WJEC Eduqas GCSE Art & Design: Art, Craft & Design specification (C650)
Understanding the exam specification is key to doing well in your WJEC Eduqas GCSE Art & Design: Art, Craft & Design exam. It lays out exactly what you need to learn, how you'll be assessed, and what skills the examiners seek. Whether you're working through the course for the first time or revising for your final exams, the specification helps you stay focused and confident in your preparation.
We've included helpful revision tools to support you in putting the specification into practice. Wherever you're starting from, you'll find everything you need to feel prepared, from the official specification to high-quality resources designed to help you succeed.
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In the next section, you'll find a simplified summary of the official WJEC Eduqas GCSE Art & Design: Art, Craft & Design specification, along with a breakdown of key topics, assessment structure, and useful study resources. We've also included links to topic-level guides and revision tools to help you put the specification into practice.
Contents
Disclaimer
This page includes a summary of the official WJEC Eduqas GCSE Art & Design: Art, Craft & Design (C650) specification, provided to support your revision. While we've made every effort to ensure accuracy, Save My Exams is not affiliated with the awarding body.
For the most complete and up-to-date information, we strongly recommend consulting the official WJEC Eduqas specification PDF.
Specification overview
The GCSE in Art & Design: Art, Craft & Design offers a broad and flexible course that promotes creative thinking, exploration, and making across multiple disciplines. It encourages learners to work with a range of media, materials and processes, developing personal ideas and responses informed by the study of historical and contemporary practitioners. The course supports imaginative risk-taking, critical understanding and problem-solving, preparing students for further study in art, craft and design fields and related career pathways.Subject content breakdown
Art, Craft & Design
Students must work across at least two of the endorsed titles:
- Fine Art – including drawing, painting, sculpture, installation.
- Textile Design – printed, dyed, constructed, or embellished textiles.
- Graphic Communication – branding, illustration, typography.
- Three-Dimensional Design – ceramics, product or architectural design.
- Photography – digital or film-based photographic practice.
Students must:
- Explore formal elements such as line, form, texture, colour, and composition.
- Use a wide range of techniques and processes in both 2D and/or 3D forms.
- Investigate artists, craftspeople and designers relevant to their work.
- Develop, refine and record ideas through practical and written means.
- Present a personal, informed and meaningful final outcome.
Assessment structure
Component 1: Portfolio (non-exam assessment)
- Worth 60% of total qualification.
- Set and marked by the centre; externally moderated.
- Must include:
- A sustained project developed in response to a theme or issue.
- A selection of further work showing breadth of study.
- Must address all assessment objectives:
- AO1: Develop ideas through investigations.
- AO2: Refine work by experimenting with materials and processes.
- AO3: Record ideas, observations and insights.
- AO4: Present a personal and meaningful response.
Component 2: Externally Set Assignment
- Worth 40% of total qualification.
- Released in January of Year 11.
- Includes preparatory period and 10 hours of sustained focused work.
- Final piece produced under supervised conditions.
- All assessment objectives assessed holistically.
Key tips for success
Doing well in your WJEC Eduqas GCSE Art & Design: Art, Craft & Design isn't just about how much you study, but how you study. Here are a few proven tips to help you stay on track
- Start with a clear plan: Break the subject into topics and create a revision schedule that allows enough time for each. Start early to avoid last-minute stress.
- Focus on understanding, not memorising: Use our revision notes to build a strong foundation in each topic, making sure you actually understand the material.
- Practise regularly: Attempt past papers to familiarise yourself with the exam format and timing. Mark your answers to see how close you are to full marks.
- Be strategic with your revision: Use exam questions by topic to focus on weaker areas, and flashcards to reinforce important facts and terminology.
- Learn from mistakes: Whether it's from mock exams or practice questions, spend time reviewing what went wrong and why. This helps prevent repeat mistakes in the real exam.
- Stay balanced: Don't forget to take regular breaks, eat well, and get enough sleep, a healthy routine makes revision much more effective.
With the right approach and consistent practice, you'll build confidence and improve your chances of exam success.
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