Component 02: Externally set task — OCR A-Level Art and Design

The OCR A-Level Art and Design Component 02: Externally set task is a timed, independent project where students respond to a chosen theme from an externally set paper, producing preparatory studies and a final outcome in 15 hours of supervised time. It assesses your ability to research, develop ideas, refine skills, and present a personal response, with marks awarded for context, experimentation, and critical reflection.

Component 02: Externally set task is the final component of the OCR A-Level Art and Design qualification, worth 40% of the total A-Level. It is an externally set assignment, meaning the exam board provides a paper with a range of themes or starting points. You must choose one theme and independently develop a personal response over a period of preparation, culminating in a 15-hour supervised examination where you produce your final outcome. This component assesses your ability to work independently, synthesise research, and demonstrate technical and conceptual skills.

The preparation period is crucial: you are expected to produce a substantial body of work in your sketchbook or journal, including mind maps, artist research, primary and secondary source drawings, experiments with media, and critical annotations. This preparatory work is not just a requirement but a vital part of the assessment, as it evidences your creative journey and thinking. The final 15-hour exam is a controlled environment where you create your final piece, but you can bring your preparatory work into the exam to inform your decisions.

This component is designed to test your ability to work like an artist: to explore ideas, take risks, and refine your work. It is not just about technical skill but about how you develop and communicate your personal interpretation of the theme. Success requires strong time management, a clear understanding of the assessment objectives, and a willingness to experiment and reflect. The externally set task is your opportunity to showcase your individual strengths and interests, so choose a theme that genuinely inspires you.

• →Independent study: The ability to plan and manage your own project from initial ideas to final outcome, showing initiative and personal direction.
• →Assessment objectives: AO1 (Contextual Understanding), AO2 (Creative Making), AO3 (Reflection and Evaluation), AO4 (Personal Presentation) – all four are equally weighted and must be addressed.
• →Preparatory work: The sketchbook or journal that documents your research, experiments, and reflections; it is assessed alongside the final outcome.
• →Personal response: Your unique interpretation of the theme, showing how you have synthesised influences and developed your own artistic voice.
• →Time management: The ability to allocate time effectively across preparation and the 15-hour exam to ensure a polished final piece.

• Evidence of independent development of ideas through sustained and focused investigations.
• Material informed by contextual and other sources that informs the development of practical work.
• Evidence of all four assessment objectives (AO1, AO2, AO3, AO4) across the submission as a whole.
• Appropriate selection and presentation of work (e.g., sketchbooks, mounted sheets, maquettes, prototypes, digital presentations, animation, scale models, or illustrated written work).
• Demonstration of critical and contextual understanding embedded throughout investigative processes, research, and practical work.
• Evidence of drawing skills appropriate to the chosen specialism.
• Evidence of the ability to review and refine work as it progresses.

• 💡Ensure the portfolio is viewed as a whole to demonstrate the journey of the creative process.
• 💡Carefully select, organise, and present work to ensure evidence of meeting all four assessment objectives is clear.
• 💡Ensure contextual referencing is evidenced through evaluation of historical and contemporary practitioners, creative industries, societies, cultures, and popular culture.
• 💡Use the 'best-fit' approach when applying marking criteria.
• 💡Ensure the standard applied in marking is consistent with the requirements for the chosen specialism.
• 💡Tip 1: Use your preparatory work to tell a story. Annotate everything, explaining why you made choices and how each piece of work has influenced the next. This demonstrates AO3 and helps examiners understand your thought process.
• 💡Tip 2: In the 15-hour exam, start with a clear plan and stick to it. Allocate time for initial setup, main creation, and final evaluation. Don't spend too long on one area; keep a checklist of AOs to ensure you address all of them.
• 💡Tip 3: Choose a theme that you are genuinely interested in. Your passion will show in the depth of your research and the quality of your final piece. Avoid clichéd themes unless you can offer a fresh perspective.

• Using OCR-produced exemplar material for summative assessment.
• Failure to clearly distinguish the learner's own work from collected or transposed material.
• Lack of evidence for all four assessment objectives.
• Insufficient evidence of critical and contextual understanding.
• Failure to identify and acknowledge all sources consulted in a bibliography.
• Misconception: The final piece is the only thing that matters. Correction: The preparatory work is equally important and is assessed for all AOs. Examiners look at the journey, not just the destination.
• Misconception: You must cover every theme on the paper. Correction: You only need to choose one theme. Trying to cover multiple themes leads to superficial work and poor time management.
• Misconception: The 15-hour exam is a time to start creating from scratch. Correction: The exam is for producing your final outcome based on your preparatory work. You should have a clear plan and have already experimented with materials and techniques.

1. 1Week 1: Choose your theme and create a mind map of initial ideas. Conduct broad research on artists and movements related to the theme, and start a sketchbook with your findings.
2. 2Week 2: Narrow your focus to 2-3 artists and analyse their work in depth. Begin primary research (photographs, drawings from observation) and experiment with media that reflect the artists' techniques.
3. 3Week 3: Develop your ideas further by combining influences and experimenting with composition, colour, and materials. Annotate all experiments, reflecting on what worked and what didn't.
4. 4Week 4: Plan your final piece, considering scale, media, and how it will be presented. Do a mock-up or small-scale version. Prepare all materials for the 15-hour exam.
5. 5Week 5: In the exam, execute your plan, but remain flexible to make improvements. After the exam, write a final evaluation that reflects on your process and outcome.

• 📋Question Type 1: 'Discuss how you have used preparatory work to develop your ideas for the externally set task.' – This is a reflective question that requires you to reference specific pages in your sketchbook and explain your creative journey. Advice: Use specific examples and link them to AOs.
• 📋Question Type 2: 'Evaluate the effectiveness of a chosen artist's work in relation to your theme.' – This tests your critical analysis skills. Advice: Use the Describe-Analyse-Interpret-Evaluate framework and connect the artist's work to your own.
• 📋Question Type 3: 'Plan your time for the 15-hour exam.' – This assesses your ability to manage time. Advice: Provide a detailed schedule with justifications for each step.
• 📋Question Type 4: 'Explain how you have addressed the assessment objectives in your work.' – This requires you to explicitly map your work to AO1-AO4. Advice: Use the language of the mark scheme and give concrete examples.