Defence Awarding Organisation · RQF Level 5
DAO Level 5 Diploma for Mechanical and Electrical Draughtsman (Military Engineering)
You don’t just earn this. You learn to use it, one-to-one, on your own real work.
- LevelRQF Level 5
- Total credits69
- Guided learning395 hours
- Units in this qualification19
Awarded by Defence Awarding Organisation · on the Ofqual register
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See how this course maps onto your role
Ten quick questions, one per Future Fluency, asked against this qualification rather than a generic one.
About 5 minutes · No card · Nothing to commit to
What you’ll learn
What each unit actually teaches you to do
Qualifications for Defence Awarding Organisation courses.
These are the units Defence Awarding Organisation registers against this qualification. It is a catalogue, not a syllabus. Which of them you take depends on the combination the qualification requires, and that is set by the awarding body rather than by us. Every unit here is regulated, and every one you earn is yours to keep.
Advise on complex draughtsman tasks including capabilities and costsReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Advise management on draughtsman capability and development, identifying training needs and career progression opportunities
- Liaise effectively with the task authority to clarify requirements and ensure alignment with project objectives
- Liaise effectively with other trades to coordinate activities and resolve any potential conflicts or overlaps
Electrical Services: Airfield Lighting – Advanced – Optional UnitReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce clear and accurate sketches of airfield lighting services, demonstrating an understanding of system components and layout.
- Design airfield lighting services, considering factors such as ICAO standards, lighting performance requirements, and safety regulations.
- Produce comprehensive design reports for airfield lighting services, including calculations, specifications, and justifications for design choices.
- Produce detailed drawings of existing airfield lighting services, accurately representing the current installation.
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed airfield lighting services, clearly illustrating the design and installation requirements.
Electrical Services: External Lighting - AdvancedReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce detailed sketches of external lighting services, incorporating relevant symbols and conventions
- Design external lighting services, selecting appropriate components and considering factors such as illumination levels, energy efficiency, and environmental impact
- Produce comprehensive design reports for external lighting services, documenting design decisions, calculations, and specifications
- Produce accurate drawings of existing external lighting services, reflecting the current installation and any modifications
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed external lighting services, clearly illustrating the design and installation requirements
Electrical Services: Fire Alarms - AdvancedReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce clear and accurate sketches of fire alarm services, illustrating key components and their interconnections.
- Design fire alarm services effectively, considering factors such as fire safety requirements, building layout, and relevant standards.
- Produce comprehensive design reports for fire alarm services, documenting the design process, calculations, and specifications.
- Produce accurate drawings of existing fire alarm services, reflecting the current installation and any modifications.
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed fire alarm services, illustrating the planned installation and its integration with existing systems.
Electrical Services: Internal Lighting - AdvancedReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce sketches of internal lighting services
- Design internal lighting services
- Produce design reports for internal lighting services
- Produce drawings of existing internal lighting services
- Produce drawings of proposed internal lighting services
Electrical Services: Intruder Alarms – Advanced – Optional UnitReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce clear and accurate sketches of intruder alarm services, illustrating key components and their interconnections.
- Design intruder alarm services effectively, considering factors such as security requirements, building layout, and relevant standards.
- Produce comprehensive design reports for intruder alarm services, documenting the design process, calculations, and specifications.
- Produce accurate drawings of existing intruder alarm services, reflecting the current installation and any modifications.
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed intruder alarm services, illustrating the planned installation and its integration with existing systems.
Electrical Services: Power - AdvancedReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce detailed sketches of power services, incorporating relevant symbols and conventions
- Design power services, selecting appropriate components and considering factors such as load, safety, and efficiency
- Produce comprehensive design reports for power services, documenting design decisions, calculations, and specifications
- Produce accurate drawings of existing power services, reflecting the current installation and any modifications
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed power services, clearly illustrating the design and installation requirements
Mechanical Design for Manufacture and Repair - AdvancedReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce clear and accurate sketches of components for manufacture and repair, demonstrating an understanding of their function and construction.
- Design components for manufacture and repair, considering factors such as material selection, manufacturing processes, and performance requirements.
- Produce detailed drawings of existing components, accurately representing their dimensions, tolerances, and material specifications.
- Produce detailed drawings of new components for manufacture and repair, clearly illustrating the design and manufacturing requirements.
Mechanical Services: Fire Protection systemsReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce clear and accurate sketches of fire protection systems, demonstrating an understanding of system components and layout.
- Design fire protection systems, considering factors such as fire risk assessment, building regulations, and system performance requirements.
- Produce comprehensive design reports for fire protection systems, including calculations, specifications, and justifications for design choices.
