Exam-style questions by topic — AQA A-Level Design and Technology: Product Design
One verified question for each of 65 topics. These are written for this specification and checked by MasteryMind. They are not past-paper questions, and they are not from AQA.
Technical principles 3.1.1 Materials and their applications
A kitchen worktop must resist scratching from knives and withstand hot pans placed on it, while also being easy to wipe clean. Which combination of material properties best matches these functional requirements?
Practise Technical principles 3.1.1 Materials and their applicationsTechnical principles 3.1.1 Materials and their applications - Classification of materials
Which property best defines a smart material?
Practise Technical principles 3.1.1 Materials and their applications - Classification of materialsTechnical principles 3.1.1 Materials and their applications - Methods for investigating and testing materials
A ceramic tile and a mild steel bar are each struck with the same impact energy. The ceramic shatters, while the steel dents and stays in one piece. Which explanation of the difference in toughness is correct?
Practise Technical principles 3.1.1 Materials and their applications - Methods for investigating and testing materialsProtecting designs and intellectual property
Which of the following best describes the concept of open design?
Practise Protecting designs and intellectual propertyDesign for manufacturing, maintenance, repair and disposal Manufacture, repair, maintenance and disposal
A furniture company wants to rethink its outdoor bench by using an eco friendly alternative material. The current bench uses virgin teak, which is slow-growing and linked to deforestation. Which rethink best reduces the environmental impact of the material choice?
Practise Design for manufacturing, maintenance, repair and disposal Manufacture, repair, maintenance and disposalDesign for manufacturing, maintenance, repair and disposal Manufacture, repair, maintenance and disposal - Disassembly
The housing of a printer is held together with moulded snap-fit catches instead of machine screws. Why does this better support design for disassembly?
Practise Design for manufacturing, maintenance, repair and disposal Manufacture, repair, maintenance and disposal - DisassemblyDesign for manufacturing, maintenance, repair and disposal Manufacture, repair, maintenance and disposal - Ease of manufacture
A bicycle maker adopts a standard 27.2 mm seat-post diameter across its whole range instead of three different diameters. Analyse the effect of this decision on manufacture, repair and maintenance.
Practise Design for manufacturing, maintenance, repair and disposal Manufacture, repair, maintenance and disposal - Ease of manufactureFeasibility studies
Twenty potential consumers rate a prototype desk organiser highly. However, injection moulding it would need tooling costing £120,000, forecast sales are only 1,500 units, and the target unit cost cannot be met with this process. Which conclusion is best supported by the feasibility study?
Practise Feasibility studiesEnterprise and marketing in the development of products
A designer has developed a foldable bicycle helmet but has no factory or distribution network. Which action shows an entrepreneur turning the design into a commercial product?
Practise Enterprise and marketing in the development of productsDesign communication
A component is drawn at a scale of 1:5. On the drawing, a feature measures 36 mm when checked with a rule. A dimension line beside that feature is annotated '180'. Which statement correctly describes how the drawing communicates the size of this feature?
Practise Design communicationPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards
Cartridge paper is chosen for a print run because its slightly textured surface takes printing ink well. A designer is comparing it with a glossy coated paper. Which statement best explains why cartridge paper is suited to printing?
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boardsPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Biodegradable polymers
A designer is specifying a water-soluble lactide and glycolide copolymer film for sachets that must dissolve in a washing machine but stay intact on a damp bathroom shelf. Which specification decision best manages this conflict?
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Biodegradable polymersPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Composites
A corrugated paperboard composite is used for a shipping box instead of a single flat sheet of the same paper. Which improvement in product performance does the corrugated structure give the box?
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - CompositesPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Elastomers
Which class of polymer best describes neoprene?
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - ElastomersPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Modern materials
A designer is choosing a material for a canoe hull that must resist repeated knocks against rocks without cracking. Kevlar is shortlisted. Which combination of properties best explains why Kevlar suits this use?
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Modern materialsPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Performance characteristics of metals
A designer needs a guide rail for a sliding door. The stock must have a flat back and two parallel flanges at right angles to it, forming a U-shaped cross-section. Which stock form is this?
