How is CCEA GCSE Technology and Design structured?

It has three units. Unit 1 (Technology and Design Core Content) is a compulsory written exam worth 25%. Unit 2 (Optional Areas of Study) is a written exam worth 25% on one chosen option. Unit 3 (Design and Manufacturing Project) is a controlled-assessment project worth 50%. Everyone studies the Unit 1 core; the option only sets the Unit 2 exam.

What are the three Unit 2 options?

Option A is Electronic and Microelectronic Control Systems (deeper electronics, logic, timing circuits and microcontrollers). Option B is Mechanical and Pneumatic Control Systems (deeper mechanisms, gears, drives and pneumatics). Option C is Product Design (deeper design, materials and manufacture). A candidate studies and is examined on one option, usually matched to their interests and the focus of their project.

What is the Unit 3 Design and Manufacturing Project?

It is the controlled-assessment component, worth 50%, in which the candidate designs and makes a product. It has two assessed parts: a design folder showing the design process (research, specification, ideas, development, planning and evaluation) and a manufactured outcome showing making skill and quality. It is completed in school under supervision, marked by the centre and moderated by CCEA.

Northern IrelandTechnology and Design

Optional routes and the design project: study guide - CCEA GCSE Technology and Design

A study guide to the Unit 2 optional areas of study and the Unit 3 Design and Manufacturing Project in CCEA GCSE Technology and Design: the three options (electronic and microelectronic control, mechanical and pneumatic control, product design) and the controlled-assessment project with its folder and made outcome.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.87 min readCCEA Unit 2 and Unit 3Updated 2026-06-14

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Jump to a section

What this topic covers
How it is examined
Key ideas to recall
How to revise it

This part of the course ties everything together: the Unit 2 option lets you specialise, and the Unit 3 project is where you carry out the design process for real. Unit 3 is the largest single component, so it deserves careful planning.

What this topic covers

Unit 2 optional areas of study - the three options (electronic and microelectronic control, mechanical and pneumatic control, product design) and how each deepens the core.
The Unit 3 Design and Manufacturing Project - the controlled-assessment task, the design folder and made outcome, the stages assessed, and how it is weighted and marked.

How it is examined

Unit 2 is a written exam on your chosen option, drawing on the deeper content of the relevant core module. Unit 3 is assessed through the project itself - the folder and the made outcome - marked against CCEA's criteria and moderated. Knowing the structure helps you plan your time across the three units.

Key ideas to recall

Three units: Unit 1 core (25%), Unit 2 option (25%), Unit 3 project (50%).
Unit 2 options: A electronics/microelectronics, B mechanical/pneumatic, C product design.
A candidate studies one option; everyone shares the Unit 1 core.
The project has a design folder (designing) and a made outcome (making).
The project is marked across the stages of the design process and moderated by CCEA.

How to revise it

Learn the unit structure and weightings. Know what each unit is and is worth.
Know your option in depth. Revise the relevant core module thoroughly for the Unit 2 exam.
Plan the project around the design process. Evidence every stage in the folder.
Balance folder and outcome. Both designing and making are assessed.
Specify, then evaluate. Write measurable specification points and evaluate honestly against them.

Sources & how we know this

CCEA GCSE Technology and Design specification — CCEA (2017)