- Produce detailed drawings of existing fire protection systems, accurately representing the current installation.
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed fire protection systems, clearly illustrating the design and installation requirements.
Mechanical Services: Heating systems - AdvancedReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce detailed sketches of heating systems, incorporating relevant symbols and conventions
- Design heating systems, selecting appropriate components and considering factors such as heat loss, energy efficiency, and user comfort
- Produce comprehensive design reports for heating systems, documenting design decisions, calculations, and specifications
- Produce accurate drawings of existing heating systems, reflecting the current installation and any modifications
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed heating systems, clearly illustrating the design and installation requirements
Mechanical Services: Hot and Cold Water Services - AdvancedReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce clear and accurate sketches of hot and cold water services, demonstrating an understanding of system components and layout.
- Design hot and cold water services, considering factors such as flow rates, pressure requirements, and energy efficiency.
- Produce comprehensive design reports for hot and cold water services, including calculations, specifications, and justifications for design choices.
- Produce detailed drawings of existing hot and cold water services, accurately representing the current installation.
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed hot and cold water services, clearly illustrating the design and installation requirements.
Mechanical Services: Ventilation and Air Conditioning systems - AdvancedReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce clear and accurate sketches of ventilation and air conditioning systems, illustrating key components and their interconnections.
- Design ventilation and air conditioning systems effectively, considering factors such as building occupancy, environmental conditions, and energy efficiency.
- Produce comprehensive design reports for ventilation and air conditioning systems, documenting the design process, calculations, and specifications.
- Produce accurate drawings of existing ventilation and air conditioning systems, reflecting the current installation and any modifications.
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed ventilation and air conditioning systems, illustrating the planned installation and its integration with existing systems.
Mechanical Services: Water Treatment and Supply systems - AdvancedReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Produce clear and accurate sketches of water treatment and supply systems, demonstrating an understanding of system components and layout.
- Design water treatment and supply systems, considering factors such as water quality, flow rates, pressure requirements, and regulatory compliance.
- Produce comprehensive design reports for water treatment and supply systems, including calculations, specifications, and justifications for design choices.
- Produce detailed drawings of existing water treatment and supply systems, accurately representing the current installation.
- Produce detailed drawings of proposed water treatment and supply systems, clearly illustrating the design and installation requirements.
Plan and cost a Draughting taskReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Establish task requirements based on provided briefings, ensuring a clear understanding of the project scope and objectives.
- Interpret information accurately from technical drawings, including plans, elevations, and sections, to inform the planning process.
- Interpret specifications thoroughly, including relevant standards, regulations, and client requirements, to ensure compliance.
- Carry out task-related calculations accurately, including quantity surveying, material estimations, and time projections.
- Calculate task-related costs comprehensively, including labour, materials, equipment, and overheads, to develop a realistic budget.
- Determine task resources effectively, including personnel, equipment, materials, and software, to ensure efficient task execution.
- Produce a technical plan for the task that outlines the scope, objectives, methodology, resources, timeline, and risk assessment.
- Communicate the proposed task solution clearly and effectively to the task authority, addressing any questions or concerns.
Project and contract managementReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Identify essential project management skills required for successful project delivery, such as planning, communication, and risk management
- Identify contractual processes and procedures relevant to construction projects, including tendering, negotiation, and dispute resolution
Supervise and mentor design trade staffReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Manage personnel effectively during a trade task, including assigning responsibilities, monitoring progress, and providing guidance.
- Mentor trade personnel effectively, providing support, advice, and training to enhance their skills and knowledge.
- Carry out team/office roles effectively, contributing to the overall performance and productivity of the team.
Use Draughtsman trade equipmentReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Identify draughtsman trade equipment and materials required for specific drawing tasks.
- Inspect draughtsman trade equipment and materials to ensure they are in good working order and suitable for the task.
- Use manual draughting equipment effectively to produce accurate and detailed drawings.
- Use measuring devices accurately to ensure precise dimensions and proportions in drawings.
- Use ICT devices for communication, information retrieval, and drawing production.
- Utilise trade-specific ICT software to create, edit, and manage drawings.
- Work safely with trade tools and equipment, adhering to health and safety regulations and guidelines.
Use computer aided design (CAD) softwareReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Use a 2 dimensional (2D) CAD system
- Generate plots using CAD software
- Use Blocks within CAD drawings
- Use Attributes within CAD drawings
- Use layers within drawings
- Use Inquiry commands within CAD software
- Use Editing commands within CAD software
- Use Display commands within CAD software
- Insert dimensions to drawings
- Produce drawn elements using CAD
- Incorporate 3D views within a drawing
- Create CAD construction drawings
- Remedy CAD operating faults
Work safely during Draughtsman tasksReal unit · Defence Awarding Organisation
What you'll be able to do
- Interpret current health and safety legislation and regulations relating to the draughting trade.
