WJEC Level 1/2 Engineering Past Papers

WJEC Level 1/2 Award in Engineering is a vocational qualification for learners in Wales aged 14–16 who are exploring engineering as a potential career or educational pathway. The qualification introduces the engineering sector, its core disciplines and occupations, the materials and processes used in engineering manufacture, and the problem-solving approach that characterises engineering thinking. Unit 3: Solving Engineering Problems is the externally assessed unit, presenting learners with engineering scenarios that require the application of knowledge and reasoning. Questions address the properties of engineering materials (metals, plastics, composites, ceramics — their strength, hardness, conductivity, malleability, and appropriate applications), manufacturing processes (casting, machining, forming, welding, joining), basic engineering drawing conventions (orthographic projection, dimensions, tolerances), quality control in manufacturing (checking dimensions, surface finish, and material properties), and the role of engineering in the economy and everyday life. Learners are expected to recognise engineering products and the engineering decisions behind their design: why a car body panel uses pressed steel rather than cast iron (lower density, better formability, cost-effective for mass production), why aircraft components use aluminium alloys rather than steel (strength-to-weight ratio), why electrical cables use copper (high electrical conductivity combined with ductility). These material selection reasoning questions are a consistent feature of the examined unit and reward learners who understand the relationship between material properties and product requirements.