Practical Endorsement – Pass/Fail

CPAC
Common Practical Assessment
Criteria
The CPACs are the same
The Practical Techniques are different
CPACs
CPACs
Practical
techniques
Practical
techniques
Students must cover all practical techniques to gain a PASS
• You can make some modifications to the core practicals as long
as all techniques are covered.
• For example we did not do TLC on every organic or Transition
Metal product that we generated;
• We just did a simple plant pigment TLC to cover this technique.
• In Core 5 we did not do the oxidation of ethanol; the SCM
wanted to do the oxidation of propan-1-ol – this was fine.
Tracking evidence for CPAC
Attendance must be recorded
• Must have a SoW indicating when CORE
practicals are due to occur;
• They can occur at any time of the two
year course;
• They do not have to tie in with topics
being taught.
• The students must know about CPAC and they must know which
CPACs they will be assessed on for each CORE practical;
• This needs to be explained before the CORE practical starts.
CPACs that do not require written evidence

1a
• Follow a written protocol.
• In a monitor visit scenario ask a few students why they are
doing a certain step.
• If responses are sensible this is enough for the group to get
1a.
2d
• If students obtain the right kit from a drawer this
is enough to secure 2d.
• For instance, can a student obtain a teat pipette
rather than a conical flask or a beaker?
2a and 2b

Can students use equipment

appropriately?
3b

Can students operate safely?

4a
• A qualitative observation: a blue ppt formed.
• Does not need to be written.
• Can involve photo evidence to support the
observation although this is not essential.
CPACs that require written evidence from the student

2c
• Statement of what are the independent and dependent
variables.
• Statement of what other variables need to be maintained
across all experiments.
• Needs to be part of a stepwise plan.
3a
• A written risk assessment in the form of a table with 3
columns: reagents and equipment/hazard/risk mitigation.
• Monitors want to see students acquiring the information
about a reagent themselves.
• Student versions of CLEAPSS safety sheets are available
e.g. HCl.
• Students can copy from the student CLEAPSS student
safety sheets.
4b
• Sufficient data points for each experiment is essential.
• Experiments involving the acquisition of quantitative data need to
involve three repeats to show that data points, for the same
experiment, are reproducible.
• Must include a table of data with the independent variable in
the left with headings and units.
• All data points must be recorded to the same number of significant
figures/decimal places in line with the precision of the device used to
obtain the readings.
5a
• Must involve some processing;
of data sets. Determine a mean or draw a graph;
• Carry out research before the practical – anything to
do with the practical;
• Report finding: reflecting on the data set in the
context of the research.
5b
• Minimum of two references;
• Must be dated;
• In the same format.
• Selecting CPACs to assess for each CORE practical;
• A good idea if this is standardised across the cohort although not
essential;
• More manageable to focus on a narrower subset of CPACs in each
practical, rather than assessing all those that are applicable.
2a, 2b, 4b.