Choose the correct exam year and specialist option
Compare the 2024–2027 three-option structure with the revised 2028–2030 route, including marks, question patterns and qualification grading.
Section EXAM-ROUTES · Exam-year routes and entry availability
Exam scope and assessment notes
StudyForA provides original teaching and scenario-based practice, not Cambridge past papers, official marks or an authenticated practical course. It cannot assess a candidate's actual workshop skills, finished product or Component 2 portfolio. Component 2 is school-based, internally assessed and externally moderated; the teacher authenticates candidate work. Any real making requires centre facilities, risk controls and direct qualified supervision. Candidate project work must remain their own. Follow the syllabus for the exam year.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
A candidate enters 0979. Which grade scale applies?
What you will learn
- Select papers and syllabus content from the candidate's exam year.
- Distinguish A*–G 0445 from 9–1 0979 and understand the restricted entry availability of 0979.
The older and newer routes differ
For exams 2026–2027, candidates take Paper 1 Product Design, Component 2 Project and one specialist paper: Paper 3 Resistant Materials, Paper 4 Systems & Control or Paper 5 Graphic Products. Paper 1 is 1 hour 15 minutes, 50 marks and 25%; candidates answer one of three questions. The option paper is 1 hour, 50 marks and 25%; Component 2 is 100 marks and 50%.
For exams 2028–2030, candidates take Paper 1, Component 2 and either Paper 3 Materials or Paper 4 Graphic Products. Paper 1 is 1 hour, 50 marks and 25%; candidates answer all questions. The option paper is also 1 hour, 50 marks and 25%; Project remains 100 marks and 50%. Systems & Control is removed as a separate option, and Graphic Products moves to Paper 4.
Keep qualification identity and entry limits clear
Cambridge says 0979 is graded 9–1 but is otherwise the same subject syllabus as 0445. It is a separate qualification code. The subject page states that in June 0979 is available in Administrative Zone 3 and for centres in Oman and the UAE; centre entry, exam series and the applicable annual version must be confirmed.
The 2028–2030 syllabus gives June and November availability for 0445. Earlier years have their own syllabus documents; always use the file for the actual exam year and verify the centre's entry option with the exams officer. A course route label is not proof that a student is eligible to enter.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
Which option replaces Systems & Control as a separate paper from 2028?
Worked example
A learner sitting 2028 prepared Systems & Control and expects a one-question Paper 1. What should they check and change?
Show the worked solution
- Open the official 2028–2030 syllabus for their code.
- Use the revised Paper 1 all-questions structure and select Materials or Graphic Products.
- Compare their preparation with the relevant 2028 option and project criteria.
- Ask the exams officer to confirm the entry code and series.
Answer The 2028 route has no separate Systems & Control option. Paper 1 has all questions, and the candidate chooses Paper 3 Materials or Paper 4 Graphic Products. They should use the correct syllabus for 0445 or 0979 and confirm their centre entry and exam series.
From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Match these routes to the correct option: a 2027 candidate choosing systems/control; a 2029 candidate choosing graphic products.
Give me a hint
Use the exam year to select legacy versus revised paper numbering.
Compare my reasoning
- For 2027, find the legacy three-option syllabus.
- For 2029, use the 2028–2030 revised syllabus.
- Record option paper, question pattern and assessment year.
The 2027 candidate uses Paper 4 Systems & Control; the 2029 candidate uses Paper 4 Graphic Products. Paper 4 changes meaning across versions, so always state the qualification code and exam-year syllabus alongside the paper number.
Look for these in your work
- Maps each year correctly
- Recognises paper-number reuse
- Keeps route identity explicit
A family is outside Zone 3 and wants to enter 0979 in June. What should the student verify before planning around that qualification?
Give me a hint
Confirm the actual centre and series with Cambridge and the exams officer.
Compare my reasoning
- Check the official syllabus availability notice for the exam year.
- Ask whether the centre can enter 0979 for that series and location.
- If unavailable, ask the centre about the appropriate 0445 route.
Cambridge's subject page states June availability in Zone 3 and for centres in Oman and the UAE. A student elsewhere should not assume eligibility; the exams officer must verify current entry rules and whether 0445 is the applicable alternative.
Look for these in your work
- Uses official availability evidence
- Avoids assuming access
- Names a practical next step
A student wants to carry 2027 project marks into 2028. What is the safe answer?
Give me a hint
Carry-forward is subject to current Cambridge regulations; ask the centre before planning.
Compare my reasoning
- Find the carry-forward statement in the current syllabus/handbook.
- Confirm the component and examination series.
- Ask the exams officer to verify eligibility and deadlines.
The syllabus says project marks may be carried forward subject to the Cambridge Handbook and carry-forward regulations for the relevant year. Do not assume a mark transfers automatically; the centre must confirm eligibility and process.
Look for these in your work
- Recognises conditional carry-forward
- Checks current year rules
- Refers entry decisions to the centre
Common mistakes
- Using a paper number from a previous syllabus year
- Treating 0445 and 0979 as the same grade code
- Promising 0979 entry without confirming the administrative zone and centre
What can you explain now?
Which option replaces Systems & Control as a separate paper from 2028?
Compare with the explanation
There is no separate Systems & Control option; candidates choose Materials or Graphic Products.
The revised syllabus changes both content grouping and assessment structure.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Recall the main decision in “Choose the correct exam year and specialist option”, name the evidence that supports it, and identify one limitation that still needs checking.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.