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Performance characteristics of metalsPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Performance characteristics of polymer based sheet and film
A designer needs a polymer sheet that lets light pass through it but scatters that light so that shapes behind the sheet cannot be seen clearly. Which performance characteristic of the sheet is being used?
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Performance characteristics of polymer based sheet and filmPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Performance characteristics of polymers
A manufacturer wants to produce a large batch of rigid electrical socket housings that must resist heat and must not soften in service. Explain why a thermoset is a more suitable choice than a thermoplastic for this product.
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Performance characteristics of polymersPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Performance characteristics of woods
A workshop needs a curved hardwood chair back with continuous grain running along the curve. Why is steam bending usually chosen for this component rather than cutting the curve from a solid board?
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Performance characteristics of woodsPerformance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Smart materials
Which input causes a pressure-sensitive smart material to change its properties?
Practise Performance characteristics of materials Performance characteristics of papers and boards - Smart materialsEnhancement of materials - Metal enhancement
Case hardening is used to give a low-carbon steel component a hard outer layer. Which property of the component's core is deliberately retained by this process?
Practise Enhancement of materials - Metal enhancementEnhancement of materials - Polymer enhancement
A packaging company compares two batches of the same polythene film buried in identical moist soil for the same time. Batch A contains a bio-batch additive; Batch B is the plain polymer. Batch A loses mass faster. Which mechanism best explains this?
Practise Enhancement of materials - Polymer enhancementEnhancement of materials - Wood enhancement
A garden bench is to be made from a softwood that will be left outdoors in the rain. Which treatment is applied to the timber to protect it against fungal decay and insect attack?
Practise Enhancement of materials - Wood enhancementForming, redistribution and addition processes Paper and board forming processes
A net is die cut and creased in one pass, but the crease lines are positioned 1 mm to one side of the fold positions on the printed artwork. What is the most likely consequence when the carton is erected?
Practise Forming, redistribution and addition processes Paper and board forming processesForming, redistribution and addition processes Paper and board forming processes - Metal processes
Which fuel gas is most commonly mixed with oxygen to produce the preheat flame in a flame-cutting torch used on mild steel?
Practise Forming, redistribution and addition processes Paper and board forming processes - Metal processesForming, redistribution and addition processes Paper and board forming processes - Polymer processes
A workshop must produce 40 identical curved boat hull sections in glass-reinforced polyester. Hand layup is proposed, but the client wants consistent wall thickness and a smooth finish on both faces. Which change best meets these requirements?
Practise Forming, redistribution and addition processes Paper and board forming processes - Polymer processesForming, redistribution and addition processes Paper and board forming processes - Wood processes
Which jointing method fixes two timber components together by driving a shaped metal fastener through them with a hammer?
Practise Forming, redistribution and addition processes Paper and board forming processes - Wood processesThe use of adhesives and fixings
A student glues two pieces of pine together for a school project and wants a strong bond that dries clear. Which adhesive is most suitable?
Practise The use of adhesives and fixingsThe use of adhesives and fixings - Jigs and fixtures
A firm mills a slot in 500 asymmetrical aluminium parts using a fixture that is a flat plate with two clamps. Quality checks show the slot is sometimes cut in the wrong place because operators load some parts rotated or shifted before clamping. Which modification would best improve the fixture's suitability for repeated manufacture?
Practise The use of adhesives and fixings - Jigs and fixturesThe use of finishes Paper and board finishing
A food company needs a board tray that resists grease and moisture from hot food and can be printed with branding. Which combination of finishes best meets both the functional and appearance requirements?
Practise The use of finishes Paper and board finishingThe use of finishes Paper and board finishing - Metal finishing
A manufacturer electro-plates a batch of steel brackets and finds the chromium coating is patchy, with recessed areas barely covered. The bath is already running at the upper end of its recommended current-density range. Which change is most likely to improve the uniformity of the coating?
Practise The use of finishes Paper and board finishing - Metal finishingThe use of finishes Paper and board finishing - Paper and board printing processes
A small studio must produce 120 individually personalised invitations, each with different names and colours, and the client wants them delivered within a few days. Which process choice is most appropriate?
