Lesson T3.3.1

T3.3.1 Testing ideas against a specification Quiz: KS3 Design & Technology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson T3.3.1, Testing ideas against a specification: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Design & Technology (National Curriculum), Unit 3: Evaluate, 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 is the first step in testing a design idea against a specification?

    • Order the materials in bulk for the whole class before the design starts
    • Write the product's full name on the packaging before any testing starts
    • Show the finished design to the shop owner before any testing begins
    • Decide how each point of the specification will be measured

  2. Why test an idea against a specification?

    • To make the product much more expensive for buyers in the local shops
    • To prove that the designer's first idea was correct from the start
    • To remove the need for any user feedback during the whole of the project
    • To judge objectively whether the design meets its requirements

  3. A specification requires a box to hold 12 eggs without cracking when dropped from 1 m. What is the test?

    • Ask a friend whether the box would hold the eggs safely in the kitchen
    • Look at the box and decide if it seems strong enough for the eggs
    • Drop the loaded box from 1 m and check whether any egg cracks
    • Calculate the box's volume on paper and assume it will hold them safely

  4. What should a designer record when testing a prototype?

    • Only the designer's favourite colour for the final product in the shop
    • Only the names of the people who visited the workshop that same day
    • Only the total amount of time spent on the whole project by the team
    • The results of each test against each specification point

  5. A prototype fails one specification point. What should happen next?

    • Declare the whole design a failure and stop the project
    • Identify the cause, change the design and test it again
    • Ignore the failure because the rest of the product works
    • Remove the specification point from the list entirely

  6. Which test measures the strength of a joint?

    • Measuring the length of the joint in the sketchbook for the project
    • Asking users whether the joint looks well made in the workshop today
    • Painting the joint and seeing if the colour holds up in the classroom
    • Loading the joint with a known weight until it begins to fail

  7. A product must be waterproof to 1 m depth for 10 minutes. What is the best test?

    • Ask a friend whether the product looks watertight when it is on show
    • Check the product's label to see if it says waterproof on the front box
    • Splash a little water on the product and see what happens to the surface
    • Submerge the product to 1 m for 10 minutes and check for leaks

  8. What makes a test fair?

    • Changing several factors at once to save time during the whole testing session
    • Changing only the one factor being tested and keeping the others constant
    • Carrying out the test in a different place and time each time it is repeated
    • Testing each idea with a different person every single time the test is run

  9. Why is repeating a test useful?

    • It checks that results are consistent and not a one-off
    • It makes the product heavier and more robust for the user to carry
    • It removes the need for any written specification for the whole project
    • It proves the first result was always wrong and must always be discarded

  10. A test gives results of 4.8 s, 5.2 s and 5.0 s. What is the mean time?

    • 5.2 s
    • 4.8 s
    • 15.0 s
    • 5.0 s

  11. Which is a quantitative test result?

    • The prototype lasted 350 cycles before the hinge failed
    • The prototype seemed quite good to most of the testers
    • The prototype looked stylish when displayed on the table
    • The prototype was pleasant to hold during the trial

  12. Why should test conditions be recorded?

    • So the product can be sold at a higher price later
    • So the designer can avoid writing up the results at all
    • So the results can be understood and repeated by others
    • So the test can be hidden from the teacher and the users

  13. What is a limitation of testing a prototype made from card?

    • Card may not behave like the final material, so results may differ
    • Card cannot be tested in any way at all in a classroom or a workshop
    • Card is always much stronger than the final material would be in use
    • Card tests always take much longer than tests on metal in the workshop

  14. A designer tests a light switch 5000 times and it still works. What does this show?

    • The switch meets a durability requirement for that number of uses
    • The switch will last forever in every single situation it is ever used in
    • The switch has no need for any further testing once it has been made
    • The switch will be much cheaper to make in future once it is in production

  15. Which test checks whether a product meets a user's comfort requirement?

    • Counting the number of separate parts in the product's box for the shelf
    • Weighing the packaging that the product is sold in at the local shop
    • Asking users to use the product and rate its comfort on a scale
    • Measuring how many colours the product is painted in at the factory

  16. What is a control in a fair test?

    • A tool that measures the product's final price after it goes on sale
    • A person who decides which of the results is correct at the end of the test
    • A device that switches the whole test off at the end of the time limit
    • A version of the test where the variable being tested is not changed

  17. Why is a test that fails a specification point still valuable?

    • It means the specification should always be ignored
    • It shows exactly where the design needs to be improved
    • It proves the designer has wasted their time on the project
    • It shows the users were not interested in the product

  18. A prototype is tested and found to be 20 per cent heavier than the specification allows. What should the designer do?

    • Ignore the weight because the users have not complained about it yet at all
    • Accept the extra weight because it is only a small amount over the limit
    • Change the specification to match the heavier prototype that was made
    • Redesign to reduce weight and retest against the specification

  19. Why should testing include the people who will use the product?

    • They can reveal problems that the designer may not have noticed
    • Testing with users removes the need for any measurements of any kind
    • Users are only needed when the product is ready to sell to the public
    • Users are always wrong about what they need from a product at any time

  20. A product test shows that a part overheats after 10 minutes. What is the best next step?

    • Tell the user to stop using the product after only five minutes of use
    • Remove the test from the specification to hide the fault from the class
    • Assume the overheating will not happen in normal use by any of the users
    • Investigate the cause and change the part or the material to reduce heat

All KS3 Design & Technology quizzes