1. Controlled Assessment
Design and making practice

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.
Insert the following images from the pdf titled “EP OYM2 Austen Friday”, as a series of overlayed pictures – pages 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11
The detail doesn’t need to be viewed – these are for visual effect only
AQA GCSE Design and Technology: Electronic Products © Nelson Thornes 2009

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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