Always Learning
Always Learning
BTEC Firsts from 2012 and 2013 | Art and Design

Assessment
The new BTEC Firsts in Art and Design contain two forms of assessment:

  • Internal Assessment: Teacher-led assessment remains at the heart of the BTEC Firsts
  • External Assessment: Supporting teacher-led assessment; the right external assessment for the sector.

External Assessment: how it works
Building on the rigorous assessment standards expected of BTEC qualifications, the new BTEC Firsts in Art and Design include an externally assessed unit in all three sizes, comprising 25% of total assessment for the Award (120 GLH), 25% for the Certificate (240 GLH), 16% for the Extended Certificate (360 GLH) and 12.5% of the total assessment in the Diploma (480 GLH). We’ve designed the external assessment to be appropriate for the sector, reflecting the skills and aptitudes required for each profession.

Your Exams Officer can now make your external assessment bookings on Edexcel Online. Learn more.

Externally assessed units in BTEC Firsts in Art and Design

 Units  Unit Type  Type of external assessment

Award
120 GLH
Equivalent to 1 GCSE size

Unit 2 - Creative Project Core


The units will be externally set in the form of a paper, available to centres each year. The paper will provide an overall theme and guidance on interpretation of the theme as a brief in specialist disciplines.

Learners will need to develop a portfolio of work towards the brief, to show their skills and knowledge gained throughout the unit. Learners use the widest possible range of resources to develop work for the unit, with a ten hour period where they focus on production of final outcomes, under more controlled conditions.

Unit 7 is also externally set. The unit assesses learners’ ability to record from a stimulus while developing their creative intentions. Teachers will be given the theme three months in advance of the release of a paper (available to centres each year). The paper provides briefs in specialist disciplines which learners will choose from. They will develop their responses in the context of the theme and teacher-selected stimulus material in a 5-hour period.

In both units learners will be assessed against four learning aims, with criteria for Level 2 P/M/D and Level 1.
 

Certificate
240 GLH
Equivalent to 2 GCSE sizes

Extended Certificate
360 GLH
Equivalent to 3 GCSE sizes

Diploma
480 GLH
Equivalent to 4 GCSE sizes

Unit 2 - Creative Project

AND

Unit 7 - Recording for Creative Intentions in Art and Design

Core

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