What does Component 1, the Personal Investigation, require, and how is it assessed?
The Personal Investigation (Component 1): a practical portfolio and related study on a chosen theme, worth 90 marks and 60 per cent, marked against all four assessment objectives.
An Edexcel A-Level Art and Design guide to Component 1, the Personal Investigation. Explains the practical portfolio and related study, the 90 marks and 60 per cent weighting, how it is internally set and marked and externally moderated, the role of all four assessment objectives, and how to run a sustained personal project.
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What this dot point is asking
Component 1, the Personal Investigation, is the larger of the two components, worth 90 marks and 60% of the A-level. It is a sustained, self-directed project on a theme you choose, combining a practical portfolio with a written related study. This dot point covers what it requires, how it is assessed and moderated, and how to run it as a coherent project across all four assessment objectives.
The answer
What Component 1 is
The two parts are not separate projects: the related study investigates artists and ideas connected to the practical work, so reading and making feed each other.
Assessment and moderation
- Because it is moderated, the standard is national, not just your school's.
- The marks are spread across the four objectives, so balance matters.
All four objectives, woven together
The Personal Investigation must evidence AO1 (research and idea development), AO2 (media experimentation and refinement), AO3 (recording, especially from first-hand observation) and AO4 (a resolved personal response). The strongest investigations weave these together so the project reads as one enquiry, rather than separating them into blocks. A portfolio strong in only some objectives (for example beautiful outcomes but thin research) loses marks.
Running it as a project
Treat the investigation as a sustained enquiry over an extended period. Start from a theme that genuinely interests you, frame it as a question, and build outward: gather your own sources, research artists who genuinely change your direction, experiment with media, and develop towards a resolved outcome. Keep the related study integrated with the practical work, and use your sketchbook to drive the whole thing.
Examples in context
A model Personal Investigation would run as one sustained enquiry from a personal theme, weaving research, recording and experimentation towards a resolved outcome, with an integrated related study.
Try this
Q1. Outline how you would plan and run a Personal Investigation from a starting theme to a resolved outcome, showing how the work would satisfy all four assessment objectives. [18 marks]
- What the marker wants. A personal theme framed as an enquiry, first-hand recording (AO3), relevant artist research and idea development (AO1), media experimentation and refinement (AO2), a resolved personal response (AO4), and an integrated related study, all forming one coherent project.
Q2. How much is Component 1 worth, and how is it marked and moderated? [4 marks]
- Cue. 90 marks and 60 per cent of the A-level; internally set and marked by the school against all four assessment objectives, then externally moderated by Pearson.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of Pearson Edexcel exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Edexcel 9AD0 portfolio task18 marksOutline how you would plan and run a Personal Investigation from a starting theme to a resolved outcome, showing how the work would satisfy all four assessment objectives.Show worked answer →
The task rewards understanding of Component 1 as a sustained project covering all four objectives.
Set up a personal enquiry. Choose a theme that genuinely interests you and frame it as a question, then gather first-hand sources (AO3) and research relevant artists (AO1).
Develop and experiment. Test media and processes, refining the strongest (AO2), and let research and recording feed idea development.
Resolve a personal response. Bring the strands together into a final outcome that realises your intentions (AO4), and run the related study alongside to deepen the contextual investigation (AO1).
A strong answer shows a coherent journey across all four objectives, with the related study integrated, not bolted on, and the work driven by a personal theme.
Edexcel 9AD0 critical-analysis prompt10 marksExplain how Component 1 is assessed and moderated, and why all four assessment objectives must be evidenced.Show worked answer →
A question testing the assessment of the Personal Investigation.
Assessment. Component 1 is worth 90 marks and 60 per cent of the A-level, internally set and marked by the school, then externally moderated by Pearson to ensure national standards.
All four objectives. The work is marked across AO1, AO2, AO3 and AO4, each worth 25 per cent, so a portfolio strong in only some objectives loses marks. The journey (research, experiment, recording) matters as much as the outcome.
A strong answer states the marks, weighting, marking and moderation, and explains why balanced coverage of all four objectives is essential.
Related dot points
- Choosing a theme and starting points: selecting a personal, workable theme and generating varied visual starting points through mind mapping, first-hand sources and artist links.
An Edexcel A-Level Art and Design guide to choosing a theme and generating starting points for the Personal Investigation. Explains what makes a theme personal and workable, how to use mind mapping and first-hand sources to open it up, how to avoid themes that are too broad or too narrow, and how to launch a rich enquiry.
- The related study: the written element of Component 1, a minimum of 1000 words of continuous prose (typically 1000 to 3000) integrated with the practical investigation.
An Edexcel A-Level Art and Design guide to the related study (personal study) in Component 1. Explains the minimum 1000 word continuous prose requirement (typically 1000 to 3000), what it must contain, why it must connect to the practical work, how it develops AO1, and how to choose its focus.
- Structuring and writing the related study: building an argued written investigation with an introduction, analytical body, conclusion, illustrations and references.
An Edexcel A-Level Art and Design guide to structuring and writing the related study. Explains how to frame a focus or question, build an analytical structure (introduction, body, conclusion), analyse works rather than describe, integrate illustrations and references, and reach a personal, supported conclusion.
- AO1: develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
An Edexcel A-Level Art and Design guide to AO1, developing ideas through investigation informed by contextual and other sources. Explains what sustained investigation means, how artist research and contextual study drive idea development, what analytical and critical understanding looks like, and how to evidence AO1 across the portfolio and the Externally Set Assignment.
- AO4: present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language, making connections where appropriate.
An Edexcel A-Level Art and Design guide to AO4, presenting a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and shows understanding of visual language. Explains what 'personal and meaningful' means, how a final response must connect to the development, the role of presentation and making connections, and how AO4 differs from the other objectives.
Sources & how we know this
- Pearson Edexcel A-Level Art and Design (9AD0) specification — Pearson Edexcel (2015)