AQA A2 PROD3 Summer Product Design Exam

Hey

Just wondering if anyone else is doing the AQA A2 Product Design exam, and was wondering what revision techniques people are using.

Done the specimen and one past paper to death, resorting to my teacher making up essay style questions and timing myself....

I really hope a good question on designers comes up this year, and could do without safety being there :wink:

How is everyone else finding revision?

Reply 1

Aantttt

I am!

Cannot stand it. Few resources, very vague specification, very little idea of what to expect in the exam. I've split my revision schedule into a few sections:

- Processes and Manufacture (includes the whole design process)
- Designers and their Products (product/designer/movement case studies really to use as examples)
- Developments in ICT
- Safety, Ergonomics and Anthropometrics
- Sustainability and the Environment

Set aside 5 days for each of those, then 4 days leading up for it for questions. Given the nature of the paper I think getting used to the questions is the best approach to it. And even though it's essay based to an extent, we don't get lined paper apparently? confusedd.

Reply 2

kemily

OP

Really? No lined paper? Thats frustrating :s
I've been trying to time my essays, about 40 minutes for each one including planning and checking
I think if the questions are quite close to the past two papers i will be alright, its just when they decide to word things funny for know reason... damn you AQA!

Reply 3

Aantttt

Well looking here it seems so. I really don't get why...

I haven't really done any written ones yet. D: I really should - my other subjects are maths and physics so I really haven't done any essays for a while. I think the questions will be similar to the papers we already have - I can't really see how you can deviate much, looking at the spec. I just wish I had a better idea of what I'm meant to revise. :/

Reply 4

kemily

OP

I spoke to my teacher today and she said she was going to ask the chief examiner about this and see if I could have a piece of lined paper to put under the paper to keep my handwriting straight, which would help a lot :tongue:

I do art and english, so the essay style isnt too much of a problem for me, what id suggest and what im doing is making a mindmap of all the points your going to cover eg for microprocessors you'd talk about robotics, flexible manufacturing systems etc and do an intro then pararaph for each. If you touch on everything your going to say in your main answer in the introduction the examiner will be nicer to you because they're dt teachers on their holidays and want to mark your works asap so putting that in their format makes them read the rest of your work less harshly as youve already established you know what your on about.

As you can probably guess from this post, my worst problem is babbling :s

Reply 5

humphrey23

Original post by kemily

I spoke to my teacher today and she said she was going to ask the chief examiner about this and see if I could have a piece of lined paper to put under the paper to keep my handwriting straight, which would help a lot :tongue:

I do art and english, so the essay style isnt too much of a problem for me, what id suggest and what im doing is making a mindmap of all the points your going to cover eg for microprocessors you'd talk about robotics, flexible manufacturing systems etc and do an intro then pararaph for each. If you touch on everything your going to say in your main answer in the introduction the examiner will be nicer to you because they're dt teachers on their holidays and want to mark your works asap so putting that in their format makes them read the rest of your work less harshly as youve already established you know what your on about.

As you can probably guess from this post, my worst problem is babbling :s

Great thread. Worried about this exam. Don't really know what to do lol.

Worked pretty hard for the coursework and don't want the effort going to waste.

Despite the worry still aiming high lol. A*? One can hope

Reply 6

Aantttt

I'm aiming for A*. I was told I "could be pleased" with my coursework mark so given I was predicted (just!) one, I think it's within reach.

May be of interest:

From last year's exam. Pretty low cap... (source)

Reply 7

humphrey23

Original post by Aantttt

I'm aiming for A*. I was told I "could be pleased" with my coursework mark so given I was predicted (just!) one, I think it's within reach.

May be of interest:

From last year's exam. Pretty low cap... (source)

First exam from a new specification. I call that a rare blip and expect the boundaries to shoot back up to normal this time round.

For anyone else reading this, don't get complacent and start aiming for around 55 for an A*.

Reply 8

Aantttt

Original post by humphrey23

First exam from a new specification. I call that a rare blip and expect the boundaries to shoot back up to normal this time round.

For anyone else reading this, don't get complacent and start aiming for around 55 for an A*.

