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AQA GCSE Art & Design Grade Boundaries

Every year, I seem to lose that useful piece of paper or image with the AQA GCSE Art & Design grade boundaries on it. So, I’m sticking them all in a blog post here—useful for you and me. Remember, these are last year’s grade boundaries, and things may change in either direction.

Comparing 2023 to 2022, the grade boundary for a 9 came down by one mark. 8 remained the same.  It became harder to get a 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 with each grade boundary going up one mark. The grade boundary for 1 and 2 remained the same.  I believe this means teachers must have been marking higher for a majority of grades and so the exam board had to make the grade boundaries higher.

Scroll down to see previous years’ grade boundaries.

Statement to Explain to Students Why Their Grade Might Change

Your likely grade might change because:

• The moderator might come in and change the grades. He/She might move the whole cohort up or down.
• The exam board might change the grade boundaries. They may move them up or down.

Historic Art & Design Grade Boundaries

It’s interesting to see how the grade boundaries have changed over time. They don’t usually move by more than one number, however, after covid, there was more of a change. Compare 2019 to 2022. Compare 2022 below to 2023 above.

I am happy to reply to art teachers who comment below, but if you are a student wanting to know what grade you will get, I will not respond as it is your own teacher’s job to answer your questions. (I’ve had far too many and have just deleted then all.)

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The Arty Teacher

Sarah Crowther is The Arty Teacher. She is a high school art teacher in the North West of England. She strives to share her enthusiasm for art by providing art teachers around the globe with high-quality resources and by sharing her expertise through this blog.

13 responses to “AQA GCSE Art & Design Grade Boundaries”

sorry just some additional info, her school only did component one, the portfolio, maybe that’s why?

All schools have only completed component 1. If the exam board is AQA, it is out of 96. Perhaps your daughter has remembered it incorrectly or the teacher slipped up and meant to say 96?

Hi, my daughter just got told her mark is 63 today, however her teacher told her that it is out of 72. I’m therefore quite confused. she seems to have gotten one of the highest marks in her class but the total mark being 72 isn’t correlating with these grade boundaries. she does fine art

Hi my daughter today received a mark of 50 for her textiles gcse (art & design) which is confusing is this a grade 5?

If the grade boundaries are the same as 2019 a 50 will mean your daughter hasn’t quite reached a 5. She will get a 4. However, it’s possible the grade boundaries might change.

Hi Sarah New teacher here and it’s my first year marking. I have a class of 6 Pupils and 9 pupils, for two different art subjects. Will the moderator we take the whole cohert down. Or do it one by one in a small class?

Hi Sarah, I’m guessing that if you enter the grades for both groups and get one ‘sample’ (list of students who will be moderated) that it would count as one cohort and be treated as such. If you get a separate sample for each class, it would be treated as separate cohorts. With groups that size I imagine all of them will be in the sample. For a definitive answer, why not contact your coursework adviser? If you ring or email your exam board, they will be able to tell you who that is. Moderators don’t change a single student’s mark but look to see if the cohort is in tolerance.

My daughter was given a final grade 73 – do you think this is likely to be a grade 7 or do you think the grade boundaries might be more lenient in 2022?

They might go up or down – it’s anyone’s guess!

My Daughter has been given a grade 63 today from her art teacher for her GCSEs but was told previously her work was at the level of a 7 = A so she is currently upset with her B grade comparing to 2019 grade boundaries, so my question is do you think the grade boundaries will change this year at all due to Covid?

I can’t predict if the grade boundaries will go up or down. I did wonder if they would go down because of covid, but that will only happen if teachers across the country have marked as normal i.e. marked like they would in non covid times. I fear teachers will mark too generously because their students have produced little because of covid and the boundaries could go up. In the last 15 years I don’t believe they have ever moved by more than one mark, so your daughter will most likely get a 6. She may have been given a 7 as the teacher was seeing potential but then it didn’t get realised, or it may be that the final outcome wasn’t as good as the sketchbook. Who knows! Ask your school for some feedback.

My daughter has an NEA for A Level Art. The maximum mark is 96 and her provisional mark is 82. What A Level grade does this equate to please ?

The A Level grade boundaries are different from above. Assuming your daughter is with the AQA exam board, an 82 is likely to be an A*. (Fantastic! Well Done!) Two things might change this. The moderator might come in and put all the marks of the whole cohort either up or down if he/she feels the school/college has been too mean or too generous. Or, the exam board could change the grade boundaries.

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AS Art Coursework: A Guide for Students

Last Updated on April 2, 2023

This article summarises what is expected for your AS Art Coursework Project (CIE).

CIE AS Art & Design students are required to submit:

• 1 x project (a two or three-dimensional final work, maximum weight 4.5kgs and maximum dimension in any direction of 750mm);
• Source material (your ‘starting point’ / source of inspiration);
• Development of ideas into personal solutions (original finished pieces);
• Experimentations with media and processes including trial samples;
• The influence of historical, contemporary and cultural factors (evidence that you have learnt from other designers and/or artist models).

Coursework should be an individual response to a theme (if you are struggling to come up with a theme, see this article for help coming up with good A Level Art ideas ).

Coursework must be focused on one area of study: Painting and Related Media; Textiles; Ceramics; Sculpture; Graphic Design; Fashion Design; Printmaking; Photography, Digital and Lens Media; Jewellery; Puppetry and so on.  Schools usually select which areas are available for students based on the interests of their students and the strength and expertise of their teachers.

