GCSE (9-1) Design and Technology
The new Design and Technology qualification is ready for first teaching in September 2017, first assessment 2019.
Highlights of the new GCSE Design and Technology
- creative design and making is at the heart of the new qualification
- clear routes through material specialisms to allow learners to demonstrate their own particular strength
- breadth of core design and technology knowledge, and depth of a material category is assessed within the exam papers
- clear progression to AS and A Level Design and Technology
- support with the new content, to help you in planning and delivering the new qualification.
Qualification Structure and Specification Content
The new qualification is developed as a single title, GCSE Design and Technology. There are no pathways such as Resistant Materials, Graphics or Textiles. Depending on the skills of learners, centre facilities and the creative design development, learners will be able to apply skills from various design pathways and use appropriate materials to finalise their projects.
New content has been added to the specification, which includes the assessment of Mathematical skills and Science skills as set in the DfE guidance. The information on these can be found in Appendix 1, 2 and 3 of the specification.
Mathematical skills will be assessed only in the written examination.
Content and assessment overview
The new GCSE Design and Technology consists of 2 components.
Component 1
Written Exam, 50% of the qualification, 100 marks.
Each examination paper consists of 2 sections.
Core content
This section is 40 marks and contains a mixture of different question styles, including open-response, graphical, calculation and extended-open-response questions. There will be 10 marks of calculation questions in Section A.
Material Categories
This section is 60 marks and contains a mixture of different question styles, including open-response, graphical, calculation and extended-open-response questions. Learners pick and study a material category from the list and are assessed on this in this section of the paper.
The categories are:
- Metals
- Papers and Boards
- Polymers
- Systems
- Textiles
- Timbers
There will be 5 marks of calculation questions in Section B.
A taxonomy of command words has been carefully defined and will be used in the external assessments. This is available in Appendix 5 of the specification.
Component 2
Non-Examined Assessment, 50% of the qualification, 100 marks.
Students will undertake a project based on a contextual challenge released by us a year before certification on 1st June. This section is internally assessed and externally moderated.
There are four parts to the assessment:
- Investigate (16 marks) This includes investigation of needs and research, and a product specification.
- Design (42 marks) This includes producing different design ideas, review of initial ideas, development of design ideas into a chosen design, communication of design ideas and review of the chosen design.
- Make (36 marks) This includes manufacture, and quality and accuracy.
- Evaluate (6 marks) This includes testing and evaluation.
Free book offer
To help teachers in the classroom with changes to the new syllabus, we’ll provide a free class set of our Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Design and Technology Student Books (worth £630). Only centres that commit to making entries with Edexcel in 2019 will be eligible. Find out more about free student books.
The student books will be available from Spring 2017.
Let us know that you are interested in the new Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology qualification and we will keep you up to date with latest information and support.
