A job from a client
A small company says: "Here is our problem. Plan a solution. Fix our old code. Design a new tool. Build it. Then tell us how good it is."
You have many hours, over several sessions. You cannot use the internet.
This is the idea of the Employer Set Project. It is a big task that looks like real work.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Brief | The client's description of the problem and what they want. | A club wants a booking tool |
| Client | The person or company you work for. | Hillside Sports Club |
| Portfolio | A folder of your work and proof, sent in on a computer. | plans, code, test results |
| Supervised | A teacher watches while you work. | an exam room |
| Evidence | Proof of what you did. | a screenshot of a test |
| Assessment objective | A skill the marks are given for. | planning |
| Task | One part of the project. | Task 3: design |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
The rules in the specification
The specification says this about the project:
- It is supervised: a teacher watches.
- You may not use the internet.
- You may not use AI or a tool that writes your answer for you.
- It runs over several sessions. The total is up to 14 hours 30 minutes.
- You send in a portfolio of evidence on a computer.
What goes in your portfolio
| Part | In simple words | Which task |
|---|---|---|
| Planning documents | Your time plan and your cost plan | Task 1 |
| Testing evidence | Tests you ran, with proof of what happened | Task 2 |
| Design | Drawings and notes that explain your solution | Task 3 |
| The digital product | The working software you built | Task 4a |
| Evaluation | Your honest review of how well it meets the brief | Task 4b |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Ask your lecturer
data-callouts.important.label
The live rules can change each year. Ask your lecturer: how long is each session? What help is allowed? What may you bring? Write the answers down.
Quick check: the rules
Have a go
Quick check: the rules
5 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
What the marks reward
The project has 100 marks. Before it is set, a panel of employers checks the project, so it is like a real job. They look at what the client needs and how users will feel. The marks are split by assessment objective. An assessment objective is a skill.
Look at the table. Most marks are for doing the work, not for talking about it.