CCEA GCSE Contemporary Crafts assessment and the making process: the four objectives and how the components work

What this module demands

CCEA GCSE Contemporary Crafts is a fully practical, making qualification. There is no written exam testing facts; instead you build a body of work that is marked against four assessment objectives. It is a linear qualification, so all the assessment comes at the end of the course. This module explains how the qualification is assessed, what each objective rewards, and how the two components work, so the principles can be applied to every project. It ties the dot-point pages together.

The four assessment objectives

CCEA marks all work against four objectives, each worth roughly a quarter of the marks for a component.

• AO1 develop. Develop ideas through investigations and demonstrate critical understanding of sources, including the work of craftworkers, designers and other makers.
• AO2 refine. Refine work by exploring ideas and experimenting with materials, techniques and processes.
• AO3 record. Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.
• AO4 realise. Realise a personal and meaningful craft outcome that meets intentions and shows control of the chosen material and process.

The design and making process

The objectives map onto a making journey. You research and record from first-hand observation and material samples, develop design ideas from sources, refine by experimenting with materials and selecting the strongest, and realise a finished craft outcome that you then evaluate. The stages overlap, but the portfolio and learning file must show each kind of activity and show them connecting. Annotation in the learning file makes your thinking visible and lifts the work.

The two components

The qualification is assessed by two components.

• Component 1 Making (the larger share). A controlled-assessment portfolio of practical work plus a learning file, exploring materials, techniques and processes. It also builds understanding of health and safety, the creative industries, and business and employability.
• Component 2 Working to a Brief (the smaller share). Externally set. CCEA provides a stimulus paper with a choice of briefs; you complete a preparatory period, then produce an original craft outcome under controlled conditions.

Why process beats product

Because the four objectives are weighted equally, the preparatory work that evidences develop, refine and record is worth about three quarters of the marks, and the final piece, which mainly evidences realise, is worth about a quarter. A beautifully finished object with no design work behind it cannot reach the top band. This is the single most important idea in the whole course.

Check your knowledge

A mix of recall questions covering the whole module. Attempt them, then check the solutions.

1. Name the four assessment objectives and the one-word summary of each. (4 marks)
2. What fraction of a component's marks does the final made piece roughly carry, and why? (2 marks)
3. Name the four stages of the design and making process. (4 marks)
4. What two things do you produce in Component 1 Making? (2 marks)
5. Name two areas of wider craft knowledge Component 1 covers beyond the making. (2 marks)
6. What does CCEA provide for Component 2, and what do you choose from it? (2 marks)
7. What is the final outcome you produce for Working to a Brief? (1 mark)
8. Why does first-hand recording and material testing score more highly than copying internet images? (1 mark)