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EnglandVisual Arts

The portfolio and exam

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What is the GCSE Art portfolio, how is it weighted, and how do you build a strong one?

Building the Component 1 portfolio: a sustained body of work covering all four assessment objectives, worth 60% of the GCSE, internally marked and externally moderated.
How AQA GCSE Art and Design Component 1, the portfolio, works: a sustained body of work worth 60% covering all four assessment objectives, and how to build, balance and present it well.
9 min answer →

How do you prepare for and manage the 10-hour supervised exam to produce your best final piece?

Preparing for the 10-hour supervised exam: planning the final outcome in advance, managing time across sessions, and producing a personal response that realises intentions.
How to prepare for the AQA GCSE Art and Design 10-hour supervised exam: plan the final outcome in advance, manage time across the sessions, and produce a personal response that realises your intentions.
9 min answer →

How do you use a sketchbook and annotation to evidence your thinking across all four objectives?

Using the sketchbook and written annotation to make the creative journey visible, evidencing development, experimentation, recording and decisions across all four assessment objectives.
How to use a sketchbook and annotation for AQA GCSE Art and Design: make your creative journey visible, evidence all four assessment objectives, and write annotation that analyses and explains your decisions.
9 min answer →

What is the Externally Set Assignment and how do you respond to an AQA-set theme?

The Component 2 Externally Set Assignment: responding to an AQA theme with a preparatory period and a 10-hour supervised exam, worth 40% of the GCSE.
How AQA GCSE Art and Design Component 2, the Externally Set Assignment, works: responding to an AQA-set theme through a preparatory period and a 10-hour supervised exam, worth 40% and marked on all four objectives.
9 min answer →