9705 D&T coursework examples
Topic outline.
A range of coursework submissions (for both components) for this Syllabus have been included here along with a breakdown of the marks awarded, and a moderator commentary explaining how the marks were decided. You should always refer to the syllabus for specific details about the requirements for and assessment of coursework. Additionally, the Cambridge Handbook sets out the process and requirements for submitting coursework for moderation by Cambridge International.
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A-level Design and Technology: Product Design
- Specification
- Teaching resources
- Assessment resources
- Introduction
- Specification at a glance
- 3.1 Technical principles
- 3.2 Designing and making principles
Scheme of assessment
- Non-exam assessment administration
- General administration
- Appendix: Links to maths and science
Find past papers and mark schemes, and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers
This specification is designed to be taken over two years.
This is a linear qualification. In order to achieve the award, students must complete all assessments at the end of the course and in the same series.
A-level exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2019 and then every May/June for the life of the specification.
All materials are available in English only.
Our A-level exams in Design and Technology: Product Design include questions that allow students to demonstrate their ability to:
- recall information
- draw together information from different areas of the specification
- apply their knowledge and understanding in practical and theoretical contexts.
Courses based on this specification must encourage students to:
- be open to taking design risks, showing innovation and enterprise whilst considering their role as responsible designers and citizens
- develop intellectual curiosity about the design and manufacture of products and systems, and their impact on daily life and the wider world
- work collaboratively to develop and refine their ideas, responding to feedback from users, peers and expert practitioners
- gain an insight into the creative, engineering and/or manufacturing industries
- develop the capacity to think creatively, innovatively and critically through focused research and the exploration of design opportunities arising from the needs, wants and values of users and clients
- develop knowledge and experience of real world contexts for design and technological activity
- develop an in-depth knowledge and understanding of materials, components and processes associated with the creation of products that can be tested and evaluated in use
- be able to make informed design decisions through an in-depth understanding of the management and development of taking a design through to a prototype/product
- be able to create and analyse a design concept and use a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas, including maths and science, to inform decisions in design and the application or development of technology
- be able to work safely and skillfully to produce high-quality prototypes/products
- have a critical understanding of the wider influences on design and technology, including cultural, economic, environmental, historical and social factors
- develop the ability to draw on and apply a range of skills and knowledge from other subject areas, including the use of maths and science for analysis and informing decisions in design.
Assessment objectives
Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all A-level Design and Technology: Product Design specifications and all exam boards.
The exams and non-exam assessment will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives.
- AO1: Identify, investigate and outline design possibilities to address needs and wants.
- AO2: Design and make prototypes that are fit for purpose.
- design decisions and outcomes, including for prototypes made by themselves and others
- wider issues in design and technology.
- technical principles
- designing and making principles.
Assessment objective weightings for A-level Design and Technology: Product Design
| Assessment objectives (AOs) | Component weightings | Overall weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | Paper 2 | NEA | ||
| AO1 | 15 | 15 | ||
| AO2 | 25 | 25 | ||
| AO3 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 10 | 25 |
| AO4 | 22.5 | 12.5 | 35 | |
| Overall weighting of components | 30 | 20 | 50 | 100 |
Assessment weightings
The marks awarded on the papers will be scaled to meet the weighting of the components. Students’ final marks will be calculated by adding together the scaled marks for each component. Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below.
| Component | Maximum raw mark | Scaling factor | Maximum scaled mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 120 | x1 | 120 |
| Paper 2 | 80 | x1 | 80 |
| NEA | 100 | x2 | 200 |
| Total scaled mark: | 400 | ||
Non-exam assessment criteria
Setting the task.
Students must undertake a substantial design and make task and produce a final prototype based on a context and design brief developed by the student.
Taking the task
With reference to the context, students will develop a specific brief that meets the needs of a user, client or market.
The brief must be of an appropriate level of complexity and contain a degree of uncertainty of the outcome so that students can engage in an iterative process of designing, making, testing and evaluating.
Students must produce a final prototype based on the design brief they have developed, along with a written or digital design folder or portfolio.
Students must produce a written or digital design folder clearly evidencing how the assessment criteria have been met together with photographic evidence of the final manufactured prototype outcome.
Students must produce a final prototype based on the design brief that they have developed.
