AQA GCSE Design and Technology Past Papers

The core curriculum and exam structure remain identical to 2026 — Paper 1 is still a 2-hour written exam (50%) and NEA coursework is still a ~30–35 hour design-and-make project (50%). The only change is the NEA Contextual Themes, which refresh annually. For Summer 2027, AQA has released entirely new themes that form the basis of students' Section A investigations and design briefs. You cannot recycle 2026 project briefs; you'll need to update brainstorming, client profiling, and initial design templates to align with the new contexts. The exact theme titles are held on the secure AQA teacher portal (Centre Services) until teachers release them to classrooms.

The last major overhaul was September 2017 (first exams Summer 2019). It consolidated four separate qualifications (Electronic Products, Graphic Products, Resistant Materials, Textiles) into one GCSE Design and Technology with a unified Core curriculum, a Specialist material pathway choice, and a 50/50 split between written exam and NEA coursework. Since 2017, the syllabus structure and exam framework have remained unchanged. The only updates have been minor: temporary pandemic adjustments to prototype requirements (now rolled back) and annual NEA theme rotations (released June 1st each year), which refresh project contexts but don't alter the underlying syllabus or marking criteria.

Exactly 15% of the total exam marks are explicitly math-based. You will need to calculate material quantities, total costs, percentages from user surveys, areas/volumes of shapes, or scaling ratios. Always bring a calculator and show your working out—you can win method marks even if your final number is slightly off.

The Non-Exam Assessment is a substantial design-and-make project. AQA releases three broad contextual themes annually. You choose one, investigate a problem within it, and spend roughly 30 to 35 hours of class time designing, prototyping, and testing a physical product. You will hand in a portfolio of around 20 pages of A3 digital design sheets alongside your actual physical model.

8552 is the overarching specification code for the entire qualification — this is what appears on your enrollment form. 8552/W is the code for the Written Paper component (the 2-hour exam, 50% of your grade). 8552/C is the code for the Non-Exam Assessment component (the NEA coursework, 50% of your grade).