LNF Cymru Literacy and numeracy for Wales

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GCSE Design and Technology

Learners type short and extended answers in an on-screen examination. In a 40 hour design project worth 70% they write a design brief and specification, annotate and justify ideas, and evaluate their prototype using feedback from users. Numeracy is practical and constant: accurate measuring and marking out within tolerances in every pathway, costing and material estimates in Fashion and Textiles, and formula-based mechanical and electronic calculations in Engineering Design. The single biggest thing Key Stage 3 should build is precise measuring in millimetres against a stated tolerance, followed by a written evaluation that uses test results and user comments as evidence.

First taught
September 2026
Amount of literacy work
Medium
Amount of numeracy work
Medium
Specification
Open the WJEC specification (PDF)
How this GCSE is assessed
  • Unit 1: Design and Technology in the 21st Century: Digital (on-screen) examination 1 hour 30 minutes, 30%, 80 marks
  • Unit 2: Design Project: Non-examination assessment, approximately 40 hours, 70%, 100 marks

Skills that use Calculation

  1. Estimating material quantities, waste and costs

    Assessed: In the exam and in coursework (NEA)

    Fashion and Textiles learners must estimate material quantities and costs from standard fabric widths and calculate costs, sizes and quantities of components. All pathways must minimise waste and make allowances for cutting when marking out.

    Numeracy: Shape and space, Financial literacy, The number system, Calculation, Strategic competence, Conceptual understanding

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils work out how many 100 mm by 60 mm pieces they can cut from a 300 mm by 200 mm sheet of MDF and sketch the layout that wastes least.
    Year 8
    Pupils cost their cushion project from a price list, working out the fabric length needed from a 115 cm wide roll and the total cost of fabric, thread and fastenings.
    Year 9
    Pupils estimate, then calculate, the material cost of their product for one unit and for a batch of 20, and work out the percentage of the sheet wasted.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, 1.1.18, page 23; Unit 2, 2.1.8, page 36

    “estimate material quantities and costs based on best use of materials”
    Progression step 3

    • I can find areas by counting squares, progressing to calculating the area of squares and rectangles using formulae.

    • I can manage money, compare costs from different retailers and determine what can be bought within a given budget.

    • I can estimate by rounding to the nearest 10, 100, 1000 or whole number.

    Progression step 4

    • I can make and justify estimates and approximations of calculations.

    • I can use efficient methods for multiplication and division of whole numbers and decimals, including decimals such as 0.6 or 0.06.

    • I can express one quantity as a percentage of another.

    Progression step 5

    • I can recognise, model and apply the underlying mathematical structures and ideas within problems, in order to formulate and solve them.

    • I can interpret answers within the context of the problem and consider whether answers, including calculator, analogue and digital displays, are sensible.

    • I can choose an appropriate mental or written strategy and know when it is appropriate to use a calculator.

  2. Mechanical and electronic calculations (Engineering Design)

    Assessed: In the exam

    Engineering Design learners must calculate Ohm's law, potential dividers, rotational velocity for pulleys and gears, velocity ratio, mechanical advantage and moments in lever systems, using units such as volts, amps and ohms.

    Numeracy: Calculation, Communicating with symbols, Measurement, Fluency, Logical reasoning

    Getting pupils ready

    Year 7
    Pupils count the teeth on two gears in a gear kit, write the ratio in its simplest form, and predict then check how many turns the driven gear makes.
    Year 8
    Pupils measure the lever in a moving toy, use effort times distance equals load times distance to predict the load it can lift, and test the prediction.
    Year 9
    Pupils build a simple LED circuit, measure voltage and current with a multimeter, and use V = I × R to calculate and choose a suitable resistor.
    Show the specification wording and the LNF statements

    Where it is in the specification: Unit 1, 1.1.9 and 1.1.10 (Engineering Design pathway), pages 17 to 18

    “recognise the relationships between voltage, current and resistance and calculate ohms law”
    Progression step 3

    • I can use ratio and proportion to calculate quantities.

    • I can multiply 2- and 3-digit numbers by a 2-digit number.

    • I can use appropriate notation, symbols and units of measurement.

    Progression step 4

    • I can demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between a formula representing a measurement and the units used.

    • I can use ratio and proportion including map scales.

    • I can use the order of operations including brackets and powers.

    Progression step 5

    • I can use appropriate notation, symbols and units of measurement, including compound measures.

    • I can use a scientific calculator effectively and efficiently to carry out calculations using the available range of function keys.

    • I can explain results and procedures precisely using appropriate mathematical language.

Good to know

Links with other GCSEs

Ohm's law and moments overlap with The Sciences, gear ratios, scale drawing and tolerances with Mathematics and Numeracy, and product analysis and evaluative writing with English Language and Literature, so shared methods and vocabulary would help pupils.

Source: WJEC GCSE Design and Technology specification, Approved by Qualifications Wales, teaching from 2026, for award from 2028 (© WJEC CBAC Ltd 2025).