100+ Free CCEA GCSE Technology and Design Practice Questions
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Key Facts: CCEA GCSE Technology and Design Exam
A* to G
CCEA GCSE Technology and Design is graded A* to G (including C*)
CCEA GCSE grading
3 units
Core written (25%), optional written (25%), design-and-make project (50%)
CCEA GCSE Technology and Design (2017)
1h 30m
Duration of each Unit 1 and Unit 2 external written examination
CCEA specification at a glance
50%
Weighting of Unit 3 Design and Manufacturing Project controlled assessment
CCEA GCSE Technology and Design (2017)
8900
Subject classification code for CCEA GCSE Technology and Design
CCEA specification
AO 30/40/30
Overall weightings for AO1, AO2 and AO3 respectively
CCEA assessment objective weightings
Centre entry
Schools and registered centres pay CCEA entry fees
CCEA centre entry model
MCQ adaptation
This free bank is an English MCQ study aid, not the official exam format
OpenExamPrep
CCEA GCSE Technology and Design (2017, Northern Ireland) has three units: Unit 1 core written exam (1h30, 25%), Unit 2 optional written exam in electronics, mechanisms/pneumatics or product design (1h30, 25%), and Unit 3 design-and-make controlled project (50%). Graded A* to G. Schools/centres pay CCEA entry fees. This free 100-question bank is an English MCQ study adaptation only — practise past papers and complete the design portfolio and prototype separately.
Sample CCEA GCSE Technology and Design Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your CCEA GCSE Technology and Design exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1What does CAD stand for in technology and design?
2Which of the following is a thermoplastic listed in the CCEA core materials content?
3Oak, beech and mahogany are examples of which type of wood?
4Mild steel is classified as which type of metal?
5Which smart material changes colour with temperature and is named in the CCEA core content?
6In a simple lever system, what is the fixed pivot called?
7Which type of motion is shown by a wheel rotating about its axle?
8What is the SI unit of electrical resistance?
9Ohm’s law relates voltage (V), current (I) and resistance (R) by which formula?
10What does LDR stand for in electronic systems?
About the CCEA GCSE Technology and Design Exam
CCEA GCSE Technology and Design (2017) is Northern Ireland’s unitised GCSE combining product design with systems and control (subject code 8900, QAN 603/0771/7). Unit 1 (25%) assesses core designing, materials, tools, joining, electronics, mechanisms, pneumatics and computer control in a 1 hour 30 minute written paper. Unit 2 (25%) is a 1 hour 30 minute written paper in one option: Electronic and Microelectronic Control Systems, Mechanical and Pneumatic Control Systems, or Product Design. Unit 3 (50%) is a controlled design-and-make project with a design portfolio and manufacturing task. Grades run A* to G with overall AO weightings AO1 30%, AO2 40% and AO3 30%. This 100-question bank is a free English-language MCQ study adaptation for knowledge revision; it does not replace timed written-paper practice or the official design-and-make controlled assessment.
Assessment
Three units. Unit 1 Technology and Design Core Content: external written examination, 1 hour 30 minutes, 25% — designing, manufacturing, electronic, mechanical, pneumatic and computer control. Unit 2 Optional Areas of Study: external written examination, 1 hour 30 minutes, 25% — choose Option A Electronic and Microelectronic Control Systems, Option B Mechanical and Pneumatic Control Systems, or Option C Product Design (synoptic with Unit 1). Unit 3 Design and Manufacturing Project: controlled assessment (design portfolio maximum ten A3 sheets or equivalent plus manufacturing task), 50%, teacher-marked and CCEA-moderated. Students must take at least 40% of assessment as terminal assessment under CCEA rules.
Time Limit
Unit 1 written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes. Unit 2 written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes. Unit 3 controlled assessment: approximately 40 hours under centre-controlled conditions using a CCEA-issued theme (two themes issued each January of the first year of study).
Passing Score
No single pass mark. Graded A* to G (nine grades including C*). Unit results use a uniform mark scale reflecting each unit’s weighting; boundaries are set each series. Below grade G is unclassified (U).
