Practical/Lab Skills and Project Work
What this domain tests
The practical/lab component checks whether you can operate applications accurately under time, follow instructions, save and submit files correctly, and document a small project honestly.
Core rules
- Start and shut down the computer properly; save work frequently with Ctrl+S.
- Use clear file names without special characters, and keep work in the instructed folder.
- Before printing, use Print Preview to check margins, page count and orientation.
- In word processing, apply styles/formatting rather than manual spacing; in spreadsheets, use formulas rather than typed answers; in presentations, keep a consistent theme.
- Test every practical task: recalculate formulas, run the slide show, reopen the saved file.
- Project work stages: identify the problem, plan, collect data, build, test, document and present.
- Acknowledge sources; copied text or downloaded images without credit is plagiarism.
Worked example
Practical task: prepare a class result sheet with names, marks and a chart. Enter the data in a spreadsheet, add =SUM(...) for totals, =AVERAGE(...) for averages and =IF(...) for pass/fail. Format the header, sort by name, insert a bar chart with axis titles, save as .xlsx, then export a PDF for submission. Reopen both files to check. The reasoning: formulas keep results correct if marks change, and the PDF preserves the layout for the examiner.
Traps
- Leaving work unsaved until the end risks losing everything in a power cut.
- Typing calculated answers instead of formulas fails “use formula” instructions.
- Charts without labels or titles lose presentation marks.
- Submitting the wrong file format or a file from the wrong folder is a common lab error.
- Copying a project from the internet is detectable and is not original work.