Practise The use of finishes Paper and board finishing - Paper and board printing processesThe use of finishes Paper and board finishing - Polymer finishing
A thermoplastic elastomer component is injection moulded and then reheated. What is the most likely effect of reheating on the material?
Practise The use of finishes Paper and board finishing - Polymer finishingThe use of finishes Paper and board finishing - Wood finishing
A student applies a colour wash to an oak stool but the finish dries with dark streaks and patchy edges. Which preparation and application fault is the most likely cause?
Practise The use of finishes Paper and board finishing - Wood finishingModern industrial and commercial practice Scales of production
A factory making identical kettles wants to raise output without buying more machinery. Which change is most consistent with the principles of mass/line production?
Practise Modern industrial and commercial practice Scales of productionEfficient use of materials
A workshop makes a batch of 200 identical plywood phone stands. Making one stand on its own uses a 400 mm × 300 mm sheet of plywood, but when 200 are nested together on the same sheet size, each stand uses only 250 mm × 300 mm of plywood. What is the area of plywood saved per stand when moving from one-off production to bulk production?
Practise Efficient use of materialsEfficient use of materials - Sub-assembly
A manufacturer produces a domestic kettle. The heating element and its wiring are assembled and tested on one line, while the plastic body and handle are moulded and finished on another. The two sub-assemblies are then brought together for final assembly. What is the main advantage of organising production in this way?
Practise Efficient use of materials - Sub-assemblyEfficient use of materials - The use of computer systems
A manufacturer of kitchen units uses computer-controlled ordering to run a just in time (JIT) system. Demand for one cabinet range suddenly doubles after a television feature. Which outcome is most likely?
Practise Efficient use of materials - The use of computer systemsDigital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD)
A designer wants a presentation drawing that shows a proposed games console from several angles in one image, with the model's surfaces shaded to reveal its form. Which 3D CAD output achieves this?
Practise Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD)Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Computer aided manufacture (CAM)
A laser cutter is set to cut a 4 mm acrylic sheet, but the cut edges come out rough and the beam does not fully penetrate the material. Which adjustment is most likely to produce a clean, through cut?
Practise Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Computer aided manufacture (CAM)Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Electronic data interchange
A supermarket wants to find out which of its own-brand snack ranges sell best in the hour after local schools finish for the day. Explain how the sales data captured by its EPOS tills can be used to answer this market research question.
Practise Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Electronic data interchangeDigital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Production, planning and control (PPC) networking
A workshop makes made-to-order furniture and uses a networked production planning and control (PPC) system. A customer changes the delivery date, and the workshop must respond. How does the networked PPC system help the workshop manage this change?
Practise Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Production, planning and control (PPC) networkingDigital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Rapid prototyping processes
A manufacturer is deciding whether to invest in rapid prototyping for a new range of small plastic enclosures. Which statement best explains a genuine benefit of rapid prototyping to the manufacturer?
Practise Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Rapid prototyping processesDigital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Virtual modelling
In finite element analysis of a component, what is the mesh?
Practise Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Virtual modellingThe requirements for product design and development Product development and improvement
A designer is developing a school chair. Which action best shows the chair being developed to meet specification criteria?
Practise The requirements for product design and development Product development and improvementHealth and safety Safe working practices
In a risk assessment, what is the meaning of the term 'hazard'?
Practise Health and safety Safe working practicesHealth and safety Safe working practices - Safety in products and services to the customer
A manufacturer sells a kettle that fails after eight months because a batch of heating elements was faulty. The retailer refuses to help, telling the customer to contact the manufacturer. How does consumer legislation affect the customer's position and the designer's responsibility?
Practise Health and safety Safe working practices - Safety in products and services to the customerDesigning and making principles 3.2.1 Design methods and processes - Iterative design process
At the start of an iterative design project for a new cordless hand blender, a designer buys three competing blenders and examines how well each one performs, looks and is made. What is the main purpose of this product analysis?
Practise Designing and making principles 3.2.1 Design methods and processes - Iterative design processNational and international standards in product design
A furniture company claims its new garden bench is 'sustainably sourced' because the timber carries the FSC label, yet the bench also uses a solvent-based lacquer and non-recyclable plastic feet. A designer argues that the FSC label alone cannot support the company's wider sustainability claim. Which reasoning best supports the designer's argument?
