The A Level is also made up of two components:

COMPONENT 1: PERSONAL INVESTIGATION

Component 1 incorporates two linked elements, Part 1: practical work and Part 2: personal study, a submission of a piece of continuous prose of a minimum of 1000 words.

The investigation and development for both the practical work and personal study will be shown through supporting studies.

In this component, students will have opportunities to generate practical work, ideas and research from primary, secondary and contextual sources. They will experiment with media and processes and develop and refine their ideas, presenting their outcomes.

Component 1 incorporates two major elements: supporting studies and personal outcome(s). These elements are connected and should support each other. 

Supporting studies in the Personal Investigation may include sketchbooks, notebooks, worksheets, design sheets, large-scale rough studies, samples, swatches, test pieces and / or digital material – anything that fully shows your progress through the unit towards an outcome. This personal outcome(s) will be created nearer to the end of this component, as draw your final ideas together and make conclusions.

During Year 12 students will usually respond to a centre set theme. In Year 13 students embark on their own journey through a ‘self-titled’ theme. This gives students the freedom to personalise their investigations further linking to future careers or interests. Part 2: personal study is attached to the ‘self-titled’ theme.

COMPONENT 2: EXTERNALLY SET ASSIGNMENT (not applicable for cohort of 2020-21)

This component represents the conclusion of the A-Level course. The paper consists of one broad-based thematic starting point which Edexcel provides.

Component 2 is intended to build on students’ knowledge, skills and understanding gained from their experiences from Component 1.

The paper is given candidates on the first day of February or as soon as possible after that date to provide a preparation period. 

During a fifteen (15) hour period of sustained focus, students’ will produce a final outcome(s) unaided, under controlled examination conditions.

All four assessment objectives must be covered:

AO1 - Develop their ideas through investigations informed by contextual and other sources, demonstrating analytical and cultural understanding.

AO2 - Refine their ideas through experimenting and selecting appropriate resources, media, materials, techniques and processes.

AO3 - Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to their intentions in visual and/or other forms.

AO4 - Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating analytical and critical understanding, realising intentions and, where appropriate, making connections between visual, written, oral or other elements.