The course has three main component areas.

Engineering Contexts and Challenges.

In this component you will:

• develop an understanding of engineering concepts by exploring a range of engineered objects, engineering problems and solutions
• explore some existing and emerging technologies and challenges
• looking at environment, sustainable development, and economic and social issues.

Electronics and Control.

In this component you will:

• explore key concepts and devices used in electronic control systems, including analogue, digital and programmable systems
• learn how to problem solve and evaluate through simulation, practical projects and investigative tasks in a range of contexts.

Mechanisms and Structures.

In this component you will:

• learn the basics of mechanisms and structures
• learn how to problem solve and evaluate through simulation, practical projects and investigative tasks in a range of contexts.

Assessment:

Course Assessment.

Your work will be assessed on an ongoing basis throughout the course to support your learning and evaluate your progress.

Items of work might include:

• practical work – such as producing hand drawn or electronic diagrams or drawings
• project work – such as answering design briefs or solving engineering problems
• report work – such as producing oral or written reports.

The course assessment for this course consists of two components:

• question paper (110 marks)
• assignment (50 marks).

For the assignment component, you will be asked to analyse and design a solution to an engineering problem and produce a report with your findings. The assignment component will be set by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and marked by a visiting SQA assessor.

The question paper will be set and marked externally by the SQA.

The course assessment is graded A-D.