How to Get a Grade 9 in Your GCSE DT NEA (AQA)
A few tips you can use to score 90+ on your NEA, written for AQA exam board students.
August 10, 2023 · By Arushi Dubey
Completing your DT NEA can seem like a tedious task. However, with the correct planning, you can have a grade 9 worthy NEA with low stress. The NEA is worth 50% of your GCSE DT grade, whether you are studying in Dubai or anywhere else in the world, so it is important that you do not neglect it, and that you put a sufficient amount of effort into completing it well before the deadline. In addition to making a presentation in which you document your product's design process, you will also need to actually make your product, which can genuinely be an enjoyable experience.
Plan Your NEA Coursework Over the Summer
You will have a minimum of 30 to 35 hours to spend on your NEA, but you are likely to find out about the three contextual challenges before the Year 10 summer. Make sure you spend the summer deciding on a contextual challenge and planning what product you will make to fulfil it. It is important that your product is unique and innovative, as you are guaranteed to pick up marks for creativity. By making a rough plan, you will be able to begin working on your NEA as soon as school starts, without any delay.
Set Deadlines for Yourself
There is a high likelihood that your DT teacher will have already set deadlines for you. If that is the case, make sure you stick to them. Falling behind will cause you an incredible amount of stress: keep in mind that the NEA is 50% of your total grade, so ensure it reaches its full potential. By setting little deadlines for each section (for example, finish Section A by the end of this month), you distribute your time effectively and stay organised. If you struggle to hold yourself accountable, a weekly session with an online tutor in the UAE can act as a built-in checkpoint.
Ask Your Teachers for Guidance
Although the amount of help your teachers can give you is limited, it is perfectly fine to ask them for feedback every now and then. Doing so will give you a better idea of what to improve on, and what resources could potentially be used to make your NEA even better. Your teacher will be the one doing the marking, so it is critical that you take their feedback into account. If you want more regular feedback than school can offer, working with an IGCSE tutor in Dubai is another way to get an experienced pair of eyes on your coursework.
Evaluate the AQA Assessment Criteria
Your teachers will be basing their marking on the assessment criteria provided by the AQA exam board. When making your presentation, refer to the grading rubric every so often to make sure you have all the information needed to achieve top marks. Furthermore, the assessment criteria can give you a much better idea of what to include and what not to include in your NEA. If you are not sure whether something will gain you extra marks, simply check the marking specification.
The Bottom Line
A grade 9 NEA is built on planning, not panic. Choose a unique, innovative product early, break the project into small deadlines, act on your teacher's feedback, and keep the AQA assessment criteria in front of you at every stage. Do that, and the NEA becomes one of the most rewarding parts of your GCSE DT course. And if you would like some structured support along the way, you can request a tutor who knows the AQA specification well. Good luck!
Arushi Dubey
Unitors student contributor sharing first-hand GCSE coursework and revision experience.
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