This document provides sample materials for a controlled assessment task (CAT) on qualitative food tests. Students will determine the presence of sugars, starches, and proteins in various drinks like fizzy drinks, milk, and diet drinks. The CAT involves three parts: planning the investigation (Part A), collecting data (Part B), and analyzing results (Part C). Scoring guidelines are provided for evaluating students' plans, risk assessments, and analysis. Example data tables and questions are also included to illustrate how students may report results and draw conclusions from secondary data on food tests.

1. GCSE
Biology
Sample Qualitative
Controlled Assessment
Task
Food Tests

3. 1
Food Tests
Sample Qualitative Controlled Assessment Task (CAT)
Determine the food types (sugar, starch and protein) present in a range of drinks:
(standard) fizzy drink, milk, water and a diet (fizzy) drink.
Candidates should be given the opportunity to plan and carry out an investigation on the
food types present in a range of drinks.
The independent variable must be the type of drink.
Use the following four drinks: standard (non-diet) fizzy drink, milk, water and a diet
(fizzy) drink.
Do not use darkly coloured fizzy drinks.
Possible methods will be based on the food tests detailed in the specification.
Candidates should be encouraged to engage with the scientific process by making their
own planning decisions.
During the controlled assessment task (CAT), candidates must complete Part A:
Planning and Risk Assessment and Part B: Data Collection in the Pupil Response
Booklet A, enclosed with this document. Part A is to be carried out under medium
supervision and is formally assessed. Part B is to be carried out under limited supervision
and is not formally assessed.
Candidates must complete Part C: Processing, Analysis and Evaluation in the Pupil
Response Booklet B enclosed with this document. Part C of the CAT is carried out
under high control and is formally assessed.
Confidentiality
The guidance notes and subsequent Candidate Response Booklet B must be kept
confidential at all times and stored in a secure place, for example, a metal lockable
cabinet.
Health and Safety
Centres must ensure that all health and safety issues are addressed and that teachers
supervise candidates to ensure that there is compliance with the necessary health and
safety requirements during the data collection part of the CAT.
Marking
Part A of the CAT should be marked using the generic mark descriptors for Planning
and Risk Assessment as detailed in Section 6.6 of the Specification.
Part C of the CAT should be marked using the mark scheme provided.

4. 2
Please refer to the specification for more detailed guidance on the procedures and
controls for carrying out the Controlled Assessment Task (CAT).
Exemplar Candidate Response Booklet A
Planning (12 marks)
Band Descriptor
Increasing
complexity
of method
(0 marks) A mark of zero must be awarded for work not worthy of
credit.
Band 1
(14 marks)
Making little or no use of appropriate specialist terms,
candidates state simply what they hope to find out in the
investigation. They develop a simple plan to collect and
record a limited amount of appropriate evidence. They
identify a key factor to vary and select suitable
equipment/apparatus. They identify an area in the
investigation that could reduce the reliability of the
data/evidence collected. The form, style, spelling,
grammar and punctuation are of a limited standard.
Band 2
(5–8 marks)
Using some appropriate specialist terms, candidates
develop a hypothesis, with scientific reasoning, as to the
outcomes of the investigation. They develop a plan, with
some degree of complexity, to collect and record a
significant amount of appropriate evidence. They identify
key factors to investigate and measure/observe and select
suitable equipment/apparatus. They identify areas in the
investigation that could affect the reliability of the
data/evidence collected and explain the steps taken to
ensure its reliability. The form, style, spelling, grammar
and punctuation are of a satisfactory standard.
Band 3
(9–12 marks)
Using appropriate specialist terms throughout, candidates
develop a hypothesis, with detailed scientific reasoning, as
to the outcomes of the investigation. They develop a
complex plan to collect and record a wide range of
appropriate evidence. They identify key factors to
investigate, measure/observe and control and select
suitable equipment/apparatus. They discuss in detail
areas of the investigation that could affect the reliability of
the data/evidence collected and the steps taken to ensure
its reliability. They explain their strategies to deal with
anomalous results/observations. The form, style,
spelling, grammar and punctuation are of a high standard.

5. 3
Risk Assessment (6 marks)
Band Descriptor
(0 marks) A mark of zero must be awarded for work not worthy of credit.
Band 1
(1–2 marks)
Candidates state a safety hazard specific to the investigation and state
briefly the hazardous outcomes that may result.
Band 2
(3–4 marks)
Candidates identify some of the safety hazards specific to the chosen
investigation and explain the hazardous outcomes. They state the steps
needed to minimise these risks.
Band 3
(5–6 marks)
Candidates identify all the safety hazards specific to the chosen
investigation and explain in detail both the hazardous outcomes and the
steps needed to minimise risk.
Results
Candidates should provide a table of results to record results.
No marks are awarded for the recording of results.

