Is Art A Level Hard?

If you’re looking for a creative A Level, art could be a fantastic option. But is Art A Level hard?

Well, yes. It’s A Level Art requires a lot of hard work and dedication. But for the right student, it can be oh-so-worth-it. Here’s the full lowdown.

Psst! Finding an art tutor is a great way to bring the subject to life and help you reach your full potential.

What is A Level Art?

A Level Art is a diverse course that’s designed to teach students the techniques and skills necessary to create art – as well as about art as a whole.

This means that, alongside the practical elements of the course, you’ll also learn about art history and the different kinds of visual art out there – from paintings and sculptures to photography and graphic design.

Having said that, A Level Art is also a course that will give you a lot of freedom to develop your own creative practice. For much of the course, you’ll be able to choose what kind of work you want to do, and create your own portfolio with the guidance of your teachers.

Is A Level Art hard?

Yes! A Level Art can be a challenging subject.

It requires a significant amount of self-directed learning and independence. So, you’ll need to be hardworking and strongly motivated to succeed

Plus, you’ll need to be able to adapt your thinking to suit all the different elements of the course.

For the practical elements, technical skills and creative thinking are essential.

But you’ll also need to develop a strong understanding of the theory and principles behind art in general – requiring strong conceptual and critical thinking skills.

With all this in mind, A Level Art isn’t a walk in the park. But if you have a strong interest in the subject and a willingness to work hard, there’s no reason why you can’t succeed – and the pass rates reflect this.

In 2024, a whopping 99.1% of students studying art and design subjects passed their course (according to FFT Education Datalab). Meanwhile, 31.9% got at least a grade A – compared to the average of just 27.8% across all subjects.

What makes A Level Art courses hard?

It’s impossible to say for sure exactly how hard you’d find A Level Art.

Rather, it will all depend on your strengths, interