This specification allows students to specialise in the focus area of Product Design and work in Food Technology, Graphic Products, Resistant Materials, Textiles Technology or Systems, Control and Electronics.  A CD Rom of support materials is available for each of the separate areas.

The CCEA/ICAAE GCSE in Design & Technology has been developed to allow candidates to specialise in the focus area of product design. They will learn about a range of materials, manufacturing processes, techniques and technologies and be able to use them as appropriate in the design and make process.

The specification is offered as a Full course and is designed with flexibility in mind. Teachers, candidates and centres can undertake a range of options including a degree of specialisation. This will allow the specification to be delivered by a single teacher or a team of specialists.

Candidates may work in one or more of the following focus areas:

• Food Technology
• Graphic Products
• Resistant Materials
• Textiles Technology
• Systems, Control and Electronics

Full course candidates must study two materials.

Opportunities for generating evidence for the assessment of Key Skills are indicated.

The specification enables students from a wide ability range to demonstrate achievement. There are two tiers of entry - Foundation and Higher. Target grades for the two tiers are C - G and A* - D respectively.

The scheme of assessment comprises two units: a Coursework Project and a written examination paper.

Coursework Project (60%)

This coursework element is aimed at allowing candidates to combine their designing and making skills with knowledge and understanding in order to design and make quality products in their chosen materials. The Coursework Project is internally assessed and externally moderated, and should consist of at least one project that addresses all of the assessment criteria in an integrated way. The Project should take a maximum of 40 hours of supervised time.

Written Examination Paper (40%)

Questions will test the application of knowledge and understanding of materials, components, processes, techniques, technologies and the evaluation of commercial practice and products.

The paper will consist of two sections: Section One will contain a range of general questions on product design, Section Two will contain a design question and manufacturing questions specific to Food, Textiles, Resistant Materials and Graphic Products and Systems and Control. The paper will be 1½ hours for Foundation tier candidates and 2 hours for Higher tier candidates. A pre-release sheet will provide candidates for this course with information about a range of products that will be included.

The written examination paper will be externally set and externally marked.