The NEA at a glance
- The non-exam assessment (NEA) is a design and make project worth 50% of the GCSE. The written exam is the other 50%.
- It takes about 30 to 35 hours. AQA releases contexts in June of the year before; you choose one and find a problem to solve.
- It is marked out of 100 across six areas: identifying and investigating design possibilities (10), producing a design brief and specification (10), generating design ideas (20), developing design ideas (20), realising design ideas (20), and analysing and evaluating (20).
Doing well in each stage
- Investigate: research the context and a real user; use primary research and analyse existing products.
- Brief and specification: write a clear brief and a specification of measurable points.
- Generate: sketch a wide range of different ideas, using different strategies, and get client feedback.
- Develop: model and test ideas, refine them with feedback, and produce accurate final drawings.
- Realise: make a high-quality prototype, using suitable tools and processes safely and accurately.
- Analyse and evaluate: test the prototype against the specification throughout, and suggest improvements.
Presenting the portfolio
- The portfolio is usually about 20 A3 pages (or digital equivalent). Keep it concise, with photos, sketches and annotation.
- Show your thinking and decisions at every stage, including why you rejected ideas.
Key terms
- NEA
- Non-exam assessment: the design and make project.
- Context
- The broad theme set by the exam board for the NEA.
- Portfolio
- The collection of work that shows the design process.
- Realisation
- Making the final prototype.
- Client
- The person the product is designed for.