AS Art Coursework assessment

The AS Coursework project is worth 40% of your final AS grade and 20% of your final A Level Art grade. It is internally assessed, which means it is marked by the Coursework Accredited Art teacher/s at your school and then externally moderated by CIE examiners. Most countries send Coursework to Cambridge University to be moderated; other counties, like New Zealand, are lucky enough to have the examiners travel to them.

The final project and supporting work are assessed together and are given a single mark out of 100, using the following criteria:

AS Art Coursework examples

READ NEXT: How to make an artist website (and why you need one)

Further AS Level Art Coursework examples and case studies will be added here over the coming months.

This article relates to CIE AS Coursework, Component 2, 9704 A Level Art and Design – the International version of A Levels, assessed by the University of Cambridge. Information is sourced from the CIE A Level Art and Design syllabus .

If you wish to see examples of more great student artwork that would be helpful for AS Art & Design students, please view our Featured Art Projects .

Amiria has been an Art & Design teacher and a Curriculum Co-ordinator for seven years, responsible for the course design and assessment of student work in two high-achieving Auckland schools. She has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Architecture (First Class Honours) and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. Amiria is a CIE Accredited Art & Design Coursework Assessor.

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Programmes & Qualifications

Cambridge igcse art & design (0400).

• Syllabus overview

Not available to private candidates.

Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design encourages a personal response by stimulating imagination, sensitivity, conceptual thinking, powers of observation and analytical ability.

The syllabus allows learners to:

• develop confidence and enthusiasm as they practice technical skills in two- and three-dimensional form and composition
• identify and solve problems in visual and tactile forms
• develop ideas from initial attempts to final solutions
• develop an awareness of the role played by the visual arts in society and history
• broaden cultural horizons and individual experience.

The syllabus year refers to the year in which the examination will be taken.

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Please note that if you make an entry for the A*-G grading scale, it is not then possible to switch to the 9-1 grading scale once the entries deadline has passed. If you find that you have accidentally made an entry for the A*-G syllabus, you must withdraw and re-enter before the entries deadline.

For some subjects, we publish grade descriptions to help understand the level of performance candidates’ grades represent.

We paused the publication of grade descriptions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the temporary changes to the awarding standard in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

As the awarding standard has now returned to the pre-pandemic standard, we are working to produce up-to-date grade descriptions for most of our general qualifications. These will be based on the awarding standards in place from June 2023 onwards.

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Art Lesson Ideas, Plans, Free Resources, Project Plans, and Schemes of Work. An 'outstanding' art teacher in Greater Manchester. Teaching KS3 and KS4 art and design.

Grade 9 GCSE Art Examples

As it is so challenging for students to achieve a Grade 9 in GCSE Art & Design, I thought it would be useful to share some Grade 9 Art project examples. If you’re wondering how to get a Grade 9 in GCSE art, these projects might be able to help!

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*UPDATE!* I have added more full Grade 9 Art & Design projects to this presentation – there are now FIVE projects to have a look at. Enjoy!

I usually have students work on design sheets so these are photographs of all the design sheets and any final pieces the students made. I was so impressed with their work and with how much effort the students put in! Anyone who teaches (or has done GCSE art) will know it is REALLY difficult to get the top grades and takes a lot of hard work.

There are five Grade 9 full project examples on the presentation, including sheets of student’s secondary and primary research and artist research. As I tell my students, the focus should always be on the quality of their work rather than the quantity in order to achieve high grades in art. Although, of course, they need have enough work to meet all of the four assessment objectives (I currently teach for the AQA exam board.)

I have also included all of the student’s observational / working drawings, development work, experimentation, plans and final pieces. I have added close up images of the Grade 9 observational drawing work so you can use the presentation to show your own students if you wish.

I have chosen very different exam projects so you can see a full range of techniques and approaches to the different exam questions. The projects are a mix of coursework and the externally set exam by AQA.

I have added titles to each of the slides in ‘student speak’ so your students can clearly see examples of what each stage of a Grade 9 art project looks like. All of the annotations should be legible too!

Finally, I have included photographs of all of the final pieces completed in the 10 hour exam / controlled assessment. As well as the final pieces, I have included close up images so you can clearly see the details and quality of the work. In total, there are 85 slides with examples of Grade 9 GCSE art projects.

Since some of these art projects were for the externally set exam, the marks made up 40% of the total grade. All students achieved a Grade 9, but that is also including the 60% coursework component.

That means that not every single drawing or experiment in the presentation is a grade 9 . This is important as students can refine their work by recognising what has not gone well and move forward using only their best work! This is tricky to get across to students but hopefully using this presentation will help. I have used it with my own classes and found it useful.

If you would like a copy of the Grade 9 Art presentation for free, just leave a comment and I will share it with your email address! Thanks, I hope this is useful 🎨

Could you make a small donation to help keep this site free? It is getting more expensive to keep online – thanks!

Sharing is caring

206 thoughts on “ grade 9 gcse art examples ”.

Hi! Looks amazing, would love to have a copy if possible as I am currently doing my exam project.

Thanks so much.

Like Liked by 1 person

Hi, yes of course! Hopefully this will help your students through their exams – it’s a stressful time.

These are great. Please could I have a copy too?

Yes of course, I just sent it 🙂

Superb ideas

Hi , this is really helpful advice and resources. Thanks for posting. Could you please send me a copy?

Hi, you’re welcome! Thanks for your message 🙂 I just shared it.

