Syllabus and Examination Information

This Wolsey Hall course is designed to prepare you for the Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Art and Design (Fine Art) examination.  This course does not require you to register with a local exam centre as both components are assessed remotely.  For Component 1 you will submit coursework for external assessment, and for Component 2 you will undertake a 10-hour period of assessed work under remote invigilation conditions. 

IMPORTANT: COURSE VALIDITY  

This course is valid for students sitting the International GCSE Art and Design exam in 2026. If you are not planning to sit the exam in 2026, please contact your SPM immediately. 

It is vitally important that you become familiar with the syllabus which can be found here Download here. 

The examination code for International GCSE Art and Design (Fine Art) (Graded 9 to 1) is 4FA1. 

For this International GCSE, you will complete two components: 

Component 1 – Personal Portfolio 

The theme of component 1 is internally set (Wolsey Hall) and externally marked (Edexcel). Students work on their personal portfolio in modules 3-6 of year one, and modules 7, 8, 11 and 12 of year two. The portfolio is submitted electronically (ePortfolio) by the end of May of year two. This component counts as 50% of the total International GCSE, with a total of 72 marks available for this component. 

  • Students create a personal portfolio of work that demonstrates the knowledge, understanding and skills for Fine Art.  
  • Wolsey Hall will provide a list of eight possible themes, from which students choose one to develop as their personal portfolio.  
  • Students create work as physical copy (eg in a sketchbook) and then take photographs of it to compile a digital record, or ePortfolio. Each module ends with an assignment which requires students to upload to Canvas a pdf of selected photographs representing the focus of that particular module. These assignments will then form the body of work from which the ePortfolio will be compiled.

Assessment 

For their Component 1 assessment, students must submit: 

  • Three sheets of supporting studies 
  • One sheet of final outcome/s 
  • Work which shows evidence of all four Assessment Objectives 

The above will be submitted as photographs in an ePortfolio; the photographs must be good quality, in colour and of a size sufficient to show detail of the piece. In general, four photographs of each original piece taken from different angles will be sufficient. These must be clearly displayed with no overhanging/folded photos, notes or other material. 

This component gives students opportunities to:  

  • develop and explore ideas  
  • research primary and contextual sources  
  • experiment with media, materials, techniques and processes  
  • present personal response(s) to theme(s) set by the centre.  

Component 2 – Externally Set Assignment 

Component 2 is externally set and marked (Edexcel). The theme is released by Pearson on 2nd January each year and students then work through modules 9 and 10 to prepare for a timed examination which is 10 hours of sustained focus.  This examination must be completed and submitted no later than 31st May in year two. Both the preparatory supporting studies and the timed examination work will be submitted (separately) for final assessment. This component counts as 50% of the total International GCSE, with a total of 72 marks available for this component. 

  • Students create a personal response to the broad-based theme externally set by the exam board.  
  • The 10-hour sustained focus period under examination conditions (remotely invigilated) may take place over multiple sessions (a maximum of four within three consecutive weeks).
  • Students’ work must comprise preparatory studies and a personal response.
  • Preparatory studies will consist of a portfolio of development work based on the theme (Module Nine).
  • During the 10-hour exam (Module Ten), students will work unaided to produce a personal response, with reference to their preparatory studies.
  • Students’ work must show evidence of all four Assessment Objectives.

Assessment 

For their Component 2 assessment, students must submit: 

  • Three sheets of supporting studies 
  • One sheet of final outcome/s 
  • Work which shows a personal response to the theme and which covers all four Assessment Objectives

The above will be submitted as a portfolio of photographs; the photographs must be good quality, in colour and of a size sufficient to show detail of the piece. In general, four photographs of each original piece taken from different angles will be sufficient. These must be clearly displayed with no overhanging/folded photos, notes or other material. 

For more detailed information on the exams, see ‘Qualification at a glance’ on pages 6 and 7 of the syllabus Download syllabus. 

KEY DATES FOR THIS COURSE

  • You must begin year one of this course no later than 1st November. 
  • Modules Seven and Eight must be completed by 31st December of year two. 
  • Component 2 theme released by Pearson on 2nd January of year two – this signals the start of work in Modules Nine and Ten, which must be completed by early April (Wolsey Hall deadline) for submission to Pearson by 31st May (exam board deadline) 
  • Modules Eleven and Twelve are the final opportunities to complete work on your Component 1 ePortfolio for submission by Wolsey Hall to the exam board by 31st May.