Students should produce a concise folder. We recommend that this folder should not exceed 45 pages.
Students who do not follow these guidelines will penalise themselves by not meeting the expectations of the assessment appropriately.
Students that exceed the recommended length will self-penalise by not being appropriately focused on the demands of the task. Students that produce work that is shorter than the recommended page count will self-penalise by not allowing appropriate coverage of the assessment objectives.
Time limits
Time limits for completion of the NEA are not specified because the process of producing the design portfolio is iterative and undertaken independently, while the final prototype is manufactured under immediate guidance or supervision in school/college. Where specialist processes or equipment are required beyond the school/college they may be utilised but this must be documented in the Candidate Record Form (CRF).
We expect students to be selective in their choice of material to include, and to manage their time appropriately.
Marking the task
Five criteria are produced for assessment. Each band should be viewed holistically when making assessments. Students who produce no work for a criterion, or who produce work below that of A-level standard, should be awarded a mark of zero.
The criteria should not be viewed as a linear process to be followed in a step-by-step manner. Rather students should be encouraged to cross reference the criteria throughout, and assessors encouraged to award marks where they are deserved and can be evidenced.
Guidance on applying the marking critieria
Level of response marking instructions are broken down into mark bands, each of which has a descriptor. The descriptor for the mark band shows the average performance for the level required. Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s project, review both the prototype and portfolio and annotate/make notes on it to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the marking criteria. Start at the lowest band of the marking criteria and use it as a ladder to see whether the work meets the descriptor for that band. The descriptor for the band indicates the different qualities that might be seen in the student’s work for that level. If it meets descriptors for the lowest band then go to the next one and decide if it meets this, and so on, until you have a match between the band descriptor and the student's work. You can compare your student’s work with the standardisation examples to determine if it is the same standard, better or worse. When assigning a level you should look at the overall quality of the work. If the project covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the work to help decide the mark within the band.
To select the most appropriate mark in the band descriptor, teachers should use the following guidance to locate the best fit:
- where the student’s work fully meets all statements, the highest mark should be awarded
- where the student’s work mostly meets all statements, the most appropriate mark in the middle of the range should be awarded
- where the student’s work just meets the majority of statements, the lowest mark should be awarded.
There will be instances where a student fully meets for example 3/4 statements but only just meets the other. In this scenario a best fit approach should be taken. If, in this scenario, the range of marks within the band was 16–20, then a mark of 18/19 would be appropriate.
Students are free to revise and redraft a piece of work before submitting the final piece for assessment. You can review draft work and provide generic feedback to ensure that the work is appropriately focussed. In providing generic feedback you can :
- provide feedback in oral and/or written form
- advise on resources that could be used
- remind students of the key sections that should be included in their final folder.
In providing generic feedback you cannot :
- correct a student’s work
- provide templates, model answers or writing frames
- provide specific feedback to students on how to improve their projects to meet the requirements of the marking criteria
- provide feedback where a student has produced an incomplete stage and this is sufficient to allow progression to the next stage. If such support is given to students, then this must be recorded on the Candidate Record Form (CRF) and the students mark should be adjusted accordingly.
Whilst students may be guided in general terms, the final outcome must remain their own. Advice can be used to evaluate progress to date. A clear distinction must be drawn between providing feedback to students as part of work in progress and reviewing work once it has been submitted by the student for final assessment.
Once work is submitted for final assessment it cannot be revised. It is not acceptable for you to give, either to individual students or to groups, feedback and suggestions as to how the work may be improved in order to meet the marking criteria.
In accordance with the JCQ Instructions for conducting NEAs, any support or feedback given to individual students which has not been provided to the class as a whole must be clearly recorded on the CRF and the student’s mark must be appropriately adjusted to represent the student’s unaided achievement.
Assessment criteria
| A | Identifying and investigating design possibilities | 20 | |||
| B | Producing a design brief and specification | 10 | |||
| C | Development of design proposal(s) | 25 | |||
| D | Development of design prototype(s) | 25 | |||
| E | Analysing and evaluating | 20 | |||
Section A: Identify and investigate design possibilities
Central to the success of the NEA is the selection, by the student, of a context that will provide them with the opportunity to challenge themselves as a designer. Care should be taken, and guidance sought, to ensure that the context chosen offers the student the scope and complexity for a piece of work that is worthy of consideration for the award of an A-level.