- Determine a safe system of work for the specific draughting task.
- Carry out a thorough risk assessment for the draughting task, identifying potential hazards.
- Prepare a safe working environment for the draughting task, minimising risks.
- Determine the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) required for the draughting task.
- Comply with accident and emergency procedures in the event of an incident.
- Determine safe storage requirements for task materials and consumables, ensuring compliance with regulations.
- Prepare trade equipment for the draughting task, ensuring it is in safe working order.
- Prepare for the safe use of ICT draughting equipment, following established procedures.
The honest bit
You’ve started things before
Most courses were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.
There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.
And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.
Your passport
Every credit is a stamp you keep
Level 5 credits are regulated. They don’t vanish when a subscription ends or a website closes. They travel to any employer, and Zavmo keeps the map of what you’ve earned and what’s next.
Each stamp is a real unit registered against this qualification.
Who’d teach you this
The Evidence Evaluator
Assessor
Helps you show what you can actually do, gathering the evidence that proves it as you learn.
Meet all twelve tutorsWhere this connects
Where these credits take you
A qualification is never a dead end here. See the jobs its credits open, the national occupational standards its units map to, and the future skills they quietly build.
- Carry out site surveys for a mechanical fire protection system
- Design systems for mechanical fire protection
- Draft documentation to meet specified legal and regulatory requirements and review how you manage your time
- Establish client requirements for mechanical fire protection systems
- Prepare and produce quotations for mechanical fire protection systems
Where this can lead
Senior DAO Developer
Your journey as a Senior DAO Developer is just the beginning. We're committed to providing a clear pathway for your growth, whether you aspire to be a world-leading individual contributor or to lead and inspire engineering teams. The future of decentralisation is being built now, and you can be at the forefront of it.
See the whole journey →Skills it covers
What the job actually needs. These are the standards the units are built against, in the words employers and awarding bodies already use for the work itself.
How you’ll actually learn this
One-to-one, on your own real work
A qualification is usually something done to you: sit the class, sit the exam, hope it sticks. Here it’s the opposite. You learn it one-to-one with a companion, on your own real work, and you keep going until you can use it, not just recall it.
Applied to your work in any of these jobs
Learners will develop skills to advise management on draughtsman capabilities, identify training needs, recommend development programmes, and liaise with task authorities and other trades to support project alignment and cost estimation.
- Remember
- Understand
- Apply
- Analyse
- Evaluate
- Create
Built for DAO Level 5 Diploma for Mechanical and Electrical Draughtsman (Military Engineering)
19 units in this credential, in the order it lists them, awarded by Defence Awarding Organisation.
- Advise on complex draughtsman tasks including capabilities and costs
- Electrical Services: Airfield Lighting – Advanced – Optional Unit
- Electrical Services: External Lighting - Advanced
- Electrical Services: Fire Alarms - Advanced
- Electrical Services: Internal Lighting - Advanced
- Electrical Services: Intruder Alarms – Advanced – Optional Unit
and 13 more in the full unit list below.
One to one, not one to many
No two people run this the same way
A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.
- Your actual work Every unit is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
- What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
- The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
- How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
- Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.
See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.
Why it sticks
Most courses stop at remembering
There’s a well-known ladder of how deeply you learn something, called Bloom’s Taxonomy. Most courses get you up the first two rungs: you remember some facts, you pass a test, you forget it. Real skill lives at the top. Judging, deciding, creating. And this isn’t a generic ladder: every rung has a named Zavmo tutor who walks you up it.
- 6CreateThe Creative Catalyst
- 5EvaluateThe Evidence Evaluator
- 4AnalyseThe Analyst
- 3ApplyThe Coach
- 2UnderstandThe Connector
- 1RememberThe Builder
Where most courses leave you Where Zavmo takes you
The value
Why the companion is worth £70 a month
You’re not paying for the units. They’re regulated, and the same wherever you earn them. You’re paying for the one thing that decides whether you actually get there: a companion that makes them stick, on your real work.
That is one-to-one on this qualification, every day, on the work you already do, for £70 a month. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it. Billed monthly, cancel any time and billing stops.
Earned on your own work, taught to the top.
Everything you just read, learned one-to-one on the job you already do. Your first module is free, so you can see the teaching before you pay for any of it.
Build my plan, freeNo card. See how this qualification maps onto your role and meet the tutors who’d teach it, free. The learning begins when you subscribe. It’s £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.