Teacher Toolkit: Moderating O-Level Physics Practicals
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)30 Nov 2025, 00:00 Z
Reviewed by
Chee Wei Jie
Academic Advisor (Physics)
TL;DR
The 2026 SEAB Physics syllabus keeps the Planning/MMO/PDO/ACE framework (Section 4, SEAB 2026 syllabus).
Consistent moderation hinges on shared descriptors, calibration datasets, and tight apparatus management.
Use this toolkit to align department mark schemes, run moderation meetings, and gather evidence for SEC transitions.
Keep Your Physics Practical Stack On Track
Use our O-Level Physics Experiments hub to find companion drills for every Paper 3 skill before you attempt these walkthroughs.
1 | Pre-moderation setup
- Share descriptors: Circulate the SEAB Planning/MMO/PDO/ACE bullet points with annotated clarifications for your school context.\
- Select baseline tasks: Choose 3–4 experiments covering mechanics, thermal, electricity, and optics. Ensure they mirror the 18 SEAB-listed tasks.\
- Prepare reference data: Collect “gold standard” tables/graphs (anonymous student samples or teacher exemplars) with known grades.\
- Log apparatus status: Note calibration dates, serial numbers, and any quirks (e.g. power supply drift) in a shared spreadsheet.
2 | Running a moderation meeting
- Anchor discussion: Start with one exemplar script per grade band (A/B/C). Highlight where Planning/MMO/PDO/ACE evidence appears.\
- Blind marking round: Have each teacher grade two new scripts independently.\
- Compare & discuss: Surface differences, referencing specific criteria (“PDO column units missing, hence deduction”).\
- Update mark scheme: Amend internal rubrics or checklist phrasing so future marking references a single source of truth.\
- Record decisions: Capture action items (e.g. “Require explicit uncertainty statement for full ACE mark”) in a moderation log.
3 | Apparatus & risk management diary
- Maintain a lab diary for each station: apparatus list, pre-lab checks, post-lab issues.\
- Schedule rotation so all teachers experience each station; note any systematic bias (e.g. photogate 2 under-reads).\
- For high-usage items (balances, data loggers), assign responsibility for recalibration and battery checks.\
- Archive risk assessments for each practical variant; align with MOE Safety Guidelines for Science Laboratories (latest edition circulated to schools after the public PDF was removed).
