OCR GCSE Art and Design (J170 to J176): complete guide to the titles, components, objectives and skills

OCR GCSE Art and Design (specifications J170 to J176) is a practical course assessed entirely by coursework, with no written exam. All your work is judged against four assessment objectives, and the course runs across two components. This page is the index: below is a map of the titles, the objectives, the components, and how to study each area.

The seven titles

Art and Design is offered as seven titles that share the same four assessment objectives but focus on different specialist practices. Your school enters you for one title, and the work you make sits within it.

• Art, Craft and Design (J170) the broad title, combining two-dimensional and three-dimensional practices from more than one discipline.
• Fine Art (J171) drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation and lens-based or light-based media.
• Graphic Communication (J172) visual communication, illustration, typography and design for print and screen.
• Photography (J173) lens-based and light-based media, film, animation and digital imaging.
• Textile Design (J174) fabric, fibre, surface decoration and constructed or printed textiles.
• Three-Dimensional Design (J175) form in real space, including ceramics, sculpture, product and architectural design.
• Critical and Contextual Studies (J176) the study of art, craft and design through analysis and contextual research, with a practical element.

J170 (Art, Craft and Design) and J171 (Fine Art) are the most common titles and are the anchor for this site. On ExamExplained we teach the subject under the visual-arts slug and cover the transferable skills and knowledge that apply across every J170 to J176 title.

The four assessment objectives

Everything you make is marked against four equally weighted objectives (25 percent each across the GCSE).

• AO1 Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating critical understanding of sources.
• AO2 Refine work by exploring ideas, selecting and experimenting with appropriate media, materials, techniques and processes.
• AO3 Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses.
• AO4 Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates understanding of visual language.

Each objective is worth 30 marks in the Portfolio and 20 marks in the Externally Set Task.

The two components

There is no sit-down written exam. Assessment is two coursework components, both internally marked and externally moderated by OCR.

• Component 01 Portfolio (60 percent, 120 marks). A selection of work showing the journey from starting points through development to one or more finished outcomes, built up during the course on themes set by your school. Worth 30 marks for each of the four objectives.
• Component 02 Externally Set Task (40 percent, 80 marks). A response to an OCR-set paper of broad starting points, released from 1 January of the final year, with a preparatory period and a final piece made in 10 hours of supervised time. Worth 20 marks for each objective.

How to study Art and Design

Art and Design rewards purposeful investigation, continuous recording and sustained development.

1. Work against the four objectives at every stage; they are the marking scheme.
2. Build core skills, especially drawing and the formal elements (line, tone, colour, shape, form, texture, pattern and composition).
3. Study artists analytically, linking every artist and source to a next step in your own work.
4. Record first-hand and continuously, not in a block at the start.
5. Keep the journey visible in a well-annotated sketchbook a moderator can follow from starting point to outcome.

The six study areas

This subject is organised into six modules, each with dot-point pages, an overview guide and a quiz.

The creative process and portfolio explains Component 01, the 60 percent Portfolio, how a sustained project is built and structured, and how it is presented. Read the overview or take the quiz.

The externally set task covers Component 02, the 40 percent set task, the question paper and preparatory period, the 10-hour supervised exam, and planning the final piece. Read the overview or take the quiz.

The four assessment objectives explains AO1 to AO4 in practice, how they are weighted, and how the marks and grades work. Read the overview or take the quiz.

Visual language and formal elements covers line and mark-making, tone, colour, shape, form, texture and pattern, and composition as the building blocks of meaning. Read the overview or take the quiz.

Media, techniques and processes covers drawing and painting, printmaking, three-dimensional work, photography, textiles, and digital and mixed media. Read the overview or take the quiz.

Contextual and critical studies covers analysing an artwork, art movements and periods, studying named artists, gathering contextual sources, and writing critically about art. Read the overview or take the quiz.

For the official specification

OCR publishes the full Art and Design specification (J170 to J176), assessment guidance and Externally Set Task materials at ocr.org.uk. Always work from the current specification and the OCR-set task, because the titles, codes and assessment format are board-specific and reviewed periodically.