and stuff)
o Introduce your proposed solution and describe the needs of stakeholders
▪ Who are the stakeholders? A narrow demographic?? A broad demographic
• Have end dialogues with them
• Add charts, graphs etc
• Use this data to back up your points
o Research aspects of your proposed solution e.g. what technologies could be used?
▪ Languages, frameworks, libraries, borrow code (MAKE SURE TO REFERENCE)
▪ Once you have researched on what end users will need, research more this time on the
solution
▪ Separate research of the problem and research for the solution
o Identified and justified specific features of your solution in the form of success criteria
▪ Why you’re doing what you’re doing (use data to back yourself up)
, o Justified hardware and software requirements of the solution
This is the mark scheme of the highest band. Bullet points can be in any order in
your report but all of them need to be there.
The way which you will be marked is that your teacher will look to see which bullet
points your work falls into.
Bullet points:
1. - Why is a program suitable for solving this problem?
- Specifically what aspects of the problem lend themselves to
something computational.
2. - Who might potentially use this solution?
- What features will they want and why? (Back up with data)
3. - Set the scene for the reader
- Extract things you will use (e.g. Sudoku backtracking)
- Don’t write a textbook amount of info about an algorithm
(e.g. Dijkstra) you’re using.
- Cite sources (yes start now to show the marker you mean
business!) Be careful about plagiarism
- Explain everything – assume the reader doesn’t know about
the project already
4. - Identify what essential features will there be and why?
- Research should feed into what you’re doing (people like
quizzes so make a quiz)
5. - Do this AFTER the success criteria
- What areas are you thinking are actually not going to be
complete, what have you decided not to do that somebody
might have done – and why?
- Do not blame time – you don’t have a tight schedule it is a
year!!
- Blame – “why for a stakeholder is this feature not as useful
as another feature”.
- As the only developer you can have many features but
you’ve got to pick a core set to have processing and
computational features (leave flowery features for another
time)
- 20% So not TOOO IMPORTANT
- 63/70 is an A* (2022 grade boundaries 55/70)
- The program will not get you marks. Your report will (since they do not run your program).
- Write-up is KEY for marks
- Teacher marks, moderator MAY check it (as a sample). So marks are not final until results day!
- Due May 2023 but aim to send it in earlier in order to revise for exams
Picking the project:
- “Well defined user driven problem” with a “substantial coded element”.
o Clear problem
o Make sure that there are users out there that will want this software
o Substantial -> make sure there’s enough code. E.g.
▪ School staff timetabling
▪ Video game with a map that is generated dynamically to get progressively harder. Be careful
with video games make sure there is a complicated algorithm.
▪ ‘Just in time’ stock management system than reorders stock based on past trends and
predictions
o Bad examples:
▪ Program that stores details of teachers and classes (database)
▪ Video game with basic (Left & Right movement) and random NPCs
- Teacher is able to help you at this stage to tell you if your project is substantial enough
- GAMES: careful not to waste time on sounds, nice graphics (won’t get you any marks). How it looks and feels
is secondary to what is needed to make it work.
- Don’t make a multiple choice quiz – won’t get that many marks.
- Make sure there is a GUI
Analysis – setting out what your project is and why (10 Marks)
- Four pages is WAY too short. 8-15 pages (quality not quantity though)
- “Could anyone reading this understand what I’m doing any why?”
o Are you being clear? Cleared out jargon & keywords? Nice background?
- Structure:
o Identify the problem
▪ (“I like video games but there’s not a good one on this topic”)
o Research the problem
▪ What other solutions are out there and what are their limitations.
▪ Explain loads (e.g. chess – explain what it is and rules and stuff)
o Introduce your proposed solution and describe the needs of stakeholders
▪ Who are the stakeholders? A narrow demographic?? A broad demographic
• Have end dialogues with them
• Add charts, graphs etc
• Use this data to back up your points
o Research aspects of your proposed solution e.g. what technologies could be used?
▪ Languages, frameworks, libraries, borrow code (MAKE SURE TO REFERENCE)
▪ Once you have researched on what end users will need, research more this time on the
solution
▪ Separate research of the problem and research for the solution
o Identified and justified specific features of your solution in the form of success criteria
▪ Why you’re doing what you’re doing (use data to back yourself up)
, o Justified hardware and software requirements of the solution
This is the mark scheme of the highest band. Bullet points can be in any order in
your report but all of them need to be there.
The way which you will be marked is that your teacher will look to see which bullet
points your work falls into.
Bullet points:
1. - Why is a program suitable for solving this problem?
- Specifically what aspects of the problem lend themselves to
something computational.
2. - Who might potentially use this solution?
- What features will they want and why? (Back up with data)
3. - Set the scene for the reader
- Extract things you will use (e.g. Sudoku backtracking)
- Don’t write a textbook amount of info about an algorithm
(e.g. Dijkstra) you’re using.
- Cite sources (yes start now to show the marker you mean
business!) Be careful about plagiarism
- Explain everything – assume the reader doesn’t know about
the project already
4. - Identify what essential features will there be and why?
- Research should feed into what you’re doing (people like
quizzes so make a quiz)
5. - Do this AFTER the success criteria
- What areas are you thinking are actually not going to be
complete, what have you decided not to do that somebody
might have done – and why?
- Do not blame time – you don’t have a tight schedule it is a
year!!
- Blame – “why for a stakeholder is this feature not as useful
as another feature”.
- As the only developer you can have many features but
you’ve got to pick a core set to have processing and
computational features (leave flowery features for another
time)