6. 4
Exemplar Candidate Response Booklet B
1 Use your results to explain what you found out in your investigation and whether or
not this agreed with the hypothesis you made at the start. Use data from your
results to support your answer.
[5]

7. 5
2 Explain as fully as possible how you made sure that your investigation was a fair test.
(Include in your answer what you understand by a fair test in terms of your
investigation.)
[3]
3 Suggest two possible sources of error in your investigation. State how you could
improve your method to minimise each of these sources of error.
[4]

8. 6
Secondary Data
Food samples, A, B and C were tested in three experiments. The results of these
experiments are given below.
Experiment 1
Food samples, A, B and C, were tested by boiling in Benedict’s Reagent and with Iodine
Solution.
Food sample
Colour of Benedict’s Colour of Iodine
Start End Start End
A blue brick red Yellow brown Yellow brown
B blue blue Yellow brown Blue black
C blue blue Yellow brown Yellow brown
Experiment 2
Food samples, A, B and C, were placed in a test tube with amylase in a waterbath at 20◦
C
for 10 minutes and then tested by boiling in Benedict’s Reagent and with Iodine Solution.
Food sample
Colour of Benedict’s Colour of Iodine
Start End Start End
A blue brick red Yellow brown Yellow brown
B blue brick red Yellow brown Yellow brown
C blue blue Yellow brown Yellow brown
Experiment 3
Food samples A, B and C were tested for protein.
Food sample Protein present
A X
B 
C 

9. 7
4 What conclusions can you reach from table 1?
[4]
5 Which experiment (1, 2 or 3) is from an investigation not similar to your own?
Experiment 1 Experiment 2 Experiment 3
Explain your answer.
[2]

10. 8
6 Look at the results for experiments 1 and 2.
Explain the difference in results for food sample B in experiment 2.
[3]
7 Experiment 2 was repeated with food sample B.
Two test tubes containing food sample and amylase mixtures were placed in water
baths, one at 10◦
C and the other at 80◦
C.
The enzyme amylase works only very slowly at 10◦
C.
Samples were removed from each test tube after 10 minutes. These were tested with
Benedict’s Reagent and Iodine solution.
Complete the table to show the expected results.
Reagent Colour after food test
10◦
C 80◦
C
Benedict’s
Iodine

11. 9
8 The table shows the nutritional information from a label on a tin of chicken soup.
Food Type Per serving
Protein 3g
Sugar 0g
Starch 7g
Total fat 2.3g
Calories 60
Which of the samples A, B or C tested in the experiment 1, 2 and 3 was chicken
soup?
A B C
Explain your answer as fully as possible
[2]

12. 10
Mark Scheme Marks Additional
Guidance
1 Correct food types identified. [2]
Explanation based on results/colour changes. [2]
Link to hypothesis. [1] [5]
Any 2 correct
of 3
2 Description of two named controlled variable in the experiment.
[2]
Description of fair test as only one factor varied and all others kept
the same.
OR
Explanation of why keeping a control variable (relevant to the
investigation) the same is so important to ensure a fair test. [1] [3]
3 Any two sources of error for their experiment, for example,
incorrect measurements of food, colour change too small to be
visible, reagents out of date. [2]
A suitable improvement for each of the suggested sources of error,
for example, measure volume more accurately, more food
sample/more concentrated food sample, use colour chart or colour
card, water and reagent used as a standard. [2] [4]
4 A contains sugars but no starch. [1]
B contains starch but no sugars. [1]
C contains neither. [1]
Linking one of the reagents to what they test for. [1] [4]
5 Experiment 2. [1]
Amylase used in experiment 2/Amylase not used in my food tests.
[1] [2]
6 In experiment 2, the results show that sample B now contains
sugar [1]
and no starch. [1]
This means that amylase must have caused the change/amylase
changed the starch into sugar. [1] [3]

13. 11
7 Reagent Colour after food test
10◦
C 80◦
C
Benedict’s brick red
[1]
blue
[1]
Iodine blue black
[1]
blue black
[1] [4]
Accept
green/blue/
yellow for
brick red
8 Food B [1]
Contains both starch and protein/contains starch but no sugar. [1] [2]
Total Marks [27]