Lesson T2.1.2

T2.1.2 Computer-aided manufacture Quiz: KS3 Design & Technology, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson T2.1.2, Computer-aided manufacture: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Design & Technology (National Curriculum), Unit 2: Make, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. What does computer-aided manufacture (CAM) mean?

    • Using computer control to make parts with machines such as routers or lasers
    • Using a computer only to store photographs of finished products in folders
    • Using a calculator to add up the total cost of all the materials in a project
    • Using a computer to write a detailed design specification in plain text

  2. Which machine is commonly controlled by a computer to cut thin materials?

    • A hand-operated bench drill
    • A manual tenon saw
    • A simple hacksaw blade
    • A laser cutter

  3. What is the main input file used by a CNC machine?

    • A printed photograph of the finished product in the display case
    • A toolpath or instruction file created from a digital design
    • A recording of the designer describing the product's features in detail aloud
    • A handwritten list of dimensions in a notebook kept on the bench

  4. What is CAD used for in design and manufacture?

    • Storing finished products in a warehouse before they are sent out to shops
    • Creating accurate digital drawings and models of a product
    • Cooking large batches of ingredients in a kitchen for the school lunch
    • Cutting metal bars to a fixed length by hand using a hacksaw in class

  5. Why is a digital design useful for computer-aided manufacture?

    • It cannot be changed once it has been saved onto the computer system
    • It can be sent directly to a machine, reducing manual setting out
    • It removes the need for any measurements at all in the workshop process
    • It is only useful for printing on paper for the classroom display board

  6. Which benefit does CAM bring to producing many identical parts?

    • Each part must be finished by a different person in the workshop each time
    • Each part takes much longer to make than it would take by hand in class
    • Each part is made to the same accuracy with little variation
    • Each part is made slightly differently by hand each time it is cut

  7. A 3-D printer builds an object layer by layer. What is this process called?

    • Additive manufacturing
    • Hand carving from a solid block
    • Subtractive turning on a lathe
    • Casting molten metal into a sand mould

  8. What does subtractive manufacture involve?

    • Adding layers of material to build up the whole product layer by layer
    • Melting powder and then cooling it carefully into a shape in a mould
    • Removing material from a solid block to shape the product
    • Pressing soft clay firmly between two moulds to form the shape

  9. Why might a designer choose a CNC router over a hand saw?

    • It produces repeatable accurate cuts quickly from a digital file
    • It is cheaper to run than any tool that can be used by hand in class
    • It needs no setting up or checking before any use in the workshop
    • It makes the material much lighter and easier to carry around the room

  10. Which software is used to prepare a file for a laser cutter?

    • A word processor used to type a report about the design project
    • A spreadsheet used to total costs for the materials in a project
    • Vector drawing software that exports cutting paths
    • A photo editor used only for adjusting the colours in digital pictures

  11. What is a limitation of computer-aided manufacture?

    • Machines are unable to use any material at all, whatever the setup or file
    • Machines need a digital file and correct setup, so mistakes in the file cause errors
    • Machines can never make parts to any measured accuracy at all in workshops
    • Machines always need careful hand finishing before any part can be used at all

  12. A laser cutter is set to cut 10 identical 50 mm squares. What does this show?

    • CAM can repeat identical cuts consistently
    • CAM is only used for making very large products
    • CAM cannot make more than one part at a time
    • CAM always needs a hand saw to finish the cut

  13. Which process uses computer control to shape material by spinning it?

    • Hand filing of a flat metal plate
    • CNC turning on a lathe
    • Manual sawing of a block of timber
    • Brushing paint onto a sheet of card

  14. What does a CNC machine rely on to know where to cut?

    • The colour of the material in the workshop on the day of the cut
    • Coordinates that describe the path of the tool
    • The temperature of the room during the cut on a summer afternoon
    • The name of the designer printed on the file in the top corner

  15. Why check a computer-aided design before sending it to the machine?

    • To change the whole design into a hand-drawn sketch for the classroom wall
    • To find errors that the machine would repeat exactly
    • To make the file much larger before it is sent over to the machine
    • To reduce the number of different parts in the design before it is made

  16. Which is a benefit of using a digital template in CAM?

    • It must be redrawn by hand from scratch each time it is used in the workshop
    • It can only ever be used on one single product across the whole range
    • It can be reused and resized quickly for different products
    • It removes the need for any design specification at all in the project

  17. What is a 3-D printer's common use in design?

    • Making prototypes quickly to test the form and fit of a product
    • Printing paper brochures for a school open day in the main hall for parents
    • Producing large sheets of steel for construction work on building sites
    • Cooking food for the school lunch service in the canteen every single day

  18. What is the advantage of a laser cutter for thin sheets of plastic?

    • It colours the plastic with a permanent ink
    • It bends the sheet into a tube automatically
    • It makes the sheet thicker so it is stronger
    • It cuts clean edges with precise detail

  19. A part must be made to 0.5 mm accuracy. Which approach is most suitable?

    • A computer-controlled machine following a precise digital design
    • A chisel used by eye without any measurement of the material at all
    • A hand saw cutting along a rough pencil line on the timber board
    • A paintbrush used to mark out the complete shape on the metal sheet first

  20. What does a 'G-code' file contain?

    • Instructions that tell a CNC machine how to move
    • A description of the product's price in the shop for all of the buyers
    • A list of the designer's personal details for the project file
    • A set of colour codes for printing on paper for the classroom display

All KS3 Design & Technology quizzes