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BTEC First Award in Engineering

Title of qualification

Level 1/2 Vocational Award in Engineering

 

Exam Board

WJEC

 

What will I learn?

In BTEC Engineering you will develop your knowledge and understanding of materials, manufacturing processes and how to use tools and equipment safely and effectively to produce workpieces. You will research manufacturing processes used to create 2 parts of a product and develop knowledge of alternative methods of manufacture. For your exam, you will learn a broad range of topics such as Engineering sectors, Mechanical processes, Modern materials and new Technology. You will gain a foundation based knowledge of Engineering, Processes, Materials and their properties and Environmental impact. During Y11 you will develop your knowledge of tools and equipment and then create workpieces using metal. You will learn practical skills and will be taught how to be safe in the workshop environment, preparing you for the next steps in your engineering or manufacturing career.

 

How will this course be assessed?

All pieces of work in this course are marked using the Pass, Merit, Distinction & Distinction * criteria, with a Pass being equivalent to a grade 4 and a Distinction * equivalent to a grade 9.

This course is assessed through 3 Units. 1 unit is the exam which is 1 hour long and is taken online. The exam is out of 50 marks and you will need to aim to achieve at least 36/50 to allow you to achieve your target grade overall.

Unit 2 consists of 4 pieces of controlled assessment that you will complete throughout Y10 & some of Y11. All 4 pieces of controlled assessment are marked using the Pass, Merit, Distinction & Distinction * criteria. You will need to consistently achieve the same mark throughout the 4 pieces of controlled assessment. Each of the 4 pieces will allow you to research and develop knowledge of manufacturing, processes, environmental impact and quality assurance.

Unit 3 is completed through Y11 and consists of 2 pieces of controlled assessment. These pieces allow you to research and develop knowledge of manufacturing tools and equipment, before moving in to the Engineering workshop and manufacturing metal workpieces into a final product. You will be assessed on your practical skills and your ability to keep an accurate, detailed record of your stages of manufacture, health & safety and quality of manufacture.

 

What skills do I need?

You need to have good English and literacy skills and a genuine interest in manufacturing, processes and materials. You will need to be able to read lots of information and use this to write your own documents to achieve well in your controlled assessment. You will need to have excellent communication skills and enjoy challenging yourself to learn about new topics such as how products are created. It is important that you find Engineering and Design Technology exciting and interesting, because this will allow you to challenge yourself to achieve in this course. Engineering and Design Technology can allow you to learn skills you would not gain in any other part of your school life.

 

What is next for me after this course?

After this course you can move on to Level 3 BTEC Engineering, move in to an apprenticeship or any other Technology based A-level course. Previously, we have had students use Engineering to move in to working at AMRC, begin apprenticeships as an Electrician or move in to the military. Engineering can be a fantastic start to a practical career, preparation for University or a stepping stone to working in design.

 

Are there any restrictions with this course?

There may be restrictions with option blocks depending on your other choices.