Having chosen their context and potential user(s) they then need to plan and carry out an extensive investigation into all aspects of the context in order that they might operate from a position of knowledge when making subsequent decisions.
The student will be expected to employ a variety of both primary and secondary methods of investigation. These might include visits organised by themselves or others, surveys and questionnaires could be used to inform. Useful and relevant material can be gained from others via the internet, books, magazines or interviews. Students should also be encouraged to undertake, where relevant, practical experimentation and disassembly as methods for further understanding and exploring the context and its related issues.
At this stage it is expected that the student will begin to explore their thinking on possible solutions by producing concept ideas that take into account the information collected. At this stage of the process these first concept ideas will merely demonstrate the student's initial thinking and should serve to stimulate later more considered thoughts regarding their design proposal(s) and design prototype(s).
It should be noted that it is not expected that the assessment criteria be seen as a linear process and that aspects from this, and other assessment criteria, might be present throughout the student’s portfolio. Wherever it takes place, it is expected that this work will be rewarded.
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| 16–20 | to the end user and the constraints that need to be considered in formulating a final solution. of strategies and techniques, including both primary and secondary methods of investigation, practical experimentation and disassembly, to thoroughly explore design opportunities. All sources have been fully referenced. appropriate variety of methods and techniques. |
| 11–15 | of strategies and techniques, which may include primary and secondary methods of investigation and/or practical experimentation to explore design opportunities. Most sources have been fully referenced. . |
| 6–10 | rationale is provided but lacks focus for the context selected with some reference to the end user and consideration of the constraints in formulating a final solution which may lack clarity. of strategies and techniques, which may include some practical activities, to explore design opportunities. Some sources have been referenced. . |
| 1–5 | rationale provided for the context selected with minimal reference to the end user and the constraints that need to be considered in formulating a final solution. practical activities, to explore design opportunities. Source referencing is minimal. |
| 0 | Nothing worthy of credit. |
Section B: Producing a design brief and specification
The student is required to produce a clearly stated and challenging design brief that addresses the context and meets the needs of the intended user(s).
The student should formulate a fully detailed design specification that is informed by their investigations and makes full use of the material collated. Statements in the specification need to be clear and unambiguous. There should be specific references to measurable outcomes as well as qualitative statements. Whatever format is chosen to present the specification it is expected that this will be a live and working document that will be constantly referenced throughout the process.
The specification should also include details on how the student intends to organise their time and activities in order to ensure a successful completion of the process.
It should be noted that it is not expected that the assessment criteria be seen as a linear process and aspects from this, and other assessment criteria, might be present throughout the student’s portfolio. Wherever it takes place, it is expected that this work will be rewarded.
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| 9–10 | , clearly stated and challenging design brief resulting from a thorough consideration of investigations undertaken, that fully addresses both the context and the needs and wants of the intended user(s). project management approach to prototype development, including time management and determining quantities and costs of materials, has been fully integrated into the specification. |
| 6–8 | with a degree of challenge, resulting from well considered investigations, that addresses the context and most of the needs and wants of the intended user(s). |
| 3–5 | |
| 1–2 | |
| 0 | Nothing worthy of credit. |
Section C: Development of design proposals
Design proposals should reflect on first concepts and take full account of the design brief and design specification. The aim should be that the development of their design proposal(s) leads to a prototype that can be manufactured by the student given their skills and experience. In developing their proposals the student will be expected to make constant reference to their design brief and design specification, to identify if further investigations are required and to carry these out. Design proposals can be demonstrated through a variety of different media, but whatever methods are chosen, they should be of a high quality befitting this level of qualification and show evidence of analysis and annotation (although these elements are not assessed in this assessment criteria). Modelling is seen as a key element of this assessment criteria, whether this be part modelling, practicing of manufacturing and finishing techniques, the production of scale models or material experimentation. There is also the expectation that students will produce working drawings, plans and patterns to enable successful prototype manufacturing to take place. The use of CAD is encouraged, but this should not be the only form of design communication that is used.
