Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) in Junior Cycle History let you carry out your own research on local heritage and significant figures from the past. After CBA 2 you do a short written Assessment Task in class, which the State Examinations Commission marks for 10% of your final History grade.
The two CBAs at a glance
You complete two CBAs in class time over a maximum of three weeks each. Both give you the freedom to choose a topic that sparks your curiosity.
| Feature | CBA 1: The Past in My Place | CBA 2: A Life in Time |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Local history: your parish, town, county or region — or a place abroad your family came from — including family history | A significant person from any time or place |
| Format | Display (exhibition, booklet, digital, or audio) | Written record (essay, article, speech, or obituary) |
| Grouping | Individual, pair, or small group | Individual only |
| Timing | Towards the end of Year 2 | Term 2 of Year 3 |
Two topic rules apply to prevent overlap. A person researched in CBA 1 cannot be the subject of CBA 2. Also, if your CBA 1 focused on a place outside Ireland, your CBA 2 person must connect to Irish history.
The four stages of inquiry
Each CBA has four stages, the same stages a historian works through.
CBA 1: The Past in My Place
- Investigating: choose a local subject and agree key enquiry questions with your teacher.
- Discovering: gather evidence from interviews, site visits, or local archives.
- Displaying: present your evidence clearly; group members must mark their individual work using initials or symbols.
- Reflecting: record what you discovered and how you worked as a historian in your display and reflection note.
CBA 2: A Life in Time
- Scoping: narrow down your person to a specific era, event, or question.
- Researching: gather evidence from at least two sources, noting where they agree or differ.
- Creating a written record: write your historical assessment in your chosen format and add a bibliography.
- Reflecting: put your thoughts about the research process in the Student Reflection Note, not inside the written record — the written record stays as history writing about the person.
How your work is judged
Your teacher judges your work against the official Features of Quality using an 'on-balance', best-fit decision. You are awarded one of four descriptors: Exceptional, Above expectations, In line with expectations, or Yet to meet expectations.
Judgements focus on three core areas:
- Historical consciousness: viewing people in the context of their time and shaping your project to a clear purpose.
- Working with evidence: using primary and secondary sources to form supported judgements rather than just listing facts.
- The 'big picture': linking your specific local topic or individual to wider national or world events.
To judge historical significance, use the Five 'R's: Remarkable (talked about at the time), Remembered (kept in memory), Resonant (connects across time), Resulting in change (had consequences), and Revealing (tells us about the past).
Your teacher confirms the descriptor after discussing sample work with other History teachers, and you are told your descriptor after that.
Reflection note and the Assessment Task
Every student submits an individual Student Reflection Note for each CBA. It asks what went well, the challenges you met, what you found most significant, and what you learned about how a historian works.
The Assessment Task takes place directly after CBA 2 in Year 3. It takes two class periods (at least 80 minutes):
- Period 1: you study a short stimulus from the NCCA — it may be written, visual, audio or audio-visual — and think back over your CBA 2 research.
- Period 2: you answer questions in a State Examinations Commission (SEC) booklet based on your research and historical skills.
The booklet is sent to the SEC and accounts for 10% of your final Common Level grade.
Key terms
- Classroom-Based Assessment (CBA)
- A research project done in class time. Your teacher judges it against official Features of Quality and the descriptor appears on your JCPA.
- Primary source
- Evidence created at the time of an event by someone who was there, such as a letter, diary, photograph, or census form.
- Secondary source
- An account produced after an event by someone who was not there, such as a history textbook, biography, or website.
- Features of Quality
- The official national criteria teachers use to decide which descriptor best fits a student's CBA work.
- Student Reflection Note
- A short form you fill in for each CBA explaining what you did, the difficulties you faced, and what you learned about a historian's work.
- Historical significance
- How important a person, event, or issue is in bringing about change or helping us understand the past.
- Assessment Task (AT)
- A written task completed in class after CBA 2, marked by the SEC for 10% of your final Junior Cycle History grade.
- Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA)
- The report awarded by your school at the end of Junior Cycle that records your CBA descriptors, State examination results, and other learning achievements.
Check yourself
What is the required format for CBA 1: The Past in My Place?
A display format, such as an exhibition board, booklet, digital presentation, or audio recording.
How many sources must you consult and list for CBA 2 at a minimum?
At least two sources, which must be cited in a bibliography.
What are the four official descriptors awarded for CBA work?
Exceptional, Above expectations, In line with expectations, and Yet to meet expectations.
Where should reflections on the research process be recorded for CBA 2?
In the Student Reflection Note, keeping the written record focused strictly on historical writing about the person.