GCSE Engineering Topics by Exam Board: Full List

GCSE Engineering gives you a real insight into how everyday products are designed, made and improved. It blends practical skills with technical knowledge, making it a great choice if you enjoy problem-solving or want to explore future careers in engineering and manufacturing. To find out more, explore our guide to GCSE Engineering.

Unlike most GCSEs, only one exam board currently offers GCSE Engineering: AQA. In this guide, you’ll find a clear and complete breakdown of everything you need to revise for the AQA GCSE Engineering course. Use these topic lists to build your revision plan and make sure you focus on the right content.

Key Takeaways

• AQA is the only exam board that currently offers GCSE Engineering, so all students follow the same specification.

• The course covers materials, processes, systems, testing and practical engineering skills.

• Topic lists help you focus your revision on exactly what AQA assesses.

• Use these lists as checklists, revision planners or flashcard guides to stay organised.

Why It’s Important to Know Your Exam Board

Most GCSE subjects are offered by several exam boards, and each one covers slightly different content. For GCSE Engineering, things are simple because AQA (opens in a new tab) is the only exam board currently offering the course.

This means every student studies the same subject content, but schools may teach topics in a different order.

Knowing your exam board helps you:

• focus your revision on the right material

• avoid wasting time on content that is not assessed

• plan your revision timetable around the confirmed specification

• use the right past papers and revision resources

AQA GCSE Engineering Topics

The full GCSE Engineering topics by exam board list is shown below. Because AQA is the only board that offers the course, this breakdown includes everything you need to revise for the AQA qualification.

1. Engineering Materials

You need to know the main material groups, their properties, how they behave under certain conditions, and how engineers choose between them.

Material Categories

• Metals and alloys
  Ferrous (low carbon steel, medium carbon steel, cast iron)
  Non-ferrous (aluminium, copper, zinc)
  Alloys (brass, stainless steel)

• Polymers
  Thermoplastics (acrylic, nylon, polycarbonate)
  Thermosets (epoxy resin, polyurethanes)

• Papers and boards
  Cartridge paper, tracing paper, corrugated board, duplex board, foam board

• Timbers
  Hardwoods (oak, beech)
  Softwoods (pine, spruce)
  Manufactured boards (MDF, plywood, chipboard)

• Composites
  GRP (glass-reinforced plastic), CFRP (carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic), concrete

Properties of Materials

• Physical properties (conductivity, density, melting point)

• Mechanical properties (strength, hardness, toughness, ductility, malleability, elasticity)

• Environmental properties (recyclability, corrosion resistance, sustainability)

Material Selection

• Cost and availability

• Environmental impact

• Required physical and mechanical properties

• Suitability for manufacturing processes

• Product lifecycle and sustainability

• Fitness for purpose

Forces and Stresses

• Tension

• Compression

• Bending

• Torsion

• Shear

Testing and Evaluating Materials

• Hardness tests

• Tensile tests

• Toughness/impact tests

• Bend tests

• Conductivity tests

• Using test results to compare materials and support design decisions.

2. Engineering Manufacturing Processes

You learn how different products are made and why certain processes are chosen.

Additive Manufacturing

• Fused deposition (3D printing)

• Metal sintering

• Rapid prototyping

Material Removal

• Sawing, shearing, laser cutting

• Turning (lathes): cylindrical, tapered, boring 

• Milling (face milling, slot milling)

• Drilling (pillar drill, lathe centre drilling)

• Chemical etching (including PCBs)

Shaping and Forming

• Bending, folding, press forming

• Composite lay-up

• Punching, stamping

Casting and Moulding

• Sand casting

• Pressure die casting

• Injection moulding

Joining and Assembly

• Riveting, threaded fasteners, screws, bolts

• Soldering, brazing, welding

• Permanent and temporary joins

Heat and Chemical Treatment

• Annealing and normalising

• Hardening, quenching

Surface Finishing

• Painting, dip coating, polishing

• Electroplating, galvanising

3. Systems

You study six system types: mechanical, electrical, electronic, programmable, structural and pneumatic. You need to understand how they work and how to interpret diagrams.

Mechanical Systems

• Levers: all three classes

• Linkages: such as bell-crank or parallel-motion

• Cams and followers: eccentric, snail, pear

• Gears: spur gears, gear trains, idlers, speed ratios

• Pulleys and belts

• Bearings: ball or plain

• Crank and slider

• Recognising input, process and output in mechanical systems

Electrical Systems

• Power sources (batteries, cells)

• Switches (push-to-make, push-to-break, toggle, reed)

• Relays

• Motors (DC motors)

• Buzzers

• Current, voltage and resistance (qualitative understanding)

• Series and parallel circuits

• Reading straightforward circuit diagrams

Electronic and Programmable Systems

• Inputs: LDRs, thermistors, switches 

• Processing: microcontrollers, logic decisions, timers, transistors as switches

• Outputs: LEDs, buzzers, motors, solenoids

• Interpreting flowcharts (sequence, decisions, loops)

• Recognising block diagrams and symbols

• Understanding input → process → output

Structural Systems

• Static vs dynamic loads

• Tension, compression, torsion, bending and shear

• Buckling in beams or columns

• Strengthening methods: triangulation, bracing, reinforcement

• Structural forms: frame, monocoque, space-frame

• Applying ideas to real products such as bridges, frames, vehicles, buildings.

