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Welsh Baccalaureate (Welsh Bacc) The Individual Project Syllabus

The The Individual Project syllabus for Welsh Baccalaureate (Welsh Bacc) in full: 4 chapters, 16 topics and 16 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 50 The Individual Project flashcards with answers.

4Chapters

16Topics

16Sub-topics

50Flashcards

The Individual Project syllabus: all 4 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

Choosing and Defining a Project
4 topics
- Selecting a research topic of personal interest
- Writing a clear project title and aims
- Formulating a research question or hypothesis
  - Open vs closed questions
  - Scoping for feasibility
- Project formats
  - Written research report
  - Artefact plus supporting documentation
  - Investigation or experiment
Research and Planning
4 topics
- Primary research methods
  - Surveys and questionnaires
  - Interviews
  - Observations and experiments
- Secondary research methods
  - Books, journals and credible websites
  - Statistical and data sources
- Producing a project plan and timeline
- Risk assessment and ethical considerations
  - Consent and confidentiality
  - Bias and reliability
Analysis and Writing Up
4 topics
- Organising and presenting findings
- Analysing qualitative and quantitative data
  - Identifying patterns and trends
  - Using charts, tables and graphs
- Drawing evidence-based conclusions
- Structuring the final report
  - Introduction, methodology, findings, conclusion
  - Bibliography and appendices
Evaluation and Reflection
4 topics
- Evaluating the success of the project against aims
- Reflecting on skills developed
- Identifying limitations and improvements
- Presenting the project outcome

Welsh Baccalaureate (Welsh Bacc) The Individual Project flashcards — 50 questions with answers

In the Welsh Baccalaureate, what is the Individual Project (IP)?
An extended, independent piece of research on a topic of the learner's choice, forming part of the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate, where the student plans, carries out and evaluates their own investigation.
What two qualities should guide the selection of a research topic for the Individual Project?
Personal interest/motivation (so you stay engaged) and feasibility (it must be researchable within the available time, resources and access to information).
Why is choosing a topic of personal interest important for the Individual Project?
Genuine interest sustains motivation across a long project, leads to deeper engagement and analysis, and makes the reflective evaluation more authentic.
What is the difference between a project title and a project aim?
The title is a concise label naming what the project is about; the aim is a statement of the overall purpose or intended outcome of the investigation.
What makes a clear and effective Individual Project title?
It is concise, specific, focused, and signals the topic and scope, often phrased as a question or a precise statement of intent.
What is the difference between an aim and an objective in a project?
An aim is the broad overall goal of the project; objectives are the specific, measurable steps taken to achieve that aim.
What is a research question?
A clear, focused, answerable question that defines exactly what the project sets out to investigate and guides the choice of research methods.
What is a hypothesis?
A precise, testable statement predicting a relationship or outcome, which the research then sets out to support or refute with evidence.
When is a hypothesis more appropriate than a research question for the Individual Project?
When the project tests a specific prediction or relationship (typically quantitative/scientific topics); a research question suits more open, exploratory or qualitative investigations.
List four characteristics of a good research question.
Focused (not too broad), answerable within constraints, clear/unambiguous, and relevant/significant to the topic.
Name four common formats an Individual Project outcome can take.
A written report or essay, an artefact (e.g. a product or design), a performance, or a presentation/audio-visual production (with supporting written evidence).
What is primary research?
Original research that collects new, first-hand data directly from sources, such as surveys, interviews, experiments or observations.
What is secondary research?
Research that uses existing data and information gathered by others, such as books, journals, websites, statistics and reports.
Give three examples of primary research methods.
Questionnaires/surveys, interviews, and experiments or first-hand observations (also focus groups and case studies you conduct yourself).
Give three examples of secondary research sources.
Textbooks and academic journals, websites and online articles, and published statistics, government reports or documentaries.
What is the main advantage of primary research over secondary research?
It produces original data tailored exactly to your research question and is current and specific to your investigation.
What is a key disadvantage of primary research?
It is time-consuming, can be costly, may involve small/unrepresentative samples, and risks bias in collection.
What is the main advantage of secondary research?
It is quick, often free, gives access to large amounts of existing data, and provides background and context to support primary findings.
What is a key disadvantage of secondary research?
The data may be out of date, not specific to your question, or biased/unreliable, and you cannot control how it was collected.
What is qualitative data?
Non-numerical, descriptive data about qualities, opinions or experiences (e.g. interview responses, words, themes).

