GCSE Design and Technology₈₅₅₂

What's assessed

• Core technical principles
• Specialist technical principles
• Designing and making principles

• at least 15% of the exam will assess maths
• at least 10% of the exam will assess science.

How it's assessed

• Written exam: 2 hours
• 100 marks
• 50% of GCSE

Questions

Section A – Core technical principles (20 marks)

A mixture of multiple choice and short answer questions assessing a breadth of technical knowledge and understanding.

Section B – Specialist technical principles (30 marks)

Several short answer questions (2–5 marks) and one extended response to assess a more in depth knowledge of technical principles.

Section C – Designing and making principles (50 marks)

A mixture of short answer and extended response questions.

What's assessed

Practical application of:

• Core technical principles
• Specialist technical principles
• Designing and making principles

How it's assessed

• Non-exam assessment (NEA): 30–35 hours approx
• 100 marks
• 50% of GCSE

Task(s)

• Substantial design and make task
• Assessment criteria:
  • Identifying and investigating design possibilities
  • Producing a design brief and specification
  • Generating design ideas
  • Developing design ideas
  • Realising design ideas
  • Analysing & evaluating
• In the spirit of the iterative design process, the above should be awarded holistically where they take place and not in a linear manner
• Contextual challenges to be released annually by AQA on 1 June in the year prior to the submission of the NEA
• Students will produce a prototype and a portfolio of evidence
• Work will be marked by teachers and moderated by AQA