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Edexcel A-Level Art and Design (9AD0): how the Personal Investigation, the Externally Set Assignment and the four assessment objectives fit together

A complete guide to Pearson Edexcel A-Level Art and Design, Art, Craft and Design (specification 9AD0). Explains the two components (Component 1 Personal Investigation with its related study, and Component 2 Externally Set Assignment), the four equally weighted assessment objectives, the disciplines you can work in, and how to build a portfolio that scores.

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Pearson Edexcel A-Level Art and Design (specification 9AD0, the Art, Craft and Design title) is a portfolio qualification: there is no written exam paper of facts to recall. Instead you are assessed on the work you make and the thinking behind it, marked against four assessment objectives that reward the whole creative journey from first idea to resolved outcome. This page explains how the two components fit together, what the four objectives demand, and how this site is organised to build the skills and understanding you need.

The two components

Component 1: Personal Investigation (60%). A practical portfolio on a theme you choose, together with a related study (sometimes called the personal study), a piece of continuous prose of at least 1000 words (most candidates write 1000 to 3000) that investigates artists, movements or ideas connected to your practical work. It is worth 90 marks, internally set and marked, and moderated by Pearson.

Component 2: Externally Set Assignment (40%). Pearson releases a theme paper on or after 1 February. You research and develop a response over an unlimited preparatory period, then produce a final outcome in 15 hours of sustained focus under supervised, unaided conditions. It is worth 72 marks, internally marked and moderated by Pearson.

Both components are marked against the same four assessment objectives, so the skills transfer directly: Component 1 is where you learn to run an investigation, and Component 2 proves you can do it to a brief and a deadline.

The four assessment objectives

Each objective is worth 25%. They are not stages you complete and abandon; a strong project weaves all four together throughout.

  • AO1 Develop. Develop ideas through sustained investigation informed by contextual and other sources, showing analytical and critical understanding.
  • AO2 Experiment. Explore and select media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as the work develops.
  • AO3 Record. Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to your intentions, reflecting critically, including through drawing.
  • AO4 Present. Present a personal and meaningful response that realises your intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.

Knowing which objective a piece of work serves is half the battle: a media experiment is AO2, an annotated artist study is AO1 and AO3 together, and a final piece is AO4 built on all three.

What this site covers

This site is organised around the skills, knowledge and processes the qualification rewards, plus the two components:

  • The four assessment objectives: what each one means and how examiners read it.
  • The formal elements and visual language: line, tone, colour, shape, form, texture, pattern and composition.
  • Drawing and recording skills: observational drawing, mark-making, sketchbook practice and recording from primary and secondary sources.
  • Working across media and disciplines: fine art, graphic communication, textile design, three-dimensional design and photography.
  • Contextual and critical studies: analysing artworks, the major art movements, named artists, and how to reference and annotate.
  • The Personal Investigation and related study: running Component 1 and writing the 1000 to 3000 word study.
  • The Externally Set Assignment: how Component 2 works and how to manage the timed period.
  • Developing a personal style: turning research and experiment into a response that is recognisably your own.

How to approach an Art and Design A-level

Treat your sketchbook as the assessment: it is where AO1, AO2 and AO3 live. Record constantly from first-hand observation, experiment widely with media before you commit, research artists in a way that genuinely changes your work, and annotate so a marker can follow your thinking. Build the writing skill for the related study alongside the practical work rather than leaving it to the end, and rehearse working to a deadline before the Externally Set Assignment.

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Common questions about Visual Arts

How is Edexcel A-Level Art and Design (9AD0) structured?
Edexcel A-Level Art and Design (Art, Craft and Design, 9AD0) has two components. Component 1 is the Personal Investigation, a practical portfolio plus a related study of continuous prose (a minimum of 1000 words, typically 1000 to 3000), worth 90 marks and 60 per cent of the A-level. Component 2 is the Externally Set Assignment, a preparatory period followed by 15 hours of sustained focus work under supervision, worth 72 marks and 40 per cent. Both are marked by your school against the same four assessment objectives and moderated by Pearson.
What are the four assessment objectives in Edexcel Art and Design?
There are four, each worth 25 per cent. AO1 is developing ideas through investigation informed by contextual and other sources. AO2 is exploring and refining ideas by experimenting with media, materials, techniques and processes. AO3 is recording ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, including through drawing. AO4 is presenting a personal and meaningful response that realises your intentions. Every project, in both components, is marked across all four, so your portfolio must show the full journey, not just a finished piece.
What is the related study (personal study) in Component 1?
The related study is the written element of the Personal Investigation. It is a piece of continuous prose of at least 1000 words (most candidates write between 1000 and 3000) that investigates a theme, artist, movement or idea connected to your practical work. It is not a separate essay bolted on at the end. It develops your critical and contextual understanding (AO1) and should be integrated with the practical portfolio so that reading and making feed each other.
What is the Externally Set Assignment in Edexcel Art and Design?
Component 2 is the Externally Set Assignment. Pearson releases a theme paper (a set of starting points) on or after 1 February. You then have an unlimited preparatory period to research, experiment and develop ideas, exactly as you did in Component 1. The component ends with 15 hours of sustained focus work, taken over more than one session under supervised, unaided conditions, in which you produce your final response. It is worth 72 marks and 40 per cent of the A-level.
Which disciplines can I work in for Edexcel Art and Design?
The Art, Craft and Design title (9AD0) lets you draw on the whole field: fine art (drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, lens-based and mixed media), graphic communication (typography, illustration, branding, image-making), textile design (printed, dyed, constructed and embellished textiles), three-dimensional design (ceramics, sculpture, product, architectural and jewellery work) and photography. The endorsed single-discipline titles (Fine Art 9FA0, Graphic Communication 9GC0, Textile Design 9TE0, Three-Dimensional Design 9TD0 and Photography 9PY0) share the same assessment objectives and structure.
How should I revise and prepare for A-Level Art and Design?
Art and Design is coursework and a controlled assignment, not a written exam, so preparation means building skills and good working habits. Keep a strong sketchbook that records (AO3), experiments with media (AO2), researches artists and develops ideas (AO1) and resolves a personal outcome (AO4). Practise drawing and recording constantly, learn to analyse artworks in writing for the related study, and rehearse working to a deadline before the Externally Set Assignment. This site covers the skills, processes, critical studies and the two components in turn.