ADMINISTRATION OF 2019 SCHOOL-
BASED ASSESSMENTS IN SCHOOLS
Presented by
S Macwani
Senior Examinations Specialist
Examinations Council of Zambia – An examining body of
Excellence
Introduction (1/2)
In an effort to efficiently and effectively
administer school examinations, the Ministry
of General Education (MoGE) and the
Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) have
embarked on Examinations Reforms starting
in the year 2019.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Introduction (2/2)
Adjustments have been made in the management of
all practical examinations;
Junior Secondary School Leaving Examination (JSSLE)
- Grade 9 Internal,
Junior Secondary External Examination (Grade 9
External),
School Certificate (Grade 12),
General Certificate of Education (GCE).
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Administration of Practical Assessments (1/6)
In view of this, the following activities shall be
done at school level;
Preparation of practical assessment tasks,
Marking/scoring,
Management of the candidate marks.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Administration of Practical Assessments (2/6)
The ECZ in consultation with the MOGE and
other stakeholders have developed
“Guidelines for Administration of School-
Based Assessments in Zambia”.
These Guidelines outline the general and
subject specific adjustments which all
examination centres and schools should
adhere to.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Administration of Practical Assessments(3/6)
From 2019 the practical examinations will
become part of the teaching and learning
process.
All practical examinations shall therefore be
conducted as School-Based Continuous
Assessment (SBCA).
What does this mean?
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Administration of Practical Assessments(4/6)
The ECZ will not prepare any Practical Examination
Question Papers and Advance Information
The ECZ will not time-table the Practical Examination
papers on the main Time Tables
Teachers who teach subjects with a practical
component should prepare assessment tasks during
the teaching and learning time
The respective teachers shall mark or score the
assessment tasks following the subject specific
guidelines
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Administration of Practical Assessments (5/6)
All Practical Assessment marks should be entered on
the ECZ On-line Electronic Marks Capture System by
31st July of each year
The appointed teachers should enter raw marks only
on the web portal
Each school shall print from the web portal the
candidate Mark Sheets and send them to the District
Education Board Secretary (DEBS), who will in turn
send them to the office of the Provincial
Education Officer (PEO)
Administration of Practical Assessments(6/6)
The PEO shall submit to the ECZ all the mark sheets
together with the GCE examination scripts
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Implementation Strategy (1/3)
Strategy for 2019
All the practical assessments shall be
administered during the second term of the
year 2019
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of Excellence
Implementation Strategy (2/3)
Strategy for 2020
Junior Secondary School Leaving Examination
candidates shall be assessed from third term of
Grade 8 (2019) to end of second term of Grade 9
(2020);
Senior Secondary candidates shall be assessed
from third term of Grade 11(2019) to end of second
term of Grade 12 (2020);
Grade 9 External and GCE candidates shall be
assessed in the second term of 2020;
Implementation Strategy (3/3)
Strategy for 2021 and Beyond
Junior Secondary candidates shall be
assessed from third term of Grade 8 to end
of second term of Grade 9;
Senior Secondary candidates shall be
assessed from third term of Grade 10 to end
of second term of Grade 12;
Grade 9 External and GCE candidates shall
be assessed from first term to end of
second term of the examination year;
General Guidelines for Natural Sciences
(1/3)
The assessment tasks for each practical
assessment should be based on what would
have been covered by the school using the
guidelines provided by ECZ for the specific
subject.
The Head teacher should communicate to the
candidates the date when the practical
assessments should be administered one
month in advance. This applies to all the
candidates at each level.
General Guidelines for Natural Sciences
(2/3)
Marking of practical scripts/project reports should be
done by teachers within the school in accordance with
the marking guides (mark allocation guides) provided
by ECZ.
The marks must be entered as raw marks (do not
convert to percentage).
The Practical assessments should be conducted at
Departmental level.
Schools with learners with special education needs
(LSEN) shall prepare appropriate tasks for them.
Adhere to the proposed access arrangements in
in the Guidelines.
General Guidelines for Natural Sciences
(3/3)
For Secondary Schools, the HOD should supervise
the preparation and conduct of the practical
assessments.
For Primary Schools, the teacher in charge should
supervise the preparation and conduct of the
practical assessments.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Conclusion (1/2)
It is hoped that with the general and specific
regulations in the guidelines for the
administration of school-based assessments,
teachers, schools and provinces should be able
to conduct and administer SBCA without much
difficult.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Conclusion (2/2)
Stakeholders should adhere to
the implementation strategy for each year for a
successful transition.
Guidelines and regulations stipulated in all
examination documents. This is important in
order to maintain the set standards for reliability
and comparability of the assessment results.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
END OF GENERAL GUIDELINES
We now discuss Subject
Specific Guidelines!!!
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science/Biology Paper 3
The School should prepare two separate
practical assessments;
one for Grade 12,
and the other for GCE candidates,
but both assessing the same competences in
line with the guidelines from ECZ.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science/Biology Paper 3
contd.
The Practical tasks to be administered to
Grade 12 candidates must be different from
that administered to GCE candidates.
The Practical assessment for Grade 12 and
GCE candidates must be conducted on
separate days scheduled by the school.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science/Biology Paper 3
contd.
