IGCSE Exam

Room 9 students

Advice for art students whom feel confused before your first Art exam. Most do not really understand what they are doing when they have to do their first art examination. It will be easier with the second art examination, but nobody wants to go through the hectic last minute preparations one needs to go through if you did not prepare your supportive work efficiently. Otherwise you will end up just like ..............:

"I don't know what I am doing"

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and

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So, this will be a brief guide about what the exams are and how to approach the exams with some tips. If you are looking for a more detailed guide on how to approach Component 1 of the Exams go here - http://www.studentartguide.com/articles/cie-igcse-art-paper-1-exam

THE PAPERS

Candidates must either take:

Option A: Component 1 and Component 2

OR

Option B: Component 1 and Component 3

OR

Option C: Component 1 and Component 4

For each option Component 1 (Control test aka Exam) is mandatory. For more information on what the different components are click here :

http://www.cie.org.uk/images/164312-2016-syllabus.pdf

for the IGCSE Art Exam Syllabus 2016.

Option A: Component 1, the Observational/Interpretative Assignment

Component 2, the Design-based Assignment.

Difference between Component 1 and Component 2

These two components are very different.

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Component 1 is more about observational skills, sketching realistically as possible. Examples of Component 1 final exam piece would be still life and portraits.

You are also to write more reflections about your process and your work. (to help with this click here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/art/practicalities/annotatingevalyourwork1.shtml

Component 2 allows more creative freedom. It does not focus as much on realism - although you still have to do observational drawings. It is a design paper so it focuses more offering a solution to a design brief. For example, the question prompts that you are creating packaging for a new cosmetic line, then the solution would be creating functional, attractive packaging. It must be functional so you must include the company name, name of the product, etc. Examples of a Component 2 final exam piece would be a 3D piece, a comic cover, a CD cover, etc.

You don't need to write reflections for Component 2 but you would only need to annotate your preparatory paper with bullet points.

HOW TO APPROACH THE PAPERS

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Preparatory Period

The basic approach for both Components 1 and 2 are the same:

    1. Decide the question you are approaching within a week of receiving the question paper. I can't stress how important this is. The longer you hesitate on picking a question the less time you have to finish all your supporting studies.

    2. Narrow down the questions you are interested in to 2 or 3 questions. Then for each question do a brainstorm of all the possible ways you can approach the question, even the really bad ones. Do a quick research on all the ideas and discuss with your teacher which ideas are the best. Then pick the one you are most comfortable with. Check your ART BOOKS for a guide to picking subject matter. Also look at this link ( http://www.studentartguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/art-project-ideas-flowchart.gif ) to see an extremely helpful flowchart to help evaluate your ideas.

    3. Create a visual brainstorm. Get pictures of anything that inspires you to stick on your A2 preparation sheet. It doesn't have to be a lot. Don't forget to reference.

    4. Decide what observational studies and appropriations you needed to do. List all the observational studies and appropriations you need to do. So it can be ticked off when you've done them. Make sure that both the observational studies and your chosen artist to is relevant to the question and your idea.

    5. The examiner would want to see how these initial drawings tie in with your final piece. Make sure to do a minimum of 2 observational studies and 2 appropriations (applying influence of artist model). Examiners would also be looking for a range of appropriations. This means your chosen artist must contrast from each other. They can be from different time periods, use different medias, have different concepts, etc.

    6. For both Component 1 and 2, observational studies must have a high level of skill shown, focusing more on form, tone and realism. These studies must be from primary sources, that is personal photographs. You would need to briefly reflect on the observational studies on your preparatory sheet.

    7. Appropriations can be made from the same media as the artist or different. For Component 1, the appropriations should be from traditional artists, (not illustrators or designers as this is an observational assignment). You would also need to write a short artist research of around 60/70 words and reflection. For Component 2, appropriations can be from a range of sources: traditional artists, illustrators, logos, advertisements, magazine covers, etc. This is because the assignment is design-based. You don't need to write a lot but briefly annotate your appropriations. (investigations relevant to your topic/theme)

    8. Draw 3 thumbnails minimum. These thumbnails don't have to be in colour or very large. Though the smallest you might want to go is A5.

    9. Do a minimum of 2 media experimentation. Media experimentation would need to relate to your thumbnails and your chosen artists. You can experiment on the background colours, colour palette, techniques, etc.

    10. Refined thumbnail. Finalise your final thumbnail. This would be the composition of your final piece. I would suggest drawing it on paper that's half the size of your actual final exam piece. This way you know approximately how long it will take to finish your final piece.

The above is just the bare minimum you need to do. The IGCSE Art Exam is more like an independent art project where they give you the stimulus. Other then the above things you need to do you can also do composition experiments, if you are doing a comic cover you can do some character designs, font experimentation, etc.

General Tips during the Preparatory Period

    • The most important tip: Quality of work is more important than the amount of work: weaker work submitted may have a detrimental effect on the total mark awarded.

    • Plan out what you're going to do each week. You WILL regret it in the week before the exam if you don't. It can not be done last minute !!!! nute

  • Before the exam make sure that you've all the materials you need.

Exam Period

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  • The Exam period will be 8 hours long in total and you will be doing in several sessions.

  • Don't forget to bring your preparatory sheet with your supporting studies and any other materials to the first exam session!

  • After the first exam session you will not be allowed to bring any other additional materials.

  • You will be given around 20 minutes to prepare your materials, this is the only time when you can ask the invigilators for any art materials, fixing tables, etc.

  • You are allowed to move around the room to get water if you are painting, once the exam begins.

I hope this really helps clarify what the IGCSE Art Exam is and what you need to do so you don't end up all like:.........

For ALL your examinations, keep working and studying; you can do it!!!

Because studying is not so bad as failing