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| 19–25 | of modelling techniques to support ongoing development work throughout. This is supported by the use of drawings, sketches, annotations and notes showing clear evidence of design thinking. . planning as prototype development takes place. |
| 13–18 | of which will demonstrate an innovative approach, the student will demonstrate evidence of originality, creativity and a willingness to take design risks. support ongoing development work throughout, showing clear evidence of design thinking supported by the use of drawings, sketches, annotations and notes. . |
| 7–12 | , there will be elements of originality, creativity and a willingness to take design risks. design of a prototype for manufacture. . |
| 1–6 | a single or only simple, modelling technique(s), with limited evidence that this supports any subsequent development work. There is some evidence of drawings, sketches, annotations or notes but these do not always inform their design thinking. of design proposals, with only basic exploration and experimentation of different materials, techniques and processes leading to a basic quality design of a prototype for manufacture. evidence that project management for manufacturing allows for further development of design proposals and which may not enable the made outcome to be achieved in a realistic timescale. |
| 0 | Nothing worthy of credit. |
Section D: Development of design prototypes
Design prototypes are just that, they need to be directly related to the design proposals and show consideration, at all stages, of how the design thinking continues to be developed and the prototype(s) refined. Given the level of this qualification it is expected that the student will demonstrate their practical skills to a high level using all of the potential resources, tools, machines and equipment at their disposal. During the development of their design prototype(s) the student should be encouraged to continue to experiment and adapt their design proposals as they progress. Constant testing and evaluation is expected to form part of this process. The use of CAM is encouraged, but this should not be the only form of manufacturing that is used.
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| 19–25 | justification provided for selection of appropriate materials and components and proposed techniques and processes, demonstrating an excellent understanding of material properties to ensure excellent quality prototype(s) that are fit for purpose. the production of prototype(s). The student demonstrates excellent manufacturing skills combined with an excellent understanding of the need for dimensional accuracy and precision. amendments/modifications to their original design proposals as necessary. in light of feedback from user trials and third party feedback and as a result of testing and evaluation carried out against earlier iterations of the prototype. |
| 13–18 | justification provided for selection of appropriate materials and components and proposed techniques and processes demonstrating a good understanding of material properties to ensure good quality prototype(s) that are fit for purpose. combined with a generally sound understanding of the need for dimensional accuracy/precision. address the design brief, satisfying the majority of major points of specification and takes into account some amendments/modifications to their original design proposals as necessary. modifications to their prototype in light of feedback from user trials and third party feedback and as a result of testing and evaluation carried out against earlier iterations of the prototype. |
| 7–12 | justification provided for selection of appropriate materials and components and proposed techniques and processes demonstrating an adequate understanding of material properties to ensure adequate quality prototype(s) that are mostly fit for purpose. . The student demonstrates adequate manufacturing skills combined with some understanding of the need for dimensional accuracy/precision. address the design brief, satisfying some of the major points of specification, but do not always take into account amendments/modifications to their original design proposals. modifications to their prototype(s) in light of feedback from user trials and third party feedback and as a result of testing and evaluation carried out against earlier iterations of the prototype. |
| 1–6 | parts of the design brief, and few of the major points of specification, they do not take into account amendments/modifications to their original design proposals. modifications to their prototype in light of feedback from user trials and third party feedback and as a result of testing and evaluation carried out against earlier iterations of the prototype. |
| 0 | Nothing worthy of credit. |
Section E: Analysing and evaluating
In awarding marks for this section it is vital to remember that evidence for analysing and evaluating can take place in any part of the NEA. Students should be encouraged to be constantly analyzing their work and recording their thoughts in order to explain their thinking. Ongoing evaluation should be seen to be informing the decision making process, particularly being used to bring about modifications to design proposals and prototype development. Central to this is the close and regular involvement of the proposed client/user(s) making sure that the prototype is both fit for purpose and meets the requirements of the client/user(s) rather than just meeting those of the student.
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| 16–20 | evidence of analysis and evaluation throughout the process, which has clearly informed the chosen context, client or user and the subsequent development and manufacture of the prototype. . |
| 11–15 | analysis and evaluation at most stages of the process which has informed the chosen context, client or user and the subsequent development and manufacture of the prototype. . |
| 6–10 | evidence of analysis and evaluation at some stages of the process which has had some influence on the chosen context, client or user and the subsequent development and manufacture of the prototype. evidence that the results have been used to either inform the design or to make modifications to the prototype. |
| 1–5 | development and manufacture of the prototype. but the results may not have been used to inform subsequent design or modifications to the prototype. |
| 0 | Nothing worthy of credit. |
A Level NEA
Please select the page that you wish to complete. Please note that these are generic pages, there may be some that are not relevant to your project or you may add additional pages of your own!
