OCR GCSE Art and Design: the externally set task (Component 02) - paper, preparation, the 10-hour exam and the final piece

What this area covers

This area is the smaller, OCR-set coursework component of GCSE Art and Design. Component 02, the Externally Set Task, is non-exam assessment worth 80 marks and 40 percent of the GCSE, internally marked and externally moderated. OCR releases a question paper of broad starting points from 1 January; you choose one, develop a personal response in a preparatory period, then make the final piece in 10 hours of supervised time. The 80 marks are split equally across the four objectives, 20 each.

This guide ties together the five dot-point pages for the area.

What the Externally Set Task is

The set task is the same four objectives as the Portfolio, applied to a theme OCR sets and finished under supervision. The starting points come from OCR, not your school. The component runs in three stages: release of the paper (1 January), the unsupervised preparatory period, and the 10-hour supervised final piece. Most of the marks (AO1, AO2, AO3, 60 of 80) come from the preparation.

The question paper and preparatory period

OCR's paper sets several broad starting points; you choose one and interpret it personally rather than taking the obvious reading. The unsupervised preparatory period is a Portfolio project in miniature: investigate sources (AO1), experiment with media (AO2), record first-hand (AO3), and work up a resolved plan for the final piece. This is where most set-task marks are won.

The 10-hour supervised exam

The final piece is made in 10 hours of supervised time, which can be split into sessions. The outcome must be unaided, the preparatory work is fixed once the period begins, and no new work may be brought in. It differs from the preparatory period in being making-only time: nothing can be developed or redesigned, so all decisions must be complete beforehand.

Planning and pacing the final piece

Enter with a worked-out plan, then stage the fixed hours: establish the piece early, develop the substance in the middle, and resolve at the end, reserving time to finish. AO4 rewards a finished, realised outcome, so a resolved ending matters more than an impressive start; a strong opening cannot rescue a rushed ending.

Connecting the outcome to preparatory work

The preparation and outcome are marked together across four objectives. The outcome must connect to and grow from the preparation, realising the developed intention. Make the line visible: develop obviously toward the outcome, include an explicit plan, and let the final piece echo the studies and experiments, so a moderator reads the line at a glance.

How to revise this area

1. Invest in preparation. Sixty of the 80 marks come largely from the preparatory work; develop it in depth.
2. Interpret richly. Interrogate the starting point for personal directions, not the obvious meaning.
3. Arrive with a plan. The supervised time is making-only, so resolve the composition, media and process beforehand.
4. Pace to finish. Stage the hours and reserve time to resolve; a finished outcome beats an unfinished start.
5. Keep the connection clear. Make the final piece grow visibly from the preparation, with an explicit plan and clear echoes.

The dot points in this area

Each links to a focused answer page: what Component 02 the Externally Set Task is, the question paper and preparatory period, the 10-hour supervised exam, planning and pacing the final piece and connecting the outcome to preparatory work.