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What is quantitative data?
Numerical data that can be counted, measured and statistically analysed (e.g. survey scores, frequencies, measurements).
Compare open and closed questions in a questionnaire.
Closed questions give fixed options producing quantitative data that is easy to analyse; open questions allow free responses producing richer qualitative data that is harder to analyse.
What is a project plan/timeline and why is it important?
A scheduled breakdown of tasks against deadlines (often a Gantt-style chart) that keeps the project on track, manages time, and ensures milestones are met.
What is a Gantt chart used for in project planning?
To show tasks, their durations, start/end dates and how they overlap over time, providing a visual schedule for managing the project.
What is a milestone in a project timeline?
A significant checkpoint or key deliverable marking the completion of a major stage of the project.
What is a risk assessment in the context of the Individual Project?
A systematic identification of potential hazards or problems, evaluation of their likelihood and impact, and planning of control measures to reduce them.
How can a risk level be expressed as a combination of two factors?
Risk is judged from likelihood and severity, often combined as $\text{Risk} = \text{Likelihood} \times \text{Severity}$.
Name three ethical considerations a student must address when doing primary research.
Informed consent of participants, confidentiality/anonymity of data, and avoiding harm (plus the right to withdraw).
What is informed consent?
Ensuring participants understand the purpose and nature of the research and voluntarily agree to take part before any data is collected.
What is plagiarism and how is it avoided?
Presenting others' work or ideas as your own; it is avoided by correctly citing and referencing all sources and using your own words.
Why must sources be referenced in the Individual Project?
To credit original authors, avoid plagiarism, allow others to verify sources, and demonstrate the credibility and depth of research.
What is a bibliography?
A complete list of all the sources consulted during the project, presented in a consistent referencing format.
How can researchers reduce bias when collecting primary data?
Use neutral question wording, representative sampling, anonymity, standardised procedures, and avoid leading questions.
What is a representative sample?
A sample whose characteristics accurately reflect those of the wider population, so results can be generalised more confidently.
Name three ways of organising and presenting research findings.
Tables, charts/graphs (bar, pie, line), and written summaries or diagrams that make patterns clear.
When is a pie chart more suitable than a line graph?
A pie chart shows proportions of a whole at one point in time; a line graph shows trends or changes in a variable over time.
What is the difference between data analysis and data presentation?
Presentation displays the data clearly (charts/tables); analysis interprets it to identify patterns, relationships and meaning relevant to the research question.
Name three common measures of central tendency used to analyse quantitative data.
The mean, the median and the mode.
How is the arithmetic mean of a data set calculated?
Add all the values and divide by the number of values: $\bar{x} = \frac{\sum x}{n}$.
What is the median and how is it found?
The middle value of a data set when the values are arranged in order; for $n$ values it is the value at position $\frac{n+1}{2}$.
What is the mode of a data set?
The value that occurs most frequently in the data set.
What does the range measure and how is it calculated?
The spread of the data, calculated as $\text{Range} = x_{\max} - x_{\min}$ (largest value minus smallest value).
How is a value expressed as a percentage of a total?
Divide the part by the whole and multiply by 100: $\text{percentage} = \frac{\text{part}}{\text{total}} \times 100\%$.
What technique is used to analyse qualitative data such as interview transcripts?
Thematic analysis: identifying, coding and grouping recurring themes, patterns and ideas in the text.
What is an evidence-based conclusion?
A conclusion that is directly supported by and drawn from the analysed research data, rather than from personal opinion or assumption.
What should a conclusion in the Individual Project do?
Answer the research question or address the hypothesis, summarise the key findings, and justify the judgement using the evidence gathered.
List the main sections of a well-structured final project report in order.
Title page, introduction/aims, methodology, findings/results, analysis and discussion, conclusion, evaluation/reflection, and references/bibliography.
What is the purpose of evaluating the project against its aims?
To judge how successfully the original aims and objectives were met, assessing the extent to which the research question/hypothesis was answered.
Name three transferable skills typically developed and reflected on during the Individual Project.
Research and analysis, time/project management, and communication/presentation (also critical thinking and independent learning).
Why must a student identify limitations and possible improvements in their project?
To show critical awareness of weaknesses (e.g. small sample, time constraints, bias) and demonstrate how the research could be made more reliable or valid if repeated.

Welsh Baccalaureate (Welsh Bacc) The Individual Project FAQ

What is in the Welsh Baccalaureate (Welsh Bacc) The Individual Project syllabus?

Welsh Baccalaureate (Welsh Bacc) The Individual Project is split into 4 chapters: Choosing and Defining a Project, Research and Planning, Analysis and Writing Up and Evaluation and Reflection. Together they contain 16 topics and 16 sub-topics.

How many chapters are in Welsh Baccalaureate (Welsh Bacc) The Individual Project?

4 chapters, containing 16 topics and 16 sub-topics. The largest chapter is Choosing and Defining a Project, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for Welsh Baccalaureate (Welsh Bacc) The Individual Project?

Yes — a 50-card The Individual Project deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.