Hi, thanks! I still use it too with my students 🙂 I’ve just shared it!

These resources are WONDERFUL! Thank you for posting them.

You’re welcome! Thanks for your lovely comment 🙂

Really find this site useful! Could I please have a copy to show my GCSE Art students.

I’m really glad it’s helpful 🙂 I just sent the presentation.

Hi , I would love a copy to show my students- thanks.

Hi, no probs – I just sent it over 🙂

Great! thanks so much, a wonderful resource.

This is great and useful to show the students, especially the not everything has to be perfect!

Thanks for your comment! I just sent it over – hopefully it’s helpful for your students. I use it all the time with my GCSE Art classes 🙂

This is really beautiful work! It would be really beneficial to show my students the jouney and development of some great projects 🙂

Hi – I just shared it, I hope your students find it useful! Mine tend to get a better understanding of what is expected when I go through this 🙂

I love this! Would I be able to be sent a copy?

I’m glad you like it 🙂 I have just shared it with you!

this looks so helpful! My daugher is near the end of year 10 and woudl love to see the presentation

I just shared it – I hope your daughter finds it useful!

This would be really useful for my daughter in Y10.

This is amazing and would help my students a lot. Could you please share the presentation with me?

Hi, yes of course, I just sent it 🙂

Many thanks for this 🙂

Love your work – I looking to support my daughter whose work is incredible but she’s not finding her teacher very supportive

I have just shared it – I hope your daughter finds it helpful!

Really well put together. I am sure it will be helpful for many students. Thank you so much for sharing.

Thank you! I just sent it over 🙂

Thank you for sharing. So so helpful. If not too late please could I see a copy of the full presentation?

You’re welcome! And it’s not too late 🙂 I just shared it.

Hi, can I please get a copy? Thank you.

Hi, yes of course – I just sent it 🙂

Very comprehensive and informative. Brilliant post. New to the art teaching world so this would be amazing to have a copy to show students.

Thanks so much for your comment! I’ve just shared it, best wishes for your new career!

This is so inspiring! I am a new teacher and I’d love a free copy of the grade 9 art presentation. Thank you

Thanks for your comment, I’m glad you find it helpful! I just emailed it to you 🙂

Fabulous stuff, would love a copy of the presentation to support a friend’s daughter who is doing her Art GCSE!

Hi, no problem, I just sent it! Best of luck to your friend’s daughter 🙂

Hey there, thank you for such an excellent resource, this would be great in helping me support my daughter who is doing her Art GCSE.

Thanks for your comment! I just sent it – best of luck to your daughter 🙂

This is very useful. Please could we have a copy. Thx!

Hi, yes of course – I just shared it.

Please can you send a copy of the gcse presentation, thanks

I have just shared it with you – thanks!

Please could I have a copy of the presentation. Thx!

I have just shared it 🙂

Sorry I got a message to say it couldn’t be sent to your email address – please double check you’ve given the correct email?

Hi! We would love a copy of your presentation. It would be so helpful!

I just sent it – hope it helps!

Very interesting, thank you. Please may I have the copy?

Would love this! please could I have a copy?

Yes, no problem!

Fabulous resource, pease could I have a copy

This is a great idea, please could I have a copy. Thank you

Thanks! I just sent it over.

Hi, can I get a copy to share with students please.

Hi, I have just shared it 🙂 thanks.

This is really helpful. Please may I have a copy?

Hi, yes of course, I have sent it over.

Hi, please could I get a copy for my son? He has not had an art teacher for most of his GCSE time and is getting very concerned about completing his coursework! Many thanks

Sorry to hear that – hopefully this will help him out a bit 🙂

Hi, I would love a copy, thank you!

I have just shared it with you – enjoy!

Such a great inspiration for teachers, parents and pupils…thank you for taking the time to put all this together xx

Thanks so much, glad you appreciate it 🙂 I just shared it.

Please could I have a copy? Thanks so much.

Yes, I have just shared it 🙂 hope it’s helpful!

Hello! So pleased to come across these examples. Please could you share the full set with me?

Thanks! Happy to help out, I just sent them over 🙂

Hi, I would like a copy please. Thank you.

No problem, I just shared it.

Please could I have a copy? I would find it very useful, thankyou.

Thank you for doing this, some fabulous original ideas. I would love a copy please, I think it will help a number of students looking for more information.

Thanks! It’s all the student’s work so credit to them 🙂

Could this non-arty mum have a copy please? It would be very helpful, thanks.

Of course! And there’s no such thing as non-arty 🙂 there’s no right or wrong!

This is extremely helpful! Please could I have a copy sent across? Thankyou in advance 🙂

I have just sent it over, hope it helps you out!

Hi! What a wonderful idea to share examples in this way as it’s so difficult to know what to do to achieve the top grades! Please could you send me the slideshow? Many thanks!

Thanks for your comment! I have just shared it, I hope it’s helpful.

hi these are great, could I get a copy? X

Thanks! I have sent it to you 🙂

this is invaluable, would be ever so grateful of a new copy as an ECT. Many thanks

No problem 🙂 congrats on becoming an ECT too!

Would love a copy please! 🙂

I just shared it 🙂

I would really appreciate a copy please. There is nothing like seeing examples!

