A-Level Marine Science 2021
RESIDENTIAL
Overview
TRACC has run an award winning intensive A-level course as a residential program at its field station on Pulau PomPom annually since 2013. With the pandemic disrupting international travel we will be offering the residential course as an un-examined option.
The CIE A-level exams are not included in this course. It is not currently possible to host a residential course on PomPom beginning in January 2021 and if it doesn’t start then, it no longer lines up with the CIE exams in April/May.
To compensate for this, Tracc is now offering two options: An online course that will conclude in good time for a candidate to take the CIE exams in their home county and this internally examined course to begin once international travel to Malaysia becomes possible.
Target Audience
Life learners who wish to study Marine Science for their own pleasure and who do not need the independently examined certification.
This category of student often includes dive professionals who are interested in the subject as part of their continued professional development.
Kinetic learners and those looking for the whole “PomPom experience” with the diving and subject immersion should also select this option.
Students who need to have a CIE examined full A-level qualification for University entry or similar future goals are encouraged to join the online course.
Examinations
The residential A-level course will have all the continual assessment that would normally be expected. It will also have a revision period and a set of internal examinations. These will be set and marked by an internal Tracc examiner not CIE. This is the principal difference between this course and the regular A-level we hope to resume in 2022.
Students who follow this course will receive a certificate of completion from Tracc stating their grade and that they have undertaken a course “equivalent to” an A-level in Marine Science.
Completion of this course with the internal examinations will not prevent a student from sitting the CIE exams as an Independent Candidate at one of the many registered exam centres around the world in 2022 (or later) should they so wish.
Content
The will follow AS and A-Level Marine Science (9693) as offered by Cambridge International Examinations (CIE).
Prerequisites
There is no particular prerequisite for this course since it builds on high-school science. However some candidates find refreshing their knowledge of basic biology before they start useful. The course is taught entirely in English but we have had non-native speakers take the course and examine well. The exams are single word or short answers without any essay questions.
A printed textbook is available for purchase.
Key Dates
By disconnecting the course from the external exams Tracc has been able to reduce the course from 14 weeks to 12. At present the start date is unclear, but it will follow this approximate schedule.
“Praesent id libero id metus varius consectetur ac eget diam. Nulla felis nunc, consequat laoreet lacus id.”