ljcox said:
Using a PIC for a simple counter is like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut.
I would disagree, unless it's using a very tiny, very cheap, and very simple sledgehammer - as opposed to a larger, more expensive, more complicated, method of doing it.
The huge advantage of PIC's (and similar micro-controllers) is that they are cheap enough, and small enough, to use as replacements for many other chips. In this case the counter could be one single chip, giving far more versatility and capability than your relatively complicated multi-chip design.
Often the use of a PIC is massive overkill (personally I would quite happily use one to replace a 555, because of the vastly improved performance), but by making the project cheaper, simpler, and better, I see no problem with overkill.
However, the use of PIC's doesn't really apply to this thread, the question is for a GCSE project (UK exams you take at 16) - presumably it requires a hardware solution?.