I have just sent it – I hope it helps!

would really appreciate a copy! Thanks

No problem, I just shared it 🙂

Hi, this looks great, please could I get a copy

Thanks! I just shared it with you 🙂

This looks amazing, could I have a copy, please? It will really help guide my students through their GCSEs

Hi, yes of course! Hope it helps your students out 🙂

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Making and teaching art. Based in Manchester. View all posts by art_teacher_mcr

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COURSEWORK GUIDES

You have art coursework and need to research artworks for it. Where do you start? How do you find relevant inspiration? How have other artists approached the themes?Our thematic coursework guides provide ideas and inspiration to get you started. Try our 'Have A Go!' section at the bottom of our guides for activities to keep you motivated!

2023 Coursework Guides

Past coursework guides, we recommend, closeness and simplicity to nature coursework guide.

From the gardens and paradise to land art, discover the artworks in our collection that explore the themes of closeness and proximity to nature

Complex and simple movement coursework guide

From machines to humans, discover the artworks in our collection that explore the themes of simple and complex movement

Simple processes, complex outcomes coursework guide

From optical illusions and repeating forms to instructions, discover the artworks in our collection that explore the theme of simple processes, complex outcomes

Details and the uncanny coursework guide

From photoreal to dreams, discover the artworks in our collection that explore the themes of details and the uncanny

Layers Coursework Guide

From stacking and painting to collage and hidden layers, discover the artworks in our collection that explores the techniques of layering

Objects Coursework Guide

From the uncanny and personal to advertisement and politics, discover the artworks in our collection that explores the themes of object

Senses Coursework Guide

From touch and taste to sight and smell, discover the artworks in our collection that explores the themes of the senses

Reflection Coursework Guide

From mirror and glass to water and fractals, discover the artworks in our collection that explores the themes and techniques of reflection

Weather Coursework Guide

From sun worshipers, cloud gazers and storm chasers to artists who use the weather to explore broader themes and ideas

Materials Coursework Guide

From 'usual' to unlikely art materials: explore textures, qualities, techniques and symbolism of things artists use to make their work

Still Life Coursework Guide

Not just fruit and flowers, explore still lifes from realistic to abstract and familiar to unexpected

Dynamism and Movement Coursework Guide

Explore how artists use marks and colour to suggest motion or make kinetic, performance and video art to explore movement

Landmarks Coursework Guide

From art about landmarks to art that is itself a landmark: get some inspiration on the theme of landmarks

Diary Coursework Guide

From sketchbooks to video diaries and the everyday to big life events, explore how artists use diaries to record the world around them

Mark Making Coursework Guide

Explore the different ways artists use marks and expressive qualities

Outline Coursework Guide

Discover surprising ways artists use outlines in art from graphic to graffiti or abstract and animated

Clothing Coursework Guide

Explore art and fashion, from clothes and identity to shapes, patterns and textures of clothing inspired by art

Masks Coursework Guide

Explore how artists have used masks in their work, to protect, disguise, hide and amuse

Trees Coursework Guide

From atmosphere and symbolism to textures and abstract shapes, explore how trees have inspired artists

Memory Coursework Guide

Explore memories of the past, memories of people and fading memories to see how artists recall and reminisce in art

Food Coursework Guide

Can a humble bag of chips or slice of pizza become a masterpiece? Explore some tasty art about food

Colour Coursework Guide

Explore how different artists have used colour in their work and sketches

Form Coursework Guide

What exactly is form? And how can you explore it in your sketchbook?

Play Coursework Guide

What does play mean for you? Is it sports, or music? Perhaps it’s drifting into a personal imaginary world, or maybe it’s social – board games, card games, or just meeting others

Underwater Coursework Guide

About 70 percent of the Earth is covered in water. It’s probably the least-explored part of our planet - we’ve explored more of space than the oceans. But maybe because of that, for artists, water has been a theme, a subject and even a medium to work with

Line Coursework Guide

See how artists use the power of a line and try some ideas in your sketchbook

Tone Coursework Guide

Learn how you can use tone in your sketchbook

Transmission Coursework Guide

Discover works in which artists explore the complex ways humans spread thoughts and ideas

Isolation Coursework Guide

Recently we have all had to deal with long and short periods of isolation. How have artists explored the ideas of isolation in their work, and what can you learn from those experiences?

Mother and Child Coursework Guide

Discover tender images of new mums and babies and artists' in-depth explorations of mother and child relationships

Journeys Coursework Guide

From physical journeys and migration to journeys of self-discovery, get ideas and inspiration about journeys in art

Relationship Coursework Guide

Exploring relationships in art, as a connection or association between people, things or ideas

Letters and Words Coursework Guide

Discover how artists use letters and words in their art

Force Coursework Guide

From forces of nature and forceful feelings to force as a method, explore how artists have used force in art

Ritual Coursework Guide

What is a ritual? Discover how ritual has been used as a theme in art

Self-Image Coursework Guide

Explore how artists have represented themselves, and others, using portraiture

Transformation Coursework Guide

Explore how artists have transformed objects and ideas through their work

Details Coursework Guide

Explore the theme of details through works in our collection

Human Figure Coursework Guide

Explore people drawn, painted or sculpted from life and art that explores abstract ideas about being human

News and Event Coursework Guide

Look at artists responses to news, from headline-grabbing events and social or political issues, to stories of the extraordinary everyday

Light and Dark Coursework Guide

Look at artworks made from light and shadow to the symbolic use of light and dark to make powerful statements

Interwoven Coursework Guide

Explore art that interweaves materials, ideas, experiences and histories

Perspective Coursework Guide

From vanishing points to points of view, explore perspective in art

Spaces Coursework Guide

Busy crowded streets, eerie empty rooms, explore spaces in art

Habitats Coursework Guide

From art about home life to art that highlights the impact of climate change and pollution on natural habitats

Texture Coursework Guide

Explore textures in art from woven textures and textured fabrics and materials to gestural marks and patterns

Toys Coursework Research

From pop art to gender politics, see toys in a new light and get some inspiration for your coursework

Myths and Legends Coursework Guide

Be inspired by myths and legends – or create your own!

