← Engineering Science syllabus

ScotlandEngineering Science

Area 1: Engineering contexts and challenges

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Where does an engineered system get its energy, how is that energy converted, and how efficient is the conversion?

Renewable and non-renewable energy sources, energy conversion in engineered systems, and calculating efficiency as the ratio of useful output to total input.
An SQA Higher Engineering Science answer on renewable and non-renewable energy sources, how energy is converted in engineered systems, and how to calculate efficiency as the ratio of useful output power to total input power.
12 min answer →

What do the engineering disciplines do, and how does an engineer move from a problem to an evaluated solution?

The main branches of engineering and how they interact, and the stages of the engineering design process from specification to evaluation.
An SQA Higher Engineering Science answer on the main branches of engineering, how mechanical, electrical, electronic and other disciplines interact, and the stages of the design process from specification through to evaluation.
12 min answer →

How do engineers weigh the social, economic and environmental effects of their work, and what challenges drive new engineering?

The social, economic and environmental impact of engineering, sustainability and life-cycle thinking, and the global challenges that drive emerging technologies.
An SQA Higher Engineering Science answer on the social, economic and environmental impact of engineering, sustainability and the life cycle of a product, and the global challenges such as climate change that drive emerging technologies.
12 min answer →

How do engineers model any device as a system, and what is the difference between open-loop and closed-loop control?

The universal system model of input, process and output, the use of block diagrams to represent systems and sub-systems, and the difference between open-loop and closed-loop control with feedback.
An SQA Higher Engineering Science answer on the universal system model of input, process and output, representing systems with block diagrams, and the difference between open-loop and closed-loop control using feedback.
12 min answer →

What does the Higher Engineering Science assignment ask for, and how is it marked?

An overview of the course assignment: an open-ended engineering problem solved by applying knowledge from across the course, with a report assessing analysis, simulation or construction, and evaluation.
An SQA Higher Engineering Science overview of the course assignment, an open-ended engineering problem solved by applying knowledge from the course, with the report assessing analysis, simulation or construction, testing and evaluation.
11 min answer →