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Further information on Higher Design and
Manufacture Specimen Question Paper
and Assignment
Key messages
SQA is currently developing Course and Unit assessments. This document outlines our progress in
Course Assessment for the Higher Course in Design and Manufacture.
Higher Design and Manufacture is a new course which provides progression from National 5
Design and Manufacture. The Higher Design and Manufacture Course develops candidates’
research skills, idea generation techniques, and ability to read drawings and diagrams. Candidates
also gain the ability to communicate design ideas and practical details, to evaluate and apply
feedback, and to devise, plan and develop practical solutions to design opportunities.
The Course assessment will have two components: a question paper and an assignment.
The question paper will assess breadth of knowledge from across the Course, depth of
understanding, and application of this knowledge and understanding to answer appropriately
challenging questions. It will give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate retention and
integration of knowledge and understanding from across the Course.
The assignment will assess the candidate’s ability to apply skills, knowledge and understanding to
solve a design task in a given context. It will assess the candidate’s ability to apply practical skills in
producing a potential solution or model of a solution.
Course assessment will be out of 140 marks.
Higher specimen question paper
(publication by 28 February 2014)
The question paper will have 70 marks and two sections. Candidates will complete it in 2 hours.
Section 1 will have 25 marks and will consist of a single question divided into approximately five
sub-questions. It will be based on a product and will require extended and reasoned responses.
This section will give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate:
 knowledge and understanding of how products are influenced by materials and manufacturing
processes
 knowledge of how products are influenced by design factors
The question will follow a similar format each year and will test the candidate’s knowledge and
understanding of core areas of the Course. The question will also require the candidate to integrate
this knowledge. It will focus on design factors and the justification of materials and processes
associated with a product.
Section 2 will have 45 marks and will consist of five or six questions. The responses will require
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integration of knowledge and understanding from across the Course. Questions will be based on
products which are illustrated or products with which the candidates are familiar. Section 2 will
contain some questions or question parts that are particularly demanding, generally relating to
justification of design decisions and will be allocated approximately 30% of the total marks for the
question paper.
Approximately 55% of the marks overall will be awarded for questions related to Design.
Approximately 45% of the marks overall will be awarded for questions related to Materials and
Manufacture.
In each of these broad areas, questions will sample across the main topics so that each question
paper will have some marks related to each of the following sub-topics:
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Design process (including communication and modelling)
Design factors
Materials and material properties
Production planning and industrial processes
The impact of design and manufacturing technologies on society and the environment and the
world of work
Higher Assignment
(publication by 31 March 2014)
The purpose of the assignment is to assess the candidate’s ability to apply skills, knowledge and
understanding to respond to a given design brief. The assignment will assess the application of
design and manufacturing knowledge, understanding and skills and will have 70 marks. The
context of the assignment will be based on:
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a problem situation
a design brief
relevant research
a design specification
It will assess the candidate’s ability to:
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generate ideas
develop ideas
use communication techniques
apply modelling techniques
evaluate and justify decisions
Evidence should include a design folio and appropriate models. A bank of assignments will be
provided by SQA and there will be a choice from the bank.
Evidence will be internally marked by centre staff in line with SQA marking instructions.
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Further information on Higher
Specimen Question Paper draft
Examples of possible questions for Higher Design and Manufacture Question Paper:
Section 1
Two products are shown with details of materials and cost.
(a) Evaluate the suitability of the materials used to produce each product
(b) Name suitable processes for the mass manufacture of each of these products
(c) Compare the aesthetics of each product
Section 2
1. A modern bicycle and component bicycle parts are shown in the image above.
(a) Explain the benefits of using the following computer technologies in the design of the
bicycle.
(i) CAD
(ii) Rapid Prototyping
2. Scottish Government policies promote a shared responsibility for sustainable
development in order to protect the environment. Product designers share this same
responsibility.
Explain in which ways consideration for the environment has impacted on the design and
manufacture of any one product with which you are familiar.
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Further information on Higher
Assignment draft
The Higher Design and Manufacture Assignment will be sufficiently flexible to allow aspects
of personalisation and choice for each candidate within each assignment.
The assignment will require candidates to draw upon the knowledge, understanding and
skills from the Course to:
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research and evaluate existing product types
select and use a range of research techniques and evaluate their usefulness
select and apply a range of idea generation techniques
write a detailed specification based on function and performance
apply a range of creative design skills when refining and resolving product design tasks
which encompass a range of key design factors
select and use graphic techniques to visually represent design solutions, justifying the
chosen selection of techniques
select, use and evaluate a range of modelling and manufacturing techniques to
represent design ideas in three dimensions
plan a manufacturing process and analyse its effectiveness
select and use a range of tools, equipment, software and materials in designing, making
and testing models and prototypes
evaluate his/her own design proposals and associated manufacturing practicalities, and
apply suggestions for improvement
The assignment will be in the form of a given design brief specification, and limited research
will be provided where needed, or as appropriate to the task. It will assess the application of
design and manufacturing knowledge, understanding and skills.
It is intended that the bank of assignments will contain three different approaches of equal
demand:
 A product brief
 A situation brief
 A product redesign
The contexts set for the assignments will be of an everyday nature and familiar to the
candidate.
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