CIPD 3CO02 Foundation Certificate People Practice Assignment Writing Guide 2025

THE ASSIGNMENT WRITING GUIDE

Oakwood International prides itself on supporting our learners. Your success is our success!

You have engaged in a globally recognised qualification which will drive your career forward, and this is the final step in achieving your goal: writing your assignment.

Oakwood International knows that balancing an intense and demanding work life with your personal and home life is challenging. Adding a global qualification into this mix can be difficult. How do I find the time? How do I answer questions in a second language? Oakwood International understands these challenges and therefore we have created this critical document to guide you to success. Using this document and the resources we suggest makes you more likely to achieve your goal.

The LAB (Learner Assessment Brief)

When you submit your work for assessment, you need to feel confident that your submission meets the assessment requirements. This means the marker must be sure you have demonstrated sufficient knowledge and understanding to justify a pass against every Assessment Criteria (AC). Failure in just one Assessment Criteria will result in a fail grade and you will be required to resubmit your answer(s) again. This will delay the completion of your qualification. So, let’s ensure together this does not happen.

You will see on your LAB that this assessment is divided into tasks. Each task has a question that you must answer. Please note that many tasks have more than one element to consider, so read the task carefully. The CIPD links an AC to each question. For example:

Task One

Evaluate the principles of reward and its importance to organisational culture and performance management. (AC 1.1)

This guidance document tells you exactly what you MUST do to achieve a pass on the AC.

You will also see that we have provided a range of research sources that you can use to inform your answers. These resources have been drawn from valid, reputable sources – including the CIPD – and all are assessed to be appropriate as reference sources for your written assignment.

Important Notes

As with any research source, you must acknowledge where and how you have used it to answer the question. This is what referencing means. Every source used in this document has the source reference included. These are mostly URL links. If you use the resources, we have given you to support your written assignment, the source reference included in this document is what you use. There is detailed guidance on how to set out your short (in-text) and long references on the learning platform. If you do not reference correctly, your work will be seen as plagiarised. This is a serious offence.

Our marking system uses Turnitin, which will tell us the percentage of copied and pasted content. It will also show us if you have copied content from another learner’s submission. Work found to contain plagiarised material will be returned unmarked. Serious or repeated plagiarism will be reported to the CIPD, who could remove you from the qualification. Therefore, make sure you reference correctly!

You are also not allowed to use AI to assist you in the writing of your assignment. Again our software will identify where AI has been used and tasks may be referred or assignments returned unmarked if we find AI use. 

Word Count

Please stay within the word count. The limits are + or – 10%. One of the biggest challenges of this program is to avoid exceeding the word count. But being concise and clear and not using unnecessary wordage is a crucial business discipline you must learn. It is always best to stay under the limit on your first submission because if your work is referred, you may be required to add more information. The word count should be updated on each submission.

Check your work before submitting it. Never rely solely upon a spellchecker. Read through your work carefully and avoid unnecessary errors in spelling and punctuation. Check your formatting and ask yourself if it is clear and professionally presented.

Avoid using bullet points and short statements. You should provide a full narrative. The marker will expect to see evidence of your knowledge and understanding – bullet points and short statements will not evidence this.

Oakwood advises that you always structure your answers using subheadings. Often, AC’s have more than one element that must be covered, and this will help ensure you include everything required. It will also make your answer clear for the assessor.

Completion of the LAB

At the end of this document, there is a checklist. You MUST ensure you have used this checklist. Failure to do what is asked will mean your LAB is returned unmarked. This will then delay the marking process and the completion of your qualification. Therefore, USE THIS GUIDE to ensure your success.

We at Oakwood International wish you every success in this big step forward. We have a dedicated support team if you have any questions regarding the LAB and your assessment. Please email learners@oakwoodinternational.co.uk and ensure you include your cohort number in the subject line of your email.

Good luck with your studies!

Victoria Morris-Porton

Head of Learning and Quality- Oakwood International

Q1 AC 1.1: Explain what evidenced-based practice is and provide two examples of how Company X could apply it. 
(approximately 250 words)

QAC 1.2: Explain the importance of using data at Company X to accurately determine problems and issues. (approximately 250 words)

Q3 AC 1.3: Explain the different types of data measurements that people professionals (HR) at Company X could use. 
(approximately 250 words)

Q4 AC 1.6: Explain how the application of policies and procedures can inform Company X’s decisions. (approximately 250 words)

Q5 AC 2.1: Explain how People Professionals (HR) at Company X can create value for their people, their organisation, and their wider stakeholders. 
(approximately 250 words)

Q6 AC 2.2: Imagine that you have been successful in your application for the role at Company X. Summarise ways in which you can be customer-focused and standards-driven in your new role, drawing on your previous experience , as necessary.
(approximately 250 words)

Q7 AC 1.4: The excel table shows the hours of overtime worked over a four-week period  for one of Company X’s clients, Blue Moutain Patisserie.

Using the data provided:

• calculate the average number of overtime hours worked by each employee during the four-week period. 
• calculate the average overtime hours as a percentage of the normal working hours. 
• analyse the results and provide written comments on any issues that the data has revealed suggesting potential problems and solutions. (AC 1.4) (approximately 500 words)

Q8 AC 1.5: Finally present  your findings using at least TWO different types of diagrammatic forms (for example, pie charts, bar graphs, or line graphs) to make the information easier to understand. (AC 1.5)