Engineering: grade descriptors for GCSEs graded 9 to 1
Updated 6 September 2017
Applies to England
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1. Grade 8
To achieve grade 8, candidates will be able to:
- demonstrate relevant and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of engineering principles and processes
- effectively apply engineering principles, processes, techniques and skills, and mathematical skills to a range of familiar and unfamiliar contexts
- make critically informed selection and use of a wide range of appropriate tools and equipment, viable materials and components, and relevant manufacturing processes
- develop and refine a complete solution that meets the requirements of an engineering problem
- analyse and critically evaluate evidence in a range of engineering contexts, using a wide range of subject specific terminology
2. Grade 5
To achieve grade 5, candidates will be able to:
- demonstrate mostly accurate and appropriate knowledge and understanding of engineering principles and processes
- appropriately apply, with reasonable accuracy, engineering principles, processes, techniques and skills, and mathematical skills to different contexts including familiar and some unfamiliar
- make sensible selection and use of appropriate tools and equipment, mostly viable materials, and manufacturing processes
- produce a working solution that meets most requirements of an engineering problem
- analyse and provide some evaluation of evidence in engineering contexts, using some appropriate subject specific terminology
3. Grade 2
To achieve grade 2, candidates will be able to:
- demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of engineering principles and processes
- apply, in a limited way, some straightforward engineering principles, processes, techniques and skills to familiar contexts
- make simple selection and use of tools and equipment and demonstrate a basic awareness of straightforward manufacturing processes
- produce a partially working solution that meets some requirements of an engineering problem
- use a basic line of reasoning to describe and comment on simple evidence in engineering contexts, using everyday language