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AQA A-Level Art and Design (7201-7206): complete guide to the titles, the four objectives and the components

A complete guide to AQA A-Level Art and Design (specifications 7201 to 7206). Covers the seven titles, the four assessment objectives, the two non-exam components (Personal Investigation and Externally Set Assignment), the creative process, critical and contextual studies, the core media and disciplines, and how to study for top grades.

Browse guides →Syllabus dot points (19)

AQA A-Level Art and Design (specifications 7201 to 7206) is a two-year practical course assessed entirely by portfolio, with no traditional written exam. All your work is judged against four assessment objectives, and the course runs across two components. This page is the index: below is a map of the titles, the objectives, the components, and how to study each area.

The titles

Art and Design is offered as several titles that share the same four assessment objectives but focus on different disciplines.

  • Art, craft and design (7201) - the broad title, combining media freely.
  • Fine Art (7202) - drawing, painting, sculpture and related practice.
  • Graphic Communication (7203) - visual communication and design.
  • Textile Design (7204) - fabric, fibre and surface.
  • Three-dimensional Design (7205) - form in real space.
  • Photography (7206) - lens and light-based media.

On ExamExplained we treat the subject under the visual-arts slug and teach the transferable skills that apply across every title.

The four assessment objectives

Everything you make is marked against four equally weighted objectives (25% each).

  • AO1 - Develop ideas through investigations informed by sources, with analytical and critical understanding.
  • AO2 - Experiment by exploring and selecting media and processes, reviewing and refining.
  • AO3 - Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to your intentions.
  • AO4 - Realise a personal and meaningful response that connects the project together.

The two components

There is no sit-down exam. Assessment is two portfolio-based components, both internally marked and externally moderated.

  • Component 1 - Personal Investigation (60%). A sustained, student-led project on a theme of your choice, plus a 1000 to 3000 word written element.
  • Component 2 - Externally Set Assignment (40%). A response to an AQA-set theme, with a preparatory project and a 15-hour supervised period for the final outcome.

How to study Art and Design

Art and Design rewards purposeful research, continuous recording and sustained development.

  1. Work against the four objectives at every stage; they are the marking scheme.
  2. Build core skills, especially drawing and the media you use most.
  3. Research analytically, linking every source to a next step in your own work.
  4. Record first-hand and continuously, not in a block at the start.
  5. Keep the journey visible and present your portfolio so a moderator can follow it.

The study areas

This subject is organised into modules, each with dot-point guides, overviews and quizzes.

The creative process teaches the four assessment objectives in depth. Read the overview or take the quiz.

Critical and contextual studies covers analysing artists, art movements, visual vocabulary and using galleries. Read the overview or take the quiz.

The Personal Investigation covers choosing a theme, the written element, sustaining a project and presenting a portfolio. Read the overview or take the quiz.

Media and disciplines covers the six titles and areas of study, drawing and painting, printmaking, photography and three-dimensional and mixed media. Read the overview or take the quiz.

The Externally Set Assignment covers Component 2: the question paper, developing preparatory work and the 15-hour supervised period. Read the overview or take the quiz.

For the official specification

AQA publishes the full Art and Design specification (7201 to 7206), assessment guidance and Externally Set Assignment materials at aqa.org.uk. Always work from the current specification, because the titles, codes and assessment format are board-specific.

Visual Arts guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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Visual Arts practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The A-LEVEL-AQA system, explained

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Common questions about Visual Arts

How is AQA A-Level Art and Design (7201 to 7206) structured?
AQA A-Level Art and Design is a two-year practical course assessed entirely by portfolio, with no traditional written exam. It is offered as several titles, Art, craft and design (7201), Fine Art (7202), Graphic Communication (7203), Textile Design (7204), Three-dimensional Design (7205) and Photography (7206), all sharing the same four assessment objectives. There are two components, Component 1 the Personal Investigation (60%) and Component 2 the Externally Set Assignment (40%). Both are internally marked and externally moderated by AQA.
What are the four assessment objectives?
There are four equally weighted objectives, each worth 25%. AO1 is developing ideas through investigations informed by contextual and other sources with analytical and critical understanding. AO2 is exploring and selecting media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining as work develops. AO3 is recording ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses. AO4 is presenting a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and connects the elements of the project. Every piece of work is judged against these four.
What are the two components and how are they weighted?
Component 1 is the Personal Investigation, worth 60%. It is a sustained, student-led practical project on a theme of your choice, supported by a written element of 1000 to 3000 words. Component 2 is the Externally Set Assignment, worth 40%. AQA releases a theme (an early-release paper), you develop a preparatory project in response, and then produce a final outcome in a 15-hour supervised period. Both components are marked against all four assessment objectives.
Is there a written exam in AQA A-Level Art and Design?
No. There is no sit-down written exam paper of the kind found in other subjects. The assessment is entirely practical portfolio work plus the 1000 to 3000 word written element within the Personal Investigation, and the supervised final outcome of the Externally Set Assignment. Your evidence is the work you make and how you present your development across the four objectives, which is internally marked and externally moderated.
How should I study AQA A-Level Art and Design?
Work against the four assessment objectives at every stage, because all your work is judged by them. Build core skills in drawing and the media you use, research artists analytically rather than decoratively, and record from first-hand observation continuously. Choose a Personal Investigation theme you genuinely care about and that can sustain months of development, draft the written element alongside the practical work, and keep your whole journey visible and well presented for the moderator.
How does AQA Art and Design compare to other exam boards?
All A-Level Art and Design specifications (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, Eduqas, WJEC) share the same regulated four assessment objectives and a similar two-component, portfolio-plus-set-assignment structure, so the core demands are broadly the same everywhere. AQA's distinctive features are its specific set of titles and codes (7201 to 7206), its assessment wording, and its Externally Set Assignment format. Always work from the current AQA specification and AQA-set assignment, because titles and details are board-specific.