ELECTRONICS – GCSE
Awarding Body: WJEC
Course Code: 4160 (4161, 4162, 4163)
QAN: 603/0776/6 – Click here for further information
OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
Studying this GCSE in Electronics enables learners to develop scientific knowledge and conceptual understanding of the behaviour of analogue and digital electrical/electronic circuits including a wide range of electronic components. Develop an understanding of the nature, processes and methods of electronics as an engineering discipline to help them answer questions about practical circuits and be aware of new and emerging technologies. Develop and learn how to apply observational, practical, problem solving and evaluative skills in the identification of needs in the world around them and to propose and test electronic solutions.
CONTENT AND ASSESSMENT
Discovering Electronics: External Exam – 1 hour 30 minutes, 40% of the GCSE.
1. Electronic systems and subsystems
2. Circuit concepts
3. Resistive components in circuits
4. Switching circuits
5. Applications of diodes
6. Combinational logic systems
Application of Electronics: External Exam – 1 hour 30 minutes, 40% of the GCSE.
1. Operational amplifiers
2. Timing circuits
3. Sequential systems
4. Interfacing digital to analogue circuits
5. Control circuits
Extended system design and realisation task – Coursework (Non-exam assessment, NEA) 20% of the GCSE.
This component requires each learner to produce a single extended system design and realisation task independently. The task builds on the systems developed throughout the specification and the requirement to relate practical circuit design and construction to knowledge and understanding gained from the examinations. This component requires learners to demonstrate their ability to analyse a problem to enable solutions to be developed by developing a design specification to solve the problem, design and build an electronic system, model its performance against the design specification and modify as appropriate.