Changed Identity Coursework Guide

From changing their own identities to changing the identity of objects, how have artists explored the theme of changed identity?

Space Coursework Guide

From the space race to heavenly bodies, find some coursework inspiration

Plastics Coursework Guide

Explore plastic in art for some research inspiration

Old and New Coursework Guide

Uncover ways of thinking of Old and New in art

Circus Coursework Guide

Uncover ways of exploring the theme of Circus for coursework inspiration

Rhythm Coursework Guide

Explore artworks with rhythm for some coursework inspiration

Geometric Coursework Guide

Maths meets art to inspire your coursework

Moments in Time Coursework Guide

See how artists respond to moments in time to inspire your coursework

Crowded Coursework Guide

Pack in tightly for some inspiration for your coursework

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Create Like an Artist

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A-level Art and Design

7201, 7202, 7203, 7204, 7205, 7206

• Specification
• Planning resources
• Teaching resources
• Assessment resources
• Introduction
• Specification at a glance
• 3.1 Summary of subject content
• 3.2 Overarching knowledge, understanding and skills
• 3.3 Art, craft and design
• 3.4 Fine art
• 3.5 Graphic communication
• 3.6 Textile design
• 3.7 Three-dimensional design
• 3.8 Photography

Scheme of assessment

• Non-exam assessment administration
• General administration

Find past papers and mark schemes, and specimen papers for new courses, on our website at aqa.org.uk/pastpapers

The specification is designed to be taken over two years with all assessments taken at the end of the course.

Assessments and certification are eligible for submission for the first time in May/June and then every May/June for the life of the specification.

All materials are available in English only.

Synoptic assessment

Synoptic assessment in Art and Design involves students in:

• drawing together the knowledge, understanding and skills learned in different parts of the course
• selecting and presenting work which demonstrates their strengths across the areas of knowledge and the range of skills described and shows their ability to sustain their own lines of enquiry
• a stimulus or issue
• a design brief or problem
• a task which specifies an image, object or other outcome to be achieved.

There is synoptic assessment in both components of the A-level that provide stretch and challenge opportunities for students as follows:

In Component 1, students develop work based on an idea, issue, concept or theme leading to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes. Practical elements should make connections with some aspect of contemporary or past practice of artist(s), designer(s), photographers or craftspeople and include written work of no less than 1000 and no more than 3000 words which supports the practical work.

In Component 2, students respond to a stimulus, provided by AQA, to produce work which provides evidence of their ability to work independently within specified time constraints, developing a personal and meaningful response which addresses all the assessment objectives and leads to a finished outcome or a series of related finished outcomes.

Courses based on these specifications should encourage students to develop:

• intellectual, imaginative, creative and intuitive capabilities
• investigative, analytical, experimental, practical, technical and expressive skills, aesthetic understanding and critical judgement
• independence of mind in developing, refining and communicating their own ideas, their own intentions and their own personal outcomes
• an interest in, enthusiasm for and enjoyment of art, craft and design
• the experience of working with a broad range of media
• an understanding of the interrelationships between art, craft and design processes and an awareness of the contexts in which they operate
• knowledge and experience of real-world contexts and, where appropriate, links to the creative industries
• knowledge and understanding of art, craft, design and media and technologies in contemporary and past societies and cultures
• an awareness of different roles, functions, audiences and consumers of art, craft and design.

Assessment objectives

Assessment objectives (AOs) are set by Ofqual and are the same across all A-level Art and Design specifications and all exam boards.

The assessments will measure how students have achieved the following assessment objectives:

• AO1: Develop ideas through sustained and focused investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and critical understanding.
• AO2: Explore and select appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes, reviewing and refining ideas as work develops.
• AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions, reflecting critically on work and progress.
• AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and, where appropriate, makes connections between visual and other elements.

Weighting of assessment objectives for A-level Art and Design

The assessment objectives are equally weighted within each component. The table shows the approximate weighting of each of the assessment objectives across all components.

Quality of making

The ability to handle materials, techniques and processes effectively, skilfully and safely underpins all the assessment objectives. It is important in enabling students to develop a personal language, to express ideas and to link their intentions to outcomes in a confident and assured manner.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria must be applied to the assessment of students’ work for all components. The assessment objectives are equally weighted in each of the components. The Assessment criteria grid indicates the levels of response which would be expected for the award of marks in the ranges shown. It should be noted that the ranges have been drawn up to assist teachers in identifying individual levels of response and do not, in themselves, constitute grade descriptions.

Each component is marked out of a total of 96 marks. As the assessment objectives are equally weighted in each of the components, there is a maximum of 24 marks for each of the assessment objectives. The marks, out of 24, for each assessment objective must be added together to produce the total mark out of 96.

You are required to provide a mark for each of the assessment objectives separately in accordance with the assessment criteria and a total mark out of 96 must be provided for each component. The assessment grid must be used to identify the student’s level of performance in relation to each of the assessment objectives.

Six mark band descriptors are provided, with a range of marks for each of the four assessment objectives.

