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WJEC A-Level Design and Technology: complete guide to the four units and the exams

A complete guide to WJEC A-Level Design and Technology (Wales). Covers the four units - the AS and A2 technical principles written papers and the AS and A2 design and make non-exam assessments - how the qualification is structured and assessed, the materials, processes, structures, mechanisms, electronics, design theory and sustainability content, and how to study each unit for top grades.

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WJEC A-Level Design and Technology (Wales) is a unitised two-year course assessed by two written papers on technical principles and two design and make non-exam assessments. This page is the index: below is a map of the four units, the exam structure, and how to study each one.

The four WJEC Design and Technology units

The specification splits into technical principles (examined in written papers) and designing and making principles (applied in the non-exam assessments, with design theory also examined at A2).

Unit 1 Technical Principles (AS, written paper)
Classification and selection of materials, physical and mechanical working properties, sources, origins and stock forms, manufacturing processes, surface treatments and finishes, and the 6 Rs and sustainability.
Unit 2 Design and Make Task (AS, non-exam assessment)
A design and make task in response to a context: investigate a need, write a justified specification, develop a design iteratively, plan, make a working prototype and evaluate it.
Unit 3 Technical Principles (A2, written paper)
Smart and modern materials, composites and technical textiles, structures and forces, mechanical devices and movement, electronic systems and programmable components, design thinking and communication, design influences, design for manufacture and scales of production, life cycle assessment, and the wider impact of design.
Unit 4 Design and Make Project (A2, non-exam assessment)
A substantial, self-directed project with a real client: deeper investigation, sustained iterative development, a high-quality prototype and a critical evaluation, distinct from the AS task.

Exam and assessment structure

WJEC A-Level Design and Technology is assessed by two written papers and two non-exam assessments.

  • Unit 1 Technical Principles - AS written examination on technical principles.
  • Unit 2 Design and Make Task - AS non-exam assessment, internally marked and externally moderated.
  • Unit 3 Technical Principles - A2 written examination on technical principles at greater depth.
  • Unit 4 Design and Make Project - A2 substantial non-exam assessment, internally marked and externally moderated.

The written papers take questions straight from the specification and include some calculations; the non-exam assessments reward the whole design and make process. The A2 project must be distinct from and not built upon the AS task.

How to study WJEC Design and Technology

Design and Technology rewards precise technical knowledge and a disciplined design process.

  1. Work from the specification statements. The written papers are written directly from them; treat each as a checklist.
  2. Learn definitions and named examples. Materials, processes, finishes, mechanisms and design movements all have standard examples examiners expect.
  3. Drill the calculations. Gear ratio, mechanical advantage and tolerances must be automatic.
  4. Master the design process. For the non-exam assessments, practise selective investigation, measurable specifications, testing-led iteration, accurate making and honest evaluation.
  5. Use sustainability throughout. The 6 Rs, life cycle assessment and the wider impact of design recur across the units.

The four units, topic by topic

Each unit has a topic-level overview with worked exam questions and cross-links, plus dot-point answer pages for each specification statement. Browse them from the unit overviews.

For the official specification

WJEC publishes the full specification, past papers and mark schemes at wjec.co.uk. Always revise from the current specification and WJEC's own past papers, because question style is board-specific.

Design and Technology guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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Design and Technology practice quizzes

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

The WJEC-A-LEVEL system, explained

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Common questions about Design and Technology

How is WJEC A-Level Design and Technology structured?
WJEC A-Level Design and Technology is a unitised two-year course with an AS year and an A2 year. The AS comprises Unit 1 (Technical Principles, a written paper) and Unit 2 (the design and make task, a non-exam assessment). The A2 adds Unit 3 (Technical Principles, a written paper at greater depth) and Unit 4 (the substantial design and make project, a non-exam assessment). It is offered with endorsements, principally Product Design, and follows the WJEC specification used in Wales, regulated by Qualifications Wales. AS results count towards the full A-level.
What are the WJEC A-Level Design and Technology exam papers and assessments?
There are two written papers and two non-exam assessments. Unit 1 and Unit 3 are written examinations on technical principles, at AS and A2 depth respectively, with questions taken directly from the specification and some calculations such as gear ratios. Unit 2 (AS) and Unit 4 (A2) are design and make non-exam assessments: you investigate a need, develop a design iteratively, manufacture a prototype and evaluate it, with the work internally marked and externally moderated. The A2 project is substantial and must be distinct from the AS task.
What content does WJEC A-Level Design and Technology cover?
The technical principles cover materials and their working properties (papers and boards, timbers, metals, polymers, textiles), sources and stock forms, manufacturing processes, finishes, smart and modern materials, composites and technical textiles, structures and forces, mechanisms and movement, and electronic systems with programmable components. The designing and making principles cover design strategies and communication (including CAD and CAM), the influence of designers and design movements, design for manufacture and scales of production, life cycle assessment, sustainability and the wider social, moral and ethical impact of design.
Can I reuse my AS design and make task for the A2 project?
No. WJEC requires the A2 design and make project (Unit 4) to be distinct from and not built upon the AS design and make task (Unit 2). You may not resubmit the AS work, use it as a starting point, or extend it to meet the A2 requirements. The two must be separate projects, each with its own brief, client and outcome.
What is the difference between a smart material and a modern material?
A smart material changes one or more of its properties in a controlled, usually reversible way in response to a stimulus such as temperature, light, stress or current, and that change is the useful function (for example thermochromic pigment or a shape memory alloy). A modern material is simply a newly developed material made by new processes, such as polymorph or precious metal clay, and does not respond to a stimulus. The exam tests both, so keep the categories separate.
How should I revise WJEC A-Level Design and Technology?
Work unit by unit against the specification statements, because the written papers (Units 1 and 3) are written directly from them. Learn precise definitions and the standard examples (named materials, processes, finishes, mechanisms and design movements), and drill the few calculations such as gear ratios and mechanical advantage. For the non-exam assessments (Units 2 and 4), focus on selective analytical investigation, a measurable justified specification, sustained testing-led iteration with the user or client, accurate making and honest evaluation. Always practise with WJEC past papers and mark schemes.