New GCEs for 2008

GCE Art and Design (2200)

Important notice – July 2008

The AS and A Level certification codes for the new GCE Art and Design (2200) specification have changed as follows:

Page 4	AS Award:	1201A–1206F
Page 4	A Level award:	2201A–2206F
Page 23	AS certification:	1201A, 1202B, 1203C, 1204D, 1205E and 1206F
Page 23	A Level certification:	2201A, 2202B, 2203C, 2204D, 2205E and 2206F

Introduction

Introducing AQA's new course specification for Art and Design for AS and A Level. This new specification has been designed to:

enable candidates to develop personal responses to ideas, observations, experiences, environments and cultures
extend the existing flexibility to allow students and teachers to work from their strengths
provide an appropriate foundation for further study of Art and Design or related subjects in Higher Education

The following information and specification outline will enable both practising Teachers and Subject Heads to be better informed and supported in the teaching of this subject, particularly if attending one of AQA's Teacher Support meetings.

Classification Codes

Every specification is assigned a national classification codes indicating the subject area to which it belongs. The classification code for this specification are:

Art and Design 3510
Graphic Communication 3550
Photography 3570
Textile Design 3650
3-D Design 3670
Fine Art 3690

Centres should be aware that candidates who enter for more than one GCE AS/A level qualification with the same classification code will have only one grade (the highest) counted for the purpose of the School and College Performance Tables.

Centres may wish to advise candidates that, if they take two specifications with the same classification code, universities and employers are very likely to take the view that they have achieved only one of the two GCE AS/A levels. The same view may be taken if candidates take two GCE AS/A level specifications that have different classification codes but have significant overlap of content. Candidates who have any doubts about their subject combinations should check with the university to which they wish to progress or company they wish to join, before embarking on their programmes.

Why choose Art and Design?

Reduction to four units, two at AS and two at A2
Burden of assessment on teachers reduced
Revised assessment criteria applied to both AS and A2
Teacher Standardisation meetings held annually and free of charge
The flexibility of the current specification has been retained and further developed
All units marked out of 80 to allow for better discrimination between candidates.