Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology (9-1) from 2017
Building innovative design skills
Here, you'll find everything you need to prepare for GCSE Design and Technology from 2017 (first assessment 2019), including our accredited Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Design and Technology specification and sample assessment materials.
We provide:
We’ve carefully structured our new qualification to allow you to continue to specialise your teaching as far as is possible under the new requirements – we have six possible material areas (Metals, Papers and boards, Polymers, Systems, Textiles, or Timbers) and 80% of your student’s assessment will focus on their specialism.
The themes of the contextual challenges provided in our specification, such as extending human capacity, will give students the freedom to take design risks and to innovate in a situation where it is safe to test and refine ideas.
Our written exam is divided into two sections: 40% core content and 60% material categories. The core content allows students to demonstrate their breadth of understanding of design and technology, whilst the material categories enable students to demonstrate their specialist knowledge of one material area.
We’ve designed the GCSE and AS/A level qualifications together to ensure clear progression of knowledge, understanding and design/making skills. Students with strong creative skills will have solid foundations, as well as a breadth of knowledge and understanding of a range of materials, to move confidently into AS and A level and become a specialist in their chosen field.
On this page
Specification
- Qualification type:
- General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
- Level:
- Level 1/2
- Accreditation status:
- Accredited
- Subject:
- Design and Technology
- Specification codes:
- 1DT0
- Availability:
- UK and international
- First teaching:
- 2017
- First assessment:
- 2019
GCSE (9-1) Design and Technology 2017: What's changing
Our approach
We’re working with the teaching community, higher education and subject associations to design our new qualifications for 2017. Our ambition is to develop a design and technology qualification that you will know and recognise, but updated in line with the new subject content changes and in response to your feedback.
These changes will apply to all awarding organisations’ specifications:
- The different titles available in the previous Design and Technology qualifications (Resistant Materials, Graphic Products, Textiles Technology, Systems and Control) have been removed, combining all material areas into a single Design and Technology qualification.
- NEA is now only 50%, down from 60%.
- Maths skills must be explicitly mapped, and must be 15% of the total qualification. Since maths cannot be assessed in the NEA this will mean that the exam(s) will need to include all maths content.
- There are now 4 AOs (previously 2) to allow for a bigger focus on analysis and evaluation.
Stay informed
Get the latest information on our new design and technology qualification, including details of launch events.
Register your interest for our new Design and Technology qualification
Free Getting Ready To Teach events
Our free Getting Ready to Teach events will support you in delivering the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology specification, for first teaching from September 2017.
Book your free Getting Ready to Teach place
If you don’t have an Edexcel Online account, you can book by emailing us at trainingbookings@pearson.com.
Download the presentation
Can't get to one of our launch events? View the presentation here.
This presentation was last updated on 9th November 2016. You can download the slides or listen to the presentation below.
Support for
Teaching
We'll provide support for you to plan and deliver the new GCSE Design and Technology. Whatever guidance you're looking for, we're here to help.
See what training courses are available
Visit the Design and Technology teacher community
New subject content for GCSE Design and Technology from the Department for Education
