What is the extended written element of the Personal Investigation, and how do you write a strong one?
The extended written element of the Personal Investigation is a piece of continuous critical prose, between 1000 and 3000 words, exploring the contextual sources behind the practical work and integrated with it.
What the extended written element of the WJEC Personal Investigation requires: continuous critical prose of between 1000 and 3000 words exploring the contextual sources behind the practical work, integrated with it, illustrated and referenced, with guidance on writing a strong personal study.
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What this dot point is asking
The extended written element is the written part of the Personal Investigation (Unit 2): continuous critical prose of 1000 to 3000 words exploring the contextual sources behind the practical work, integrated with it. This dot point sets out what it is and how to write a strong one, so your writing deepens your enquiry and shows the critical and contextual understanding that AO1 rewards.
What the written element is
The Personal Investigation is both practical and written. The extended written element is the written part: a sustained piece of critical prose that explores the contextual sources of your practical enquiry. It is not a separate academic essay bolted on, but an integrated exploration of the artists, ideas and influences that sit behind your own work.
What makes it strong
Five things make the written element strong.
- Analyse, do not describe. Examine how and why your sources work, and judge them; do not list biographies or facts.
- Integrate it with the making. Explore the same concerns as your practical work, so writing and making illuminate each other.
- Structure it as continuous prose. Build a clear line of argument across the piece, not disconnected captions.
- Illustrate it. Include images of the sources and your own work so the writing is grounded.
- Reference it. Support claims with references and a bibliography, the marks of genuine critical writing.
How to write one
Treat the written element as the deep contextual layer of your enquiry. Start from the same theme and concerns as your practical work; choose artists, designers and ideas that genuinely inform it; analyse them critically (how and why they work); and connect that analysis explicitly to your own developing project. Structure it with a clear argument, illustrate it, and reference it properly.
Try this
Q1. State what the extended written element is, its length, and how it relates to the practical work. [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Continuous critical prose of between 1000 and 3000 words within the Personal Investigation, exploring the contextual sources behind the practical work, illustrated and referenced, and integrated with the practical work rather than a separate essay.
Q2. Explain what makes a strong written element and a common reason weaker ones lose marks. [Short explanation]
- Cue. A strong one is genuinely analytical (how and why sources work, not description), integrated with the practical work so writing and making illuminate each other, well structured as continuous prose, illustrated and properly referenced; weaker ones describe rather than analyse and sit apart from the practical work as a disconnected stand-alone essay.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC specification6 marksState what the extended written element of the Personal Investigation is, its length, and how it relates to the practical work.Show worked answer →
A recall task. Award marks for the description, the word count and the integration.
The extended written element is a piece of continuous critical prose that forms part of the Personal Investigation (Unit 2). It is between 1000 and 3000 words.
It explores the contextual sources behind the practical work, the artists, designers, movements and ideas that inform the candidate's enquiry, and is illustrated and supported by references. It is integrated with the practical work, exploring the same concerns, rather than being a separate essay.
A strong answer notes that it shows analytical and critical understanding of contextual sources (most associated with AO1) and that, as continuous prose, it must be properly written, structured and referenced, not a series of captions.
WJEC personal study8 marksExplain what makes a strong extended written element, and a common reason weaker ones lose marks.Show worked answer →
An explanation task rewarding understanding of the written element.
What makes it strong. A strong written element is genuinely analytical (examining how and why sources work, not describing them), integrated with the practical work (exploring the same concerns so writing and making illuminate each other), well structured as continuous prose with a clear line of argument, illustrated, and properly referenced with a bibliography.
A common reason for lost marks. Weaker studies describe rather than analyse, listing biographies or facts about artists, and sit apart from the practical work as a stand-alone essay with no connection to the candidate's own enquiry. They may also be poorly structured or unreferenced.
A top answer stresses integration and analysis: the written element should deepen the same enquiry as the practical work, showing critical and contextual understanding (AO1) at length, and notes the 1000 to 3000 word range as continuous prose, not captions.
Related dot points
- Analysing sources and artists means examining how and why artworks are made, using contextual and other sources critically to inform a personal direction, which is the contextual understanding at the heart of AO1.
How to analyse artists and sources in WJEC Art and Design: examining how and why artworks are made and using contextual and other sources critically to inform a personal direction, the contextual and critical understanding at the heart of AO1, with a method for analysing an artwork.
- Recording and observational skills mean capturing ideas, observations and insights first-hand in visual and other forms relevant to intentions, reflecting on them, which is the practical heart of AO3.
The recording and observational skills assessed in WJEC Art and Design: capturing ideas, observations and insights first-hand in visual and other forms relevant to intentions and reflecting on them, the practical heart of AO3, with guidance on recording from direct observation.
- AO1 requires developing ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
What AO1 of WJEC A-Level Art and Design requires: developing ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding, and how to evidence it across the units.
- A2 Unit 2 Personal Investigation is a sustained, candidate-led practical project on a self-chosen theme worth 36 percent and 160 marks, including an extended written element of 1000 to 3000 words, assessed against all four objectives.
What the WJEC A2 Unit 2 Personal Investigation requires: a sustained, candidate-led practical project on a self-chosen theme worth 36 percent and 160 marks, including an extended written element of 1000 to 3000 words of continuous prose, assessed against all four equally weighted objectives.
- WJEC Art and Design is offered across endorsed titles, including Fine Art, Graphic Communication, Textile Design, Three-Dimensional Design and Photography, plus the broad Art, Craft and Design, which share the same assessment but set the focus of practice.
The endorsed titles of WJEC Art and Design: Fine Art, Graphic Communication, Textile Design, Three-Dimensional Design and Photography, plus the broad Art, Craft and Design. They share the same four objectives, units and marks, but set the focus and breadth of practice expected.
- Each unit is marked against the four equally weighted assessment objectives using mark bands, internally assessed by the centre and externally moderated by WJEC, with weighted unit marks combining into the A* to E grade.
How marking works in WJEC A-Level Art and Design: each unit is judged against the four equally weighted objectives using mark bands, internally assessed by the centre and externally moderated by WJEC, with the weighted unit marks combining into the overall A* to E grade.
Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCE AS/A Level Art and Design specification (from 2015) — WJEC (2015)
- GCE AS and A level subject content for art and design — Welsh Government / Ofqual (2015)