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Is DT GCSE a lot of coursework?

Hi,
For my GCSE options I was thinking of taking both Art and DT (as well as core subjects and Computer Science and Spanish) but is taking both going to be too much coursework?
Original post by Erin1210
Hi,
For my GCSE options I was thinking of taking both Art and DT (as well as core subjects and Computer Science and Spanish) but is taking both going to be too much coursework?


I'm not sure about Art but I studied DT at GCSE. 60% of the qualification is coursework, so yeah quite a lot. The process was mainly straight forward, but I remember in the exam the grade boundaries were extremely high. It was something like 60% to get a C. If you're aiming higher than that, then you want to be doing well in both your coursework and your exam.
Both art and DT will require auite some coursework, you might find it doesn't leave time for other subjects e g maths/english/science
I would certainly not advise both, I struggled with just art, my sibling struggled with just DT.
I did GCSE DT and it was a lot of work, the recommended 40 hours or so for coursework was such bs. pretty much poured my life into the portfolio and spent so many after schools and weekends making my prototype (lots of fails later). Its a love-hate relationship for sure, I definitely enjoyed some parts of it but it was also a lot of stress at the same time.
Tbh it's so much coursework it's a joke but if you're smart and you can cope with it then go ahead!And if you don't like putting much effort in then just don't do it because you won't like it!
Reply 5
I've done both these past years, and I haven't found the coursework too bad. I haven't got my official marks back yet but I've got an 8/9 in art and A* in DT coursework before adjudication so I'd say its very much possible. Some schools may do it differently and obviously, it depends on each person. I love both DT and art so it wasn't too bad spending more time on it but art was definitely more difficult time-wise as my teacher required 3 hours every week. If you are struggling more with academics I certainly wouldn't recommend it but I felt that I was okay in that respect and I didn't have any other subjects that I wanted to do so I made the commitment to it and so far I think its paid off!
I did art and DT GCSE (and a level), Art has more coursework imho (there is an art exam but it all feels like coursework even if its called an exam) whereas DT has an actual traditional paper exam. They are manageable to do together, it can be quite useful to switch from working on one to another when you get stuck for inspiration on one
Did both DT and art and both need coursework but DT isn't actually that hard so you'll be alright :smile: art is a joke lol but if you manage your time well you'll be fine
In short, Yes.

However, if you have great organisation and put in a good amount of effort it isn't too difficult to keep up with. Getting a high mark in the coursework is really important to getting a good grade (I'm talking 85/100 for an A and 92/100 for A*).

If you are like me and can get behind quite easily, you may have to put in a lot of hours outside of school hours. I personally had to come into school for several days during the holidays and countless lunchtimes, and even with that I was still tight for timing.

Everyone in my class got an A for the coursework, and most people do better than they expect, so I say go for it! :^_^:
(edited 5 years ago)
I do Art and DT, it is a lot of work stress. If you’re really passionate about the subjects then you’ll be absolutely fine and excell but if don’t feel motivated about either them don’t do it because it’s a lot of commitment (but very rewarding). I enjoy both the subjects and have found the coursework not that hard, but there is always the complications with doing coursework over revision and revision over coursework which can get tricky. But if you plan your time out right then you can avoid feeling like you haven’t balanced them out well enough. There is also the positive point that once you’ve done all of the coursework you’ve basically got 2 GCSES out of the way. All i advise is that if you struggle with core subjects/are picking other hard subjects then don’t pick both of those options as they will take up a lot of your free time that you could be using to revise.
i do dt now and it's not that bad its 50% of your gcse and if you start as early as possible and try to finish as early as possible it's not too bad however i wouldnt advise doing it with art because art alone is meant to be horrible i've heard that people stay awake all night to try and finish art pieces

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