A Candidate record form must be completed for each student for each component. When completing the Candidate record form the teacher should decide which mark band descriptor best describes the student’s performance for each assessment objective, then circle the appropriate mark. These marks should be transferred to the ‘mark awarded’ row and added together. This total should be entered in the ‘total mark’ box to the right of the grid.

Four marks are available for each mark band in each assessment objective. The lower mark indicates that the student has just met the requirements described in that particular band, the next mark indicates that evidence is adequate , the next that evidence is clear and the higher mark indicates that evidence is convincing but that the student has just failed to meet the requirements set out in the next band.

Assessing the Personal investigation

This is a practical component supported by written material. The practical work and written material must be assessed as an integrated whole. The practical work and the written material must be assessed together using the assessment grid to select which of the six mark band descriptors for each assessment objective best describes the student’s overall performance.

The written material and practical work must each show evidence of meeting all four assessment objectives.

Once the mark band has been selected the mark qualifiers ‘just’, ‘adequately’, ‘clearly’ or ‘convincingly’ should be applied to determine the specific mark within the band.

For further guidance on assessing the Personal investigation refer to the online exemplification materials at the start of the course. Please also see section Teacher standardisation for more information about Teacher standardisation meetings.

Assessing to the correct standard

Work submitted for assessment for A-level components is assessed at a standard that can be reasonably expected of a student after a full A-level course of study, 360 guided learning hours (GLH).

If your school or college offers the Art, craft and design title alongside endorsed titles, evidence of an area of study for the Art, craft and design title must be assessed to the same standard as it would for the relevant endorsed title.

• all teachers delivering the course must access the on-line example materials (provided on Centre Services at the start of the course
• a senior representative from your school or college, with responsibility for conducting internal standardisation, must also attend a teacher standardisation meeting in the autumn/spring term.

For more information on attendance at Teacher standardisation meetings and Internal standardisation refer to sections Teacher standardisation and Internal standardisation

Assessment criteria grid

The grid further expands on the assessment objectives. It should be used to mark students’ work and to complete Candidate record forms.

Assessment weightings

The marks awarded will be scaled to meet the weighting of the components. Students’ final marks will be calculated by adding together the scaled marks for each component. Grade boundaries will be set using this total scaled mark. The scaling and total scaled marks are shown in the table below.

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GCSE Art and Design

• Key Documents
• Past Papers / Mark Schemes

The WJEC GCSE in Art and Design is designed to provide engaging, challenging, coherent and meaningful learning experiences through a flexible structure that supports the sequential and incremental development of creative practice.

This rewarding and immersive programme of study broadens experience, develops imagination and technical skills, fosters creativity and promotes personal and social development.

The focus of the specification is to nurture an enthusiasm for Art, Craft and Design and, through a broad introductory foundation programme, to develop critical, practical and theoretical skills that enable students to gain a holistic understanding of a range of practices and contexts in the visual arts, crafts and design fields.

This linear specification provides the flexibility and capacity to build and extend the breadth and depth of student’s creative practice and offers the choice of a broad-based general course, plus seven distinct title options :

 Art, Craft and Design

 Graphic Communication

 Textile Design

 Three-Dimensional Design

 Photography

 Critical and Contextual Studies

Our professional learning experts are ready to answer questions on all our training courses.

View our online resource for art teachers and students.

An interactive map to support centres wishing to share experiences and ideas online and face-to-face.

Important information, past papers, marking schemes, entry/amendment uploads & make post-results enquiries.

Grade boundaries are the minimum number of marks needed to achieve each grade.

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Gcse art coursework mark scheme

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Non-exam assessment, general qualifications, choose your qualification.

• General qualifications AS and A Level, Core Maths, Entry Level Certificate, Extended Project, FSMQ and GCSE
• Cambridge Nationals
• Cambridge Technicals
• Other vocational qualifications

What’s on this page

Moderated assessment arrangements for general qualifications include non-exam arrangements, coursework and portfolios, which are all referred to as candidate work.

Read this section together with the following documents:

• JCQ Instructions for conducting coursework
• JCQ Instructions for conducting non-exam assessments

If you are working with other centres to deliver the assessment, you need to apply to become a consortium.

• Consortium arrangements

Marking the assessments

Centres should mark each piece of work according to the instructions and criteria provided in the specification for each unit.

Forms to help you mark and administer candidate work – many of them interactive – are provided.

These may be called a cover sheet, a unit recording sheet, or centre assessment form, depending on the specification.

You can download all the forms from our handy Forms finder (they are also available on each qualification page).

Complete one per candidate and attach it to the front of their work.

Candidate authentication

Each candidate must sign a declaration before submitting their work to their teacher to confirm the work is their own and any assistance given and/or sources used have been acknowledged. A sample can be downloaded below.

It is the responsibility of centres to ensure every candidate does this.

These statements should be retained within the centre until all reviews of results, malpractice and appeals issues have been resolved.

• Candidate authentication statement DOCX, 45KB  

A mark of zero must be recorded if a candidate cannot confirm the authenticity of their work.

For some qualifications, specific candidate authentication forms must be submitted with the centre sample :

• GCSE Design and Technology J310
• AS and A Level Design and Technology H004–H006 and H404–H406
• A Level Geography H481

You can download these forms from our Forms finder .

Centre authentication

Teachers are required to declare the work submitted for internal assessment is the candidate's own work by completing a centre authentication form (CCS160) for each unit. These should be kept within the centre until all reviews of results, malpractice and appeals have been resolved. This is also a requirement for private candidates.

