Assessment overview
The specification offers schools flexibility in how to deliver the content for assessment, dependent on the needs and capabilities of the department and the specific interests of students.
| Component | Marks | Duration | Weighting | insert text |
Principles of design and technology (01) | 100 | 2 hours | 50% | |
Iterative design challenge (02/03) | 100 | Approx. 40 hours | 50% | Non-exam assessment |
Content overview
There is distinct content for the examined component (01) and the non-exam component (02/03), however all learning should be delivered through the following topic areas:
- Identifying requirements
- Learning from existing products and practice
- Implications of wider issues
- Design thinking and communication
- Material considerations
- Technical understanding
- Manufacturing processes and techniques
- Viability of design solutions.
Component 01: Principles of design and technology
This includes both the ‘core’ principles that all students must know, and ‘in-depth’ principles that are more specific to the materials or systems they have deeper practical and design experience of.
Students should:
- Analyse existing products
- Demonstrate applied mathematical skills
- Demonstrate their ‘core’ design and technical knowledge and understanding
- Demonstrate and apply their in-depth technical knowledge of working with materials, ensuring functionality of products or systems and manufacturing processes and techniques.
For a number of these principles, mathematical and/or scientific knowledge is also required; this is indicated in the specifications.
Component 02/03: Iterative design challenge
Central to this non-examined assessment is the requirement for learners to understand and apply processes of iterative designing in their design and technology practice: exploring needs, creating solutions and evaluating how well the needs have been met. This component does not limit the range of materials or processes a learner uses when developing their design solutions.
Students produce a chronological portfolio and final prototype(s). This demonstrates their understanding and independent management of and skills in iterative designing, in particular:
- The interrelated nature of the processes used to identify needs and requirements (explore)
- Creating solutions to meet those needs (create)
- Evaluating whether the needs have been met (evaluate).