- Choose a project that is measured in scope:
- you can always include core success criteria with extension tasks for completion at the end;
- larger projects take up more time and require more writing;
- consider choosing an element of a larger system rather than the system as a whole.
- Demonstrating the same skills repeatedly offers little benefit:
- rather than making lots of similar levels in a game, consider making one detailed level.
- Keep your documentation concise by using:
- bulleted lists;
- design tools (e.g., UML);
- tables;
- short video evidence with time stamps; and
- avoiding repetition (e.g., of testing)—page references/links to previous work is fine.
- Consider using headings from the mark scheme and using its bullet points to structure your work:
- this helps you avoid repetition and ensure full coverage of the marking criteria. [1]
Use appendices
To make your write-up more readable, consider including lengthy pieces of evidence in an appendix rather than in the body of your write-up [1]. When you include evidence in an appendix, you could summarise the evidence and its impact in your write-up. If using appendices, make it clear that you are doing so—the location of evidence should be explicit so that it is easy for anyone reading it to find [1].
References
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[1]Cambridge OCR 2026. A Level Computer Science: A Guide to Creating Concise NEA Documentation.