• Centre authentication form DOCX, 43KB  

NEA centre declaration form 

For the following qualifications, your head of centre needs to confirm your centre has followed the regulatory requirements involving non-exam assessment (NEA), by returning the NEA centre declaration form to us by 15 May.

• A Level Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology)
• GCSE Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Combined Science) (not required for summer 2022)
• GCSE (9-1) English Language

This form is in addition to the Head of Centre declaration .

GCSE Computer Science programming skills statement

For GCSE Computer Science, you must complete a practical programming statement for all examination series in which candidates are entered. See the Computer Science page for more information.

Carrying out internal standardisation

Centres must carry out internal standardisation to ensure marks awarded by different teachers are accurate and consistent across all candidates entered for the unit from that centre.

If centres are working together in a consortium , you must carry out internal standardisation of marking across the consortium.

You must ensure marks for all candidates, not just those in the sample, are checked for both addition and transcription errors before submission.

Informing students of their marks

Before you submit your centre marks to us, you need to inform students of their centre-assessed marks (and endorsement grades) and provide enough time for them to appeal these marks. 

You must also allow sufficient time for the review to be carried out, to make any necessary changes to marks and to inform the candidate of the outcome before the mark submission deadline. 

There's more information on the JCQ website , including a suggested template to use.

Submitting marks and grades

All marking and internal standardisation must be completed in good time and before the marks are submitted to OCR and the moderator.

Deadlines for submitting marks, grades and authentication are available in the key dates document.

Marks should be submitted electronically to OCR by one of the following methods:

• Interchange – see our step-by-step instructions for submitting marks and grades
• EDI files sent via A2C – follow the instructions in your own management information system for inputting marks for the relevant components. The common format for submitting marks is outlined in the JCQ Formats document.
• JCQ Formats for the Exchange of Examination Related Data

Moderation cannot begin until we have received all the marks. Make sure you keep a copy of the marks for your records.

You don't need to send a copy of the marks to your moderator.

If a candidate did not produce work, the candidate should be submitted as absent.

If we do not receive your marks we will contact you.

View our step-by-step instructions on using Interchange to submit marks/grades.

As part of our work to increase our security arrangements, we’ve added two-factor authentication (2FA) to our secure website, Interchange. This means we’ve changed the way you log into Interchange. For more information, see our Interchange page.

Submitting mark or grade amendments

If you discover an error with a previously submitted candidate mark, you will need to complete the Amendment to centre marks or Amendment to endorsement grades form:

• Log in to Interchange , click on ‘Resources and materials’ and then ‘Forms and documents’ and download the form.
• Complete the form, providing the original total and amended total mark/grade for the component.
• Email the form to [email protected] from a centre email address.
• Send a copy of the Amendment to centre marks form to the moderator (you do not need to send the Amendment to endorsement grades form).

If you amend a mark after moderation has started, we may require the work relating to the relevant candidate.

If this is the case, we will let you know and tell you where to send the work.

Moderator address information

You will be sent address labels to send the marks and forms to the moderator. (You will also be sent enough copies of the labels to send candidate work to the moderator.)

If you have still not received your labels three days before the mark submission deadline, you can request emergency moderator address information from Interchange .

To do this, log in to Interchange , hover over ‘Resources and materials’ in the left menu, click on ‘Emergency exam labels’ and follow the on-screen instructions. 

Requests should be processed within 12 hours.

Before posting the sample of work to the moderator, make sure the address on the moderator label matches the address on the sample request. 

If it doesn't, please contact our Customer Support Centre .

Sample requests

Once you have submitted your marks to OCR, you will receive a moderation sample request.

For most specifications you will receive a sample request via email from [email protected] (see Exceptions below).

Once we start to send sample requests (usually at the beginning of the month in which the mark submission deadline falls), you will normally receive a sample request within one or two days of submitting your marks.

If you are part of a consortium we will wait until we have received marks from each centre before sending a sample request.

Samples will include work from across the range of attainment of the candidates’ work.

The size of the sample we request depends on the number of candidates for the relevant unit/component:

As we send sample requests via email, it’s essential the email address we hold for your exams officer is correct.

This is the address that is held on the JCQ National Centre Number Register.

If you need to change this email address and, therefore, your exams officer contact details, please send the updated details on centre-headed paper to the JCQ National Centre Number Register as an email attachment to [email protected] .

We can only hold one email address per centre so please do not change this address unless you wish all exams office communications to be sent to a different address.

You will not receive a sample request for the GCSE (9-1) English Language Spoken Language endorsement. Instead, you should select the sample as described on the endorsements page and submit by the mark submission deadline.

You will not receive a sample request for the Entry Level Physical Education (R463). Once you've submitted marks (by 15 May), a moderator will contact your centre to request moderation samples.

Submitting a sample of candidate work

Depending on the final entry option, candidate samples can be submitted via digital upload using Submit for Assessment, post or via a moderation visit. 

• When making your final entries, the entry option specifies how to submit the sample of work for each unit/component.
• For each of these units/components, all candidate marks and work must be submitted to the moderator using the same entry option. 
• It is not possible for centres to offer both options for a unit within the same series, but you can choose different options for different units.

Submitting work via Submit for Assessment

Submit for Assessment enables centres to submit candidate work electronically for moderation and is an option for most specifications. (You can check this in the entry codes booklet .) 

You should select this option when you make your entries. Once you receive your sample request, you should upload the work to Submit for Assessment within three working days of receiving the request. 

