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SQA Higher Design and Manufacture: complete guide to the two areas, the question paper and the assignment

A complete guide to SQA Higher Design and Manufacture, an SCQF level 6 qualification. Covers the two areas of study (Design, and Materials and Manufacture), how the course assessment splits between the question paper and the coursework assignment, and how to study each area for an A.

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SQA Higher Design and Manufacture is a one-year course at SCQF level 6 (course code C819 76), building on National 5 Design and Manufacture and preparing learners for Advanced Higher or further study. It is graded A to D from two assessment components: a question paper and a coursework assignment. This page is the index: below is a map of the two areas of study, the assessment structure, and how to study each one.

The two areas of SQA Higher Design and Manufacture

The course specification organises the content into two areas of study, which together cover designing a product and making it.

Design. How a designer turns a brief into a viable product: the design process and the iterative design, make and test cycle; the design factors a product must satisfy (function and performance, aesthetics, ergonomics and anthropometrics, market, economics, ease of manufacture, durability and safety); graphic techniques and modelling (sketching, working drawings, CAD, and models and prototypes); and evaluation against the specification and through testing.

Materials and Manufacture. What products are made from and how they are made: timbers (hardwoods, softwoods and manufactured boards), metals (ferrous, non-ferrous and alloys) and polymers (thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics) and their properties; manufacturing processes such as injection moulding, vacuum forming and casting; scales of production (one-off, batch, mass and continuous) and the systems that keep products consistent; finishes and joining; and the impact of design and manufacture on society, the environment and the workforce.

Course assessment

The Higher Design and Manufacture award is graded A to D and is made up of two components, both set and marked by the SQA.

  • Question paper - sat under exam conditions, testing knowledge and understanding of both areas, including the design and manufacture of commercial products and the impact of design and manufacturing technologies on society, the environment and the workforce.
  • Assignment - a candidate-led design, make and test task completed under controlled conditions, applying the whole design process and knowledge of materials and manufacture to produce and evaluate a design proposal.

The two components combine into the final graded award.

How to study SQA Higher Design and Manufacture

The course rewards clear explanation, reasoning from properties, and applying design ideas to real products.

  1. Work from the key areas. Each key area in the SQA course specification is a checklist; question-paper items are written from them.
  2. Apply factors to products. Turn each design factor into specific decisions for a named product - the most common style of explain question.
  3. Reason from properties. Never just name a material; link a property (corrosion resistance, lightness, formability, heat resistance) to the product.
  4. Know the processes in stages. Be able to describe injection moulding and vacuum forming step by step and say which scale of production each suits.
  5. Apply the six Rs. Treat sustainability as design decisions for a product, not a list.
  6. Practise past papers. Use SQA past papers, marking instructions and the data booklet to learn the question style and the wording markers reward.

The two areas, key area by key area

Each area has its own overview guide and a set of key-area answer pages with worked questions and cross-links. Start with the Design area overview and the Materials and Manufacture area overview, then work through the key areas.

For the official course specification

The SQA publishes the full Higher Design and Manufacture course specification, the data booklet, the specimen question paper, the specimen coursework assessment task and past papers at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and SQA past papers, because question style and terminology are board-specific.

Design and Manufacture guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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Design and Manufacture practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The SQA-HIGHER system, explained

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Common questions about Design and Manufacture

How is SQA Higher Design and Manufacture structured?
Higher Design and Manufacture is an SCQF level 6 course built around two areas of study: Design, and Materials and Manufacture. The Design area covers the iterative design process, design factors, graphic techniques and modelling, and evaluation. The Materials and Manufacture area covers timbers, metals and polymers and their properties, manufacturing processes, scales of production and manufacturing systems, finishes and joining, and the impact of design and manufacture on society and the environment. The course builds on National 5 Design and Manufacture and prepares learners for Advanced Higher or further study.
How is SQA Higher Design and Manufacture assessed?
The course award is graded A to D and has two components, both set and marked by the SQA. There is a question paper, sat under exam conditions, which tests knowledge and understanding of both the Design and the Materials and Manufacture areas, including the design and manufacture of commercial products and the impact of design and manufacturing technologies. There is also a coursework assignment, a candidate-led design, make and test task. The two components combine into the final graded award.
What is the Higher Design and Manufacture assignment?
The assignment is the coursework component, a candidate-led design, make and test task set by the SQA and completed under controlled conditions. Working from a brief, the candidate researches the problem, writes a measurable specification, generates and develops ideas with graphics and CAD, models or prototypes the chosen idea using suitable materials and processes, and evaluates the outcome against the specification and through testing. It rewards a clear specification, well-developed ideas, sound use of materials and manufacture, and evidence-based evaluation. Always work from the current SQA specimen coursework assessment task.
What does SCQF level 6 mean for Higher Design and Manufacture?
SCQF is the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework. Higher sits at level 6, the same level as other Highers and the access point most Scottish universities use for entry. It is more demanding than National 5 (level 5) and below Advanced Higher (level 7). Higher Design and Manufacture signals the depth of understanding, independent design work and knowledge of materials and manufacture expected of a learner moving towards degree-level study or a career in design, engineering or manufacturing.
How should I revise for SQA Higher Design and Manufacture?
Work through the two areas against the key areas in the SQA course specification, because question-paper items are written from them. In the Design area, practise applying design factors such as ergonomics and aesthetics to named products. In the Materials and Manufacture area, always reason from properties (link a property to the product) and learn the stages of key processes such as injection moulding and vacuum forming and which scale of production each suits. Use SQA past papers, marking instructions and the data booklet to learn the wording markers reward.
How does SQA Higher Design and Manufacture differ from a Design and Technology A-Level?
Higher Design and Manufacture is a one-year SCQF level 6 Scottish qualification, whereas A-Level Design and Technology is a two-year qualification used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Higher is assessed by one question paper plus a coursework assignment, uses the SQA course specification, and is organised into two areas (Design, and Materials and Manufacture) focused on designing and manufacturing commercial products, rather than the AQA, OCR or Edexcel specification structure. Always revise from the current SQA specification and SQA past papers.