How is AQA GCSE Art and Design marked: how many marks per component, per objective, and how do the bands and moderation work?
The marking model: each component marked out of 96, the four objectives weighted equally at 24 marks each, the band structure, internal marking and external moderation by AQA.
How AQA GCSE Art and Design is marked: each component scored out of 96 with the four assessment objectives weighted equally at 24 marks each, the band structure for each objective, and the process of internal marking and external moderation by AQA.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
AQA GCSE Art and Design has no written exam paper, so the marking model is simply how your practical work is scored. Two things decide your grade: how the marks are split (across the two components and the four objectives) and how the work is judged (the bands, the internal marking and the external moderation). Knowing the model tells you exactly where the marks sit, which is why a polished final piece alone never wins the top grades.
Marks per component and per objective
The split is simple and symmetrical, and it is the key to where marks come from.
Because the objectives are equal, three quarters of every component's marks (72 of 96) reward AO1, AO2 and AO3 (developing, refining and recording), and only one quarter rewards AO4 (the personal response). This is why the development matters as much as the outcome.
The band structure
Each objective is scored against a band of skill, not a single tick. AQA's mark scheme runs from a band that describes work showing no creditworthy response, up through minimal, limited, competent and secure, to a band describing a high level of skill. The whole body of work for an objective is read together, and the marker decides which band best fits before settling on a mark within it.
Holistic marking, not task-by-task
The work is marked as a whole against each objective, not as separate tasks each given an independent score. A moderator reads your sketchbook and outcomes for evidence of AO1 across everything you made, then AO2, and so on. This is why a coherent body of work, with a visible line of enquiry, scores better than scattered strong pieces: the marker is judging the objective across the whole submission.
Internal marking and external moderation
The work is marked by your own centre and then quality assured by AQA.
The centre marks both components against the published AQA mark scheme, ranking all its candidates. AQA then requests a sample of the work and externally moderates it: a moderator checks that the centre's marks match the national standard and adjusts the whole cohort up or down if the centre has been generous or harsh. There is no external examiner who sits and marks a paper; the practical work, with its sketchbook evidence, is the assessment, and moderation is how AQA keeps the standard consistent between schools.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 202310 marksExplain how marks are distributed in AQA GCSE Art and Design across the two components and the four assessment objectives, and describe how the work is marked and quality assured.Show worked answer →
An explanation needs the per-component marks, the per-objective split, and the marking and moderation process.
- Marks per component
- Each of the two components is marked out of 96. Component 1, the portfolio, is worth 60% of the GCSE; Component 2, the Externally Set Assignment, is worth 40%. The two components together give 192 raw marks before weighting.
- Marks per objective
- Within each 96-mark component the four assessment objectives are weighted equally, so each objective is worth 24 marks. A balanced project must therefore evidence all four; a brilliant final piece with thin research is capped because AO1 still carries 24 marks of its own.
- Marking and moderation
- Both components are marked internally by the centre against the AQA mark scheme, then a sample is externally moderated by AQA to confirm the standard. There is no external examiner sitting a paper; the practical work itself is the evidence.
Markers reward the 96-mark components, the 24-marks-per-objective split, the equal weighting and the internal-marking-plus-external-moderation process.
AQA 20216 marksA candidate produces an outstanding final outcome but very little development or recording. Using the marking model, explain why this work cannot reach the top grades.Show worked answer →
A short answer needs the equal weighting and the capping effect.
Equal weighting. Each component is marked out of 96, split equally across the four objectives at 24 marks each. AO1 (develop), AO2 (refine) and AO3 (record) together carry 72 of the 96 marks; the personal response (AO4) carries only 24.
Why the work is capped. A strong final piece can score well on AO4, but with little development or recording the candidate forfeits most of the 72 marks tied to AO1, AO2 and AO3. The total is therefore held down regardless of how impressive the outcome looks, because three quarters of the marks reward the journey, not the destination.
Markers reward the equal 24-mark split, the point that AO4 is only a quarter, and the conclusion that weak development and recording cap the overall mark.
Related dot points
- The six endorsed titles (8201-8206): Art craft and design, Fine art, Graphic communication, Textile design, Three-dimensional design and Photography, and the disciplines or areas of study within each.
How AQA GCSE Art and Design is offered as six endorsed titles (8201 to 8206), what disciplines each title covers, the rule that Art craft and design must draw on at least two areas of study, and how the title shapes a portfolio.
- 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.
- 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.
- AO1: developing ideas through sustained investigation, demonstrating critical understanding of sources, and showing a clear line of enquiry in a sketchbook.
How to satisfy AQA GCSE Art and Design Assessment Objective 1: develop ideas through sustained investigation, show critical understanding of primary and secondary sources, and keep a visible line of enquiry through your sketchbook.
- AO4: presenting a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language, connecting the elements of the project.
How to satisfy AQA GCSE Art and Design Assessment Objective 4: present a personal and meaningful response that realises your intentions, shows understanding of visual language, and ties the whole project together.
- 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.