Well no I'd be aiming for every mark possible but given the nature of the exam, it is very difficult to score anywhere near full marks (28 mark questions...). I'd expect the cap to be higher this year as we're more familiar with the paper, but I'm expecting it still to be pretty low.

Reply 9

humphrey23

Original post by Aantttt

Well no I'd be aiming for every mark possible but given the nature of the exam, it is very difficult to score anywhere near full marks (28 mark questions...). I'd expect the cap to be higher this year as we're more familiar with the paper, but I'm expecting it still to be pretty low.

Yeah I second that.

Reply 10

username810181

Im good at the practical side of this course. My coursework scored almost full marks. However the theory side really lets me down, I just get lost with the wording of questions and dont have a clue what to say. Anyone else have that problem? This year i've just categorized my revision, so hopefully when answering questions ill be able to pick out the necessary points.

Reply 11

karanrauli

can some one explain how many points you should make for large mark question please ?

Reply 12

kemily

OP

Original post by Aantttt

Well no I'd be aiming for every mark possible but given the nature of the exam, it is very difficult to score anywhere near full marks (28 mark questions...). I'd expect the cap to be higher this year as we're more familiar with the paper, but I'm expecting it still to be pretty low.

I'd agree with that too. I think the reason everyone did so bad on the A2 last year is also the big change in the style of questions, I mean from what is the FSC in AS to critically analyse a sample of a famous designers work in A2. :s-smilie:

Original post by karanrauli

can some one explain how many points you should make for large mark question please ?

karanrauli, what i tend to do is try and break down what they are asking. Its harder than in the AS exam because of the essay style structure, but if you make a mind map of everything relating to the question eg for a question on the advantages and disadvantages of robotics, you'd be looking for 3 points either way. Just make sure you explain all your points and use a refenrence from industry.
confusing i know :/ hope this helps a bit

Reply 13

TheGekko

Hello

can anyone please clarify me on what exactly is coming out on this exam?

I have seen the specification, but unfortunately I can't seem to understand what Chapters in the book they are referring too?
Or what the exam is actually about?

Yes, my teacher well...debatable.

Reply 14

random-rebecca30

Hey, what does it mean when the quesion talks about 'industries'?
I'm so scared for this exam! There is so much to learn and not enough time =/ grr
at least we get to choose questions, I suppose there has to be some that aren't too bad!!

Reply 15

humphrey23

And this subject is seen as "soft" by cambridge. SMH

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 16

Lemharris

Hi, really good thread. I am so glad that I am not the only person freaking out about this exam -.- .

What I have tried to do for revision is summaries the sections of the 'AQA Design & Technology Product Design' book. Its a bit of a drab, but I find it has really helped. Also, when it comes to case-studies ("Specific products" or "industries") I have chosen to focus around certain groups of products to ensure my brain is mashed up with untied facts. Do these techniques sound good? Or am I limiting myself too much?

AQA really needs to invest in that lined paper which scans like plain paper if they expect us to write for 2 hours....

Reply 17

Aantttt

Original post by Lemharris

What I have tried to do for revision is summaries the sections of the 'AQA Design & Technology Product Design' book. Its a bit of a drab, but I find it has really helped..

Yeah we have that textbook. I find it pretty difficult to work out what the most relevant points are but it's pretty good to work from.

Today I'm doing Safety Aspects, Ergonomics and Anthopometrics, tomorrow it's Sustainability, then 4 straight days of practise questions. s: I've got a bad feeling a lot of this is going to be for nothing.

Reply 18

Sim188

13

Ok guys, so are we allowed to draw in the exam.

Also could someone just give me a general overview? (ill rep you!)

Our DT teachers are abysmal and I'm not really sure whats on the exam. Aiming for an A

So Far I got AS C/W 78 UMS EXAM 84 UMS A2 C/W 82 UMS

Merci!

Reply 19

copey123456789

I have no textbook, my teacher has just given me a series of model answers of past questions to revise from which we have already answered throughout the year, where is everybody else getting their resources from for revision??

AQA A2 PROD3 Summer Product Design Exam

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