Both Grade 12 (School Certificate) and GCE
practical assessments will be handled in
sessions depending on candidature.
The school should choose a day within the
Second Term when to administer each
Practical Assessment.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science/Biology Paper 3
contd.
The HOD (or teacher in charge in primary
schools) should ensure all the scripts are
marked within the school and the marks
entered onto the ECZ On-line Electronic Marks
Capture System by 31st July, 2019.
The marking of the tasks for the practical will
be done in accordance with the mark
allocation guides for each specific subject as
provided for in the Guidelines.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science/Biology Paper 3
contd.
All Mark Sheets for the Practical for Grade 12
and GCE should be printed out and submitted
to ECZ through the DEBS and PEO together
with the theory scripts for GCE.
The format of the practical assessments
should be the same as the format of practical
examinations ECZ had been setting in the
years starting from 2016 to 2018.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Biology Paper 3-practical (5090/3)
Topics to focus on ( page 14)
Competences and skills to be measured (page 14)
Competences and skills to be measured by the various
assessment tasks (page 15)
Total marks per task (page 15)
Mark allocation guide (pages 15)
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5090/3 - Content Areas
The HOD should ensure that two assessment
tasks are developed based on the content
areas as listed below.
Microscopes and magnification
Diffusion and Osmosis
Classes of Nutrients
Mammalian skeleton
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5090/3 - Content Areas
Germination and Development
Vegetative propagation
Classification
Soil fertility
Respiration
Transport and storage
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5090/3 – Competences and Skills
The assessment tasks should measure the
following competences and skills;
Following a sequence of instructions.
Handling and using apparatus, materials and
techniques.
Making and recording observations,
measurements and estimates.
Interpreting and evaluating observations and
experimental data.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5090/3 – Competences and Skills
Planning an investigation, selecting techniques,
apparatus and materials.
Applying results to real life situations.
Drawing specimens, apparatus and substances
accurately.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5090/3 – Competences and Skills
The two assessment tasks should measure
different competences and skills;
Task one: chemical tests (food tests),
diffusion, osmosis and soil fertility
Task two: identification and comparison of
specimens, drawing and magnification
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
END OF BIOLOGY
COMPONENT!
THANK YOU FOR PAYING
ATTENTION!!!
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science Paper 3 (Grade
12) – Practical (5037/3)
Topics to focus on ( page 12)
Competences and skills to be measured (page 12)
Competences and skills to be measured by the
various assessment tasks (page 13)
Total marks per task (page 13)
Mark allocation guide (pages 13-14)
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5037/3 – Content Areas
The HOD should ensure that four assessment tasks are
developed based on the content areas as listed below:
Test for ions (flame tests/ wet tests)
Farm tools, equipment and implements
Soil structure/pH measurement/drainage measurement
Livestock and crop production
Farm structures
Food tests
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5037/3 – Competences and Skills
The assessment tasks should measure the following
competences and skills:
Following a sequence of instructions.
Choosing suitable apparatus, materials and
techniques.
Making and recording observations, measurements
and estimates.
Interpreting and evaluating observations and
experimental data.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5037/3 – Competences and Skills
contd.
Planning an investigation, selecting techniques,
apparatus and materials.
Using equipment and materials safely and correctly.
Organising and carrying an investigation in a
systematic manner.
Applying results to real life situations.
Drawing specimens, apparatus and substances
accurately.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5037/3 – Competences and Skills
contd.
The four assessment tasks should measure different
competences and skills.
Task one: chemical tests (food tests/ion tests/flame
tests);
Task two: farm tools, equipment and implements,
their use, maintenance and storage, and farm
structures;
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
5037/3 – Competences and Skills
contd.
Task three: determination of soil structure,
soil pH and drainage;
Task four: identification and comparison of
specimens, drawing and magnification;
Livestock and crop production
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science Paper 2 -(Grade
12) -Project
The project will continue to run as currently
provided for in the current teaching and
examination syllabi.
The Project reports for Grade 12 (School
Certificate) candidates shall be assessed from the
second term of Grade eleven (11) to the second
term of Grade twelve (12).
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science Paper 2 -(Grade
12) -Project
The Project reports for GCE candidates shall be
assessed from the first term to the second term of
the examination year.
The marking of the project reports shall be done in
accordance with the marking guide provided by the
ECZ (page 18-21).
All projects shall be assessed within the School.
The projects for both Grade 12 and GCE candidates
must be completed by 30th June of the examination
year.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science paper 3 Grade 9-
501/3-Project
The project will continue to run as currently provided for
in the current teaching and examination syllabi
The project for Grade 9 external candidates shall be
assessed from first term to second term of the
examination year
The project for Grade 9 internal candidates shall be
assessed from second term of Grade 8 to second term of
Grade 9
The projects for both Grade 9 Internal and External
candidates must be completed by 30th June of the
examination year.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
Agricultural Science paper 3 Grade 9-
501/3-Project contd.
The projects should be marked within the
school.
The marking of the reports for the project will
be done in accordance with the mark
allocation guide provided.
The HOD/Teacher-in-Charge in Primary
schools must facilitate the supervision of the
projects for external candidates.
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
END OF PRESENTATION
Thank You
Examinations Council of Zambia – An Examining Body of
Excellence