Practise National and international standards in product designDesign theory Design influences - Design styles and movements
A designer is producing a poster in the Art Deco style. Which combination of choices would best communicate that style?
Practise Design theory Design influences - Design styles and movementsDesign theory Design influences - Designers and their work
A company asks a designer to produce a Starck-influenced chair that can be injection moulded in one piece and stacked for cafe use. Which specification best reflects that influence while meeting the brief?
Practise Design theory Design influences - Designers and their workHow technology and cultural changes can impact on the work of designers - Major developments in technology
Which new method of manufacture builds a three-dimensional object by adding material layer upon layer from a digital model?
Practise How technology and cultural changes can impact on the work of designers - Major developments in technologyHow technology and cultural changes can impact on the work of designers - Social, moral and ethical issues
A manufacturer is deciding whether to add a tactile marker to the '5' key of a new keypad so that users with a visual impairment can locate the centre of the layout. Which statement best evaluates this decision?
Practise How technology and cultural changes can impact on the work of designers - Social, moral and ethical issuesHow technology and cultural changes can impact on the work of designers - Socio economic influences
Which material and construction method did Bauhaus designers such as Marcel Breuer use to develop furniture suited to mass production?
Practise How technology and cultural changes can impact on the work of designers - Socio economic influencesProduct life cycle
In the product life cycle sequence (introduction, evolution, growth, maturity, decline, replacement), which stage specifically describes designers actively refining and re-developing a product in response to early user feedback before high-volume market growth?
Practise Product life cycleDesign processes The use of a design process
A designer is developing a mood board for a sustainable packaging project. Which combination of items would best communicate the intended environmental theme?
Practise Design processes The use of a design processCritical analysis and evaluation - Testing and evaluating products in commercial products
A manufacturer wants to check that a new batch of rechargeable power tools will not fail during normal use before the tools go on sale. Which type of testing is carried out on the finished products themselves?
Practise Critical analysis and evaluation - Testing and evaluating products in commercial productsCritical analysis and evaluation - Use of third party feedback in the testing and evaluation process
A student makes a prototype folding stool and asks several unrelated users to try it and comment. Why is this third party feedback valuable to the student's evaluation?
Practise Critical analysis and evaluation - Use of third party feedback in the testing and evaluation processSelecting appropriate tools, equipment and processes
A prototype chair has a curved back made by laminating veneers over a former. Which change would allow the same curved back to be produced in large numbers with consistent shape?
Practise Selecting appropriate tools, equipment and processesAccuracy in design and manufacture
A workshop produces 500 identical wooden picture frames. Which measuring aid is a shaped outline used to mark out the frame profile repeatedly on each piece of timber?
Practise Accuracy in design and manufactureResponsible design Environmental issues
A USB cable is sold wrapped in a rigid plastic blister pack, which is placed inside a printed cardboard box about twice the cable's size. The customer removes the cable and throws the packaging away. Which statement best describes the environmental impact of this excess packaging?
Practise Responsible design Environmental issuesResponsible design Environmental issues - Conservation of energy and resources
In a furniture workshop, solid timber off-cuts left over after cutting components are collected and glued together to make a smaller panel for a stool seat. Which term best describes what has happened to the off-cuts?
Practise Responsible design Environmental issues - Conservation of energy and resourcesDesign for manufacture and project management Planning for accuracy and efficiency
When marking out a prototype, what is the purpose of choosing a datum edge before measuring any other positions on the material?
Practise Design for manufacture and project management Planning for accuracy and efficiencyDesign for manufacture and project management Planning for accuracy and efficiency - Quality assurance
An injection-moulding company producing phone casings wants to cut scrap by using statistical analysis to find and reduce variation in its moulding process, aiming for about 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Which approach should it adopt?
Practise Design for manufacture and project management Planning for accuracy and efficiency - Quality assuranceDesign for manufacture and project management Planning for accuracy and efficiency - Quality control
A batch of 500 metal brackets is produced with a tolerance of 50.0 mm ± 0.2 mm. A sample bracket measures 50.3 mm. What is the correct quality control decision?
Practise Design for manufacture and project management Planning for accuracy and efficiency - Quality control
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