June 2024 series : For non-exam assessment which is not moderated you will still need to use the OCR Repository if you want to use the upload option. This applies to the following components:

• AS Level Music H143/01/02 and A Level Music H543/01/02/03/04 – examined
• A Level Drama and Theatre H459/21/22 and GCSE Drama J316/03 – visiting examiner
• GCSE English Language J351/03 – spoken language endorsement

Submitting work via post

The sample of candidate work must be posted to the moderator within three working days of receiving the request.

Please ensure the address on the moderator label matches the address provided on the sample request. If they do not match, please use the address provided on the sample request and make sure to use labels for the correct series (not leftover labels from previous series). 

On rare occasions, work can get lost in the postal system. We strongly advise you to keep evidence of work submitted to the moderator, e.g. copies of annotated versions of written work or photographs of practical work.

You should obtain a certificate of posting for all work posted to the moderator.  

Please ensure you include a return address on the packaging, just in case there is a problem with the delivery. We recommend you do not use courier services or other specialist postage methods, as moderators may experience difficulty receiving deliveries, which can delay moderation.

Sending removable data

If you’re sending removable media such as USBs, DVDs, etc, we recommend you send unencrypted data wherever possible. If you have no other option than to use encrypted data:

• Save the work as usual.
• Clearly label the removable data with your centre number and component number and send it to the OCR assessor.
• Print the password out together with your centre name, number and component details and send it to the assessor in a separate package.
• Email OCR at [email protected] with your centre number, the component number and the password.

Arranging visiting moderation

For some units/components (see the entry codes booklet ), rather than posting or uploading the sample, the sample will be viewed by a visiting moderator. 

The moderator arranges a visit at a date and time convenient to both parties. 

For GCSE, AS and A Level Art and Design, the moderator will contact centres once the marks are received to arrange a visit. 

Instructions for arranging Physical Education internally assessed performance can be found on the Physical Education visits and filmed evidence page.

Instructions for arranging externally examined performances can be found on the Drama and Theatre performances page.

Visiting moderator identification

Due to internal safeguarding policies we appreciate centres may need to see identification from visiting moderators before they are allowed access to the site. We do not issue visiting moderators with any form of identification, and we have advised moderators they should bring the following with them to any visit:

• A valid form of photo identification (e.g. passport, driver’s licence)
• A copy of their OCR invitation to moderate
• A valid DBS certificate if they have one (we do not require visiting moderators to hold a valid DBS certificate in order to fulfil the role).

We also suggest visiting moderators arrange to meet their named contact on arrival at the centre, as they will have the moderator’s details and can verify these with their identification.

If your safeguarding policy requires some form of supervision for visitors whilst on site, this requirement should be discussed with the moderator before the visit so there is no impact on the moderation process.

We have advised visiting moderators of what identification they should take with them on visits; however, if you have any concerns then please contact our Customer Support Centre.

Lost, missing, damaged or incomplete work

In the case of a candidate for whom the internally assessed work has been lost or is missing, or where the work is damaged or is incomplete, then you must apply for special consideration . 

In addition, if the candidate concerned forms part of the requested sample, you must substitute an equivalent candidate’s work on, or as near as possible to, the same mark point. 

In certain circumstances we may request to see incomplete portfolio evidence where an application has been made.

External moderation

Usually, internally assessed units are externally moderated. 

Moderation is designed to bring the marking of internally assessed units in all participating centres to an agreed standard by checking a sample of the marking of candidate work. 

At this stage, centres may be required to resolve any issues the moderator discovers during the external moderation. 

Centres may receive one of the following requests, usually by email.

• Additional sample request – If the moderator needs you to provide additional work for moderation, please respond as quickly as possible so your candidates’ results are not delayed.
• Notification of clerical errors – We have amended the internally assessed marks you provided, usually following an incorrect transcription or incorrect addition of the marks. You must follow the instructions on the form and make sure the remaining work, which was not part of the sample, is checked. If you disagree with the changed mark(s) indicated on the clerical error notification form, please email  [email protected] within 5 days of receipt. 
• Notification of inconsistent marking – Where a consistent pattern of inaccurate marking can be established, marks will be adjusted in line with the JCQ guidelines. Where no consistent pattern can be established, the work may be returned to you with feedback, to mark again. You will need to submit the new marks to OCR and return the sample to the moderator before moderation can continue. In exceptional circumstances work may need to be remarked a second time. In such cases, the moderator will arrange to call the teacher to support them in reaching a resolution.

Outcomes of moderation

Centres will usually receive the outcome of moderation when the provisional results are issued. 

The following reports will be issued via Interchange .

• Moderation adjustments report – This lists any scaling that has been applied to internally assessed units or components. This report is updated twice – once after results are released and once after the post‐results period.
• Moderator report to centres – This is a brief report by the moderator on the internal assessment of candidates’ work. (PE reports are issued in hard copy rather than via Interchange.)

Use of candidate work

If work was posted to OCR for moderation or selected during visiting moderation, it will normally be returned to centres. 

However, we may be required to retain some items as exemplar material for awarding, regulation, archive, teacher training and educational purposes. 

We will inform you if work is required. In some circumstances, we may need to request work from a centre. 

In such cases, your co-operation in supplying material is much appreciated. 

Candidate work should be retained by centres under secure conditions until after the deadline for review of results or until any appeal, malpractice or other results enquiry has been completed, whichever is later. This applies to all work – whether or not it was part of the moderation sample.