Exam Fee
No fee is paid directly by students. Entry fees for CCEA GCSE Technology and Design units are paid by schools and registered centres; private candidates are charged by the centre that enters them. (CCEA (Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment), Northern Ireland)
CCEA GCSE Technology and Design Exam Content Outline
Unit 1: Technology and Design Core Content
Design process and communication (sketching, working drawings, CAD); woods, metals, plastics, alloys, graphene and heat treatments; tools, wasting, fabrication, joining, jigs, finishes and smart materials; health and safety; electronic components and Ohm’s law basics; mechanical motion, levers, gears, cams; pneumatic single-acting cylinders and 3/2 valves; computer control flowcharts.
Unit 2: Optional Areas of Study
Option A: capacitors, multimeter use, series/parallel resistors, thyristors, NPN transistors, sensors, relays, 555 timers, binary, PIC microcontrollers. Option B: mechanical advantage, velocity ratio, efficiency, gear and pulley systems, cams, linkages, double-acting cylinders, 5/2 valves, pneumatic force and time delay. Option C: design process roles, ergonomics, form and function, production scales, CAD/CAM, materials selection, smart materials, marketing, BSI/CE/ISO and sustainability.
Unit 3: Design and Manufacturing Project
Controlled assessment on a CCEA theme: research, specification, freehand and CAD concept development, modelling, working drawings, manufacture of a prototype (including templates/jigs/formers as appropriate), and evaluation against the specification with proposed modifications.
How to Pass the CCEA GCSE Technology and Design Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: No single pass mark. Graded A* to G (nine grades including C*). Unit results use a uniform mark scale reflecting each unit’s weighting; boundaries are set each series. Below grade G is unclassified (U).
- Assessment: Three units. Unit 1 Technology and Design Core Content: external written examination, 1 hour 30 minutes, 25% — designing, manufacturing, electronic, mechanical, pneumatic and computer control. Unit 2 Optional Areas of Study: external written examination, 1 hour 30 minutes, 25% — choose Option A Electronic and Microelectronic Control Systems, Option B Mechanical and Pneumatic Control Systems, or Option C Product Design (synoptic with Unit 1). Unit 3 Design and Manufacturing Project: controlled assessment (design portfolio maximum ten A3 sheets or equivalent plus manufacturing task), 50%, teacher-marked and CCEA-moderated. Students must take at least 40% of assessment as terminal assessment under CCEA rules.
- Time limit: Unit 1 written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes. Unit 2 written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes. Unit 3 controlled assessment: approximately 40 hours under centre-controlled conditions using a CCEA-issued theme (two themes issued each January of the first year of study).
- Exam fee: No fee is paid directly by students. Entry fees for CCEA GCSE Technology and Design units are paid by schools and registered centres; private candidates are charged by the centre that enters them.
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
CCEA GCSE Technology and Design Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the structure of CCEA GCSE Technology and Design?
Three units: Unit 1 Technology and Design Core Content (external written exam, 1 hour 30 minutes, 25%), Unit 2 Optional Areas of Study (external written exam, 1 hour 30 minutes, 25% — Option A electronics, Option B mechanical and pneumatic, or Option C product design), and Unit 3 Design and Manufacturing Project (controlled assessment, 50%).
How is the qualification graded?
CCEA GCSE grades run A* to G (including C*). Unit results are on a uniform mark scale; boundaries are set each series. There is no single published pass percentage for the subject.
What is assessed in Unit 3?
Students complete a design portfolio (maximum ten A3 sheets or equivalent, including freehand sketching and CAD) and manufacture a prototype based on a CCEA theme. Teachers mark the project and CCEA moderates. Guidance is about 40 hours; the unit is worth 50% of the GCSE.
Do I need to study all three Unit 2 options?
No. You take one optional written paper matching the route taught at your centre: Electronic and Microelectronic Control Systems, Mechanical and Pneumatic Control Systems, or Product Design. Unit 1 core content remains compulsory for everyone.
Who pays the exam fees?
Schools and registered centres pay CCEA entry fees. Students do not normally pay CCEA directly; private candidates are charged by the centre that enters them.
Are these official CCEA questions?
No. These are original OpenExamPrep English-language MCQ study adaptation questions for knowledge revision. Official assessment uses structured written papers and a design-and-make controlled project. Use CCEA past papers, specimen materials and your live Unit 3 theme separately.