If your school or college delivers A Level sciences, the practical endorsement work is subject to practical endorsement monitoring. The monitoring runs in two-year cycles, with large centres (more than 140 students in any science subject) receiving visits for each science subject in each cycle. Other centres receive a visit for a single science subject in each monitoring cycle.

The Cycle 5 monitoring begins in autumn 2023 and runs until June 2025.

Monitoring visits will follow the same procedures as the 2021 to 2023 cycle. Awarding organisations will jointly plan monitoring visits for this cycle using information about the centres' entries for A Levels in biology, chemistry and physics from the summer 2023 series.

To ensure an appropriate visit is scheduled, it's the responsibility of your school or college to let awarding bodies know if you're new, switching exam boards, or only offering one or two science A Levels.

Please make sure your science department has read the Cycle 5 cross-board messaging which explains the monitoring arrangements, including details for A Level Geology which is monitored separately.

You can read more about the science practical endorsement on our Positive About Practical and A Level Sciences assessment web pages.

If you have any queries, please call our Customer Support Centre on 01223 553998 or email science@ocr.org.uk.

Qualifications

• Biology A - H020, H420 (from 2015)
• Biology B (Advancing Biology) - H022, H422 (from 2015)
• Chemistry A - H032, H432 (from 2015)
• Chemistry B (Salters) - H033, H433 (from 2015)
• Physics A - H156, H556 (from 2015)
• Physics B (Advancing Physics) - H157, H557 (from 2015)
• Geology - H014, H414 (from 2017)