Please watch the guidance video blow that briefly explains why each step of the NEA is required. This will help you to understand their purpose and how they influence the sequence of your project.
Sections A&B (30 marks): Identify, investigate & outline design possibilities
Please watch the following video that explains how you should approach using the following resources so that you only include relevant work in your project portfolio.
Sections C&D (50 marks): Design & make prototypes that are fit for purpose
Sections E (20 marks): Analysing and evaluating
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Our registered address is AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX. Component grade boundaries - June 2023 exams. This document shows the confirmed subject grade boundaries and the notional component grade boundaries for illustrative purposes only Where component marks are scaled two sets of grade boundaries are shown.
A range of coursework submissions (for both components) for this Syllabus have been included here along with a breakdown of the marks awarded, and a moderator commentary explaining how the marks were decided. You should always refer to the syllabus for specific details about the requirements for and assessment of coursework.
A-level. For these specifications you can see the subject grade boundaries. In a separate section notional component grade boundaries are presented for illustrative purposes only. See this webpage for a guide to notional component grade boundaries. For further information, contact [email protected].
A-level exams and certification for this specification are available for the first time in May/June 2019 and then every May/June for the life of the specification. ... Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below. Component Maximum raw mark Scaling factor
Our registered address is AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX. The first worksheet of this document shows subject grade boundaries. The second worksheet shows notional component grade boundaries for illustrative purposes only. Where NEA has been excluded for this examination series, the overall subject-level grade boundaries are based on the ...
The grade boundaries for each component are also shown below. The highlighted grade boundaries were set using professional judgement. Component boundaries are 'notional' and intended only as a guide to aid centres with their analysis, and are not official grades. Please note that notional component grade boundaries which have been derived
The grade boundaries for each qualification are shown below. Component marks at key grade boundaries are aggregated to create a total mark, which is used to calculate the overall qualification grade for each candidate. ... WJEC (Research) Eduqas GCE A Level Grade Points June 2022.xlsx Eduqas GCE A Level June 2022 Page 1 of 4 . Subj. Code ...
Please watch the guidance video blow that briefly explains why each step of the NEA is required. This will help you to understand their purpose and how they influence the sequence of your project.
A-level - reformed linear. For these specifications you can see the subject grade boundaries. In a separate section notional component grade boundaries are presented for illustrative purposes only. See this webpage for a guide to notional component grade boundaries. For further information, contact [email protected].
H600 H600 H601 H601 H602 H602 H603 H603 H604 H604 H605 H605 H606 H606 01 Art, Craft and Design: Personal investigation 02 Art, Craft and Design: Externally set task
A. PetitePanda Study Forum Helper. 22. My teacher based on last year's food test and apparently 48% overall was a 4 but since we are the first year the grade boundaries will be lowered. Also 80% in coursework is like 7/8. Reply 5. 5 years ago. A. Benowen03.
A grade boundary is the minimum mark you need to get a grade. For example, if the grade boundary for a Grade C is 160 marks, you need to get at least 160 to achieve a Grade C. A mark of 159 would therefore be a Grade D. Grade boundaries for linear qualifications are set at qualification level. This means it's how you did overall which decides ...
A-level - reformed linear. For these specifications you can see the subject grade boundaries. In a separate section notional component grade boundaries are presented for illustrative purposes only. A guide to notional component grade boundaries in the new linear qualifications can be found here. For further information, contact [email protected].
13 0. 13 0. 30 0. Level Music. H543 01 Performing A. H543 02 Performing B. H543 03 Composing A. H543 04 Composing B. H543 05 Listening and appraising All options *To create the overall boundaries, components 03 & 04 are weighted to respectively give marks out of 105 & 75.
These scaled marks are then added to obtain unit-level grade A and E boundaries, at which point the intermediate grade B, C and D boundary marks are calculated for the unit as a whole (including the grade A* conversion points for A2 units). Where both unit and component grade boundary marks are reported, the unit is listed first, followed by ...