Pneumatic Systems

• Pneumatics vs hydraulics

• Components: compressors, valves, pistons, cylinders, tubing

• Linear or reciprocating movement

• Simple pneumatic circuit diagrams

• Basic safety considerations

4. Testing and Investigation

You learn how engineers test, model and check ideas to make sure designs are safe and functional.

Modelling and calculations

• Area, volume and density

• Forces: tension, compression, bending, torsion and shear

• Basic stress/strain understanding

• Simple electrical calculations (current, voltage, resistance)

• Basic hydraulic/pneumatic calculations

• Using simple diagrams or sketches to show how something works

Testing materials and systems

• Tensile, bend and impact tests

• Hardness and non-destructive tests

• Testing structures under load

• Tolerances and accuracy

• Comparing test results against requirements

Using test results

• Checking if a design meets the brief

• Deciding if materials/systems are suitable

• Suggesting improvements or changes

Aerodynamics (basic understanding)

• Lift

• Drag

• Thrust

• Applying these to simple design questions (e.g. model vehicles)

5. The Impact of Modern Technologies

You explore how new and emerging technologies change engineering, society and the environment.

New and emerging technologies

• How modern technology affects:

  • Production: speed, efficiency, cost, customisation

  • Society: employment, access, living standards, inequalities

  • Environment: pollution, waste, resource use, sustainability

Engineering industries and their impacts

• Positive impacts: job creation, infrastructure, innovation, improved quality of life

• Negative impacts: pollution, resource depletion, social disruption, inequalities

6. Practical Engineering Skills

You apply engineering knowledge through planning, designing, making and testing.

Problem-solving and planning

• Understand a design brief

• Break a problem into clear steps

• Choose suitable materials, tools and processes

• Plan the making process

Drawing and design communication

• Orthographic drawings

• Isometric drawings

• Assembly and section views

• Schematic diagrams (mechanical or electronic)

• Using CAD.

Manufacturing and making

• Selecting tools, materials and equipment

• Apply suitable processes (cutting, shaping, forming, joining, finishing)

• Safe working practices

• Using modern methods such as CNC, laser cutting, or rapid prototyping.

Testing and evaluation

• Testing components and materials

• Checking tolerances and accuracy

• Analysing results

• Identifying improvements

Applying maths, systems and materials knowledge

• Using maths for measurements, loads and calculations

• Using materials knowledge when choosing components

• Using systems knowledge when combining mechanical or electronic parts

How to Use GCSE Engineering Topic Lists to Guide Your Revision

This topic list is a valuable tool to help you prepare for your GCSE Engineering exam. It shows exactly what you need to know. Hopefully, it will make your revision more focused and manageable.

Here are some simple strategies to make the most of any topic list:

Match your revision to the spec

Keep the AQA course specification (opens in a new tab) or this checklist open as you revise. Tick each topic off as you learn it. This helps you spot gaps in your knowledge. It also ensures you’re revising exactly what AQA assesses - no guessing!

Colour-code your confidence levels

Go through the list and mark each topic according to how confident you feel:
Green = confident
Amber = needs more practice
Red = not learned yet

This makes it easy to see where to focus your attention.

Plan weekly goals

Make a GCSE revision timetable for all your subjects. Choose 2 or 3 subtopics per week and focus on those. Small steps help you stay consistent.

Break big topics into smaller chunks

Instead of taking on the whole Systems topic, revise one area at a time, such as mechanical or pneumatic.

Create flashcards for key terms and processes

Engineering has a lot of technical vocabulary. Flashcards work well for materials, properties, systems, components and processes.

Review diagrams regularly

Engineering relies heavily on diagrams, so practise interpreting drawings, system diagrams and simple circuits.

Practise exam-style questions

Use past papers and specimen questions to test how well you can apply your knowledge.

Revise actively, not passively

Label components, explain processes out loud, test yourself, or teach someone else. Active recall revision methods help you remember more. Get lots more revision advice in our Learning Hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do All Exam Boards Cover the Same GCSE Engineering Topics?

No. GCSE Engineering is only offered by AQA, so all GCSE Engineering students follow the same specification.

Other exam boards offer different engineering-related qualifications (such as vocational courses), but these have different content and assessment methods and are not GCSEs.

If you are unsure what course you’re taking, ask your teacher.

How Do I Find Out Which Exam Board I’m With?

Your teacher or school will tell you which exam board you are studying for GCSE Engineering. You can usually find this information on the front of your class notes or the GCSE exam timetable your school shares with you. 

If the topics you study match the content in this guide, you are almost certainly following the AQA GCSE Engineering course.

Final Thoughts

GCSE Engineering gives you a clear understanding of how real products are designed, made and tested. With AQA as the only exam board, the topic list in this guide includes everything you need to revise. 

Use this list to build a focused revision plan, stay organised and track your progress. Breaking the course into small, manageable sections will help you feel more confident and prepared for your exam. 

Save My Exams has a wide range of expert-written GCSE revision resources to help you get exam-ready. 97% of Save My Exams members report getting better grades - improving by 2.6 grades on average*.

References:

• GCSE Engineering 8852 | AQA (opens in a new tab)

• GCSE Engineering 8852 | Specification | AQA (opens in a new tab)

• *1917 Save My Exams students were surveyed in September 2025