Unit 2
Controlled Assessment
Design and making practice
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
1
Controlled Assessment
Controlled Assessment
For the Controlled Assessment task, you will design
and make an electronic product.
This is worth 60 per cent of the marks for your
GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products
examination; the remaining 40 per cent comes
from a written paper.
The design evidence must be concise (a maximum
of about 20 sheets of A3 paper or equivalent).
You will have approximately 45 hours of school
time to complete this activity.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
2
Controlled Assessment
Task selection
The examination board (AQA) have written a
selection of design and making tasks. You have to
undertake one of those projects.
Your teacher will have looked at the AQA tasks and
selected one (or possibly a range of tasks) that
your class will use.
Your teacher’s decision will be based on both your
strengths and the facilities and resources that your
school can provide.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
3
Controlled Assessment
What do you need to submit?
You should submit a folder of design
evidence and a product that you have
made.
The design folder normally includes:
the research material that was
influential to you
analysis of your research and a
list of design criteria
(specification)
sketches and drawings
photographs of modelling
testing done during the designing
details of your final design and
the evaluation of the final
product.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
4
Controlled Assessment
Marking the Controlled Assessment
Your work will be assessed by your teacher against five categories.
Each category has a number of marks allocated to it.
If you know what the
marks are awarded for,
you will know exactly
what you need to do to
get the marks you need.
The categories are
explained in the
following slides.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
5
Controlled Assessment
Investigating the design context
In this section you analyse the brief, carry out research to
determine what is required and identify the criteria that the
design must meet.
Up to 8 marks are available. These are awarded for:
analysing the context and brief, and explaining why the
design features are important
making a profile of the intended user and market
carrying out product or systems
analyses of related products
carrying out research to
investigate design features
and explaining what your
findings mean for your design
developing a set of design
criteria for your design.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
6
Controlled Assessment
Development of design proposals
(including modelling)
In this section you plan the development of your product, generate
and develop ideas, and then prepare a product manufacturing
specification.
Up to 32 marks are available. These are awarded for:
having a planned approach and a design strategy for your
product
creating a range of varied and original design ideas
modelling and developing your design using a range of different
techniques, including computer-aided design (CAD) if
applicable
explaining how social, environmental and
related issues were considered during the
development of your design
selecting the materials to make your product
creating a product manufacturing
specification.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
7
Controlled Assessment
Making
In this section, you make your product.
Up to 32 marks are available. These are awarded for:
the level of challenge in the product
that you made (whether the design
is simple or hard to make)
the practical skills you demonstrate
when making your product, such as
your selection and use of tools
how accurate your finished product
is and how quality control activities
are carried out
how suitable your final product is
for the target market and its
commercial viability.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
8
Controlled Assessment
Testing and evaluation
In this section, you test and evaluate your design as it is developed
(for example, by testing prototypes) and test and evaluate your final
product.
Up to 12 marks are available. These are awarded for:
carrying out testing and evaluation throughout the process of
product development and comparing to the product
manufacturing specification
testing all the design features of the final outcome, both directly
and through considering the
opinions of third parties
(clients, users, etc.)
identifying and explaining any
improvements or modifications
that could be made to the
final product.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
9
Controlled Assessment
Communication
This section is based on your whole design folder.
Up to 6 marks are available. These are awarded for:
the material in the design folder being concise,
focused and relevant, without duplication
how well decisions are communicated
appropriate use of technical language and terms
good use of grammar, punctuation and spelling.
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009
10