Practical Work, Project and Viva
The practical paper tests whether you can plan, execute, record and defend a tourism task. The viva is not a memory test; it checks whether you understand the choices in your own file.
What a strong project contains
- Title and objectives: narrow and measurable, e.g. 'A heritage walk for 20 students in Patiala'.
- Research: sources, interviews, maps, photographs, permissions.
- Deliverable: itinerary, budget, risk plan, marketing leaflet, feedback form.
- Record file: dated entries, drafts, checklists, reflection on what changed and why.
- Evaluation: what worked, what did not, what you would do differently.
- Viva: be ready to justify route, timing, cost, safety and customer profile.
Worked example
For a heritage-walk project, define the audience (senior secondary students), route (three sites within 2 km), duration (2 hours), cost (guide, water, first aid, permissions) and risk controls (headcount, shaded stops, emergency contact). Reasoning: a narrow scope is defensible. If the viva asks why the walk is two hours, the answer is distance, attention span and the school timetable, not 'because it is a project'. If a site closes on Monday, show the alternative date in the file.
Traps
Copying a web itinerary without acknowledgement; no dates or evidence; a budget that omits permissions or first aid; being unable to explain a choice; describing the project but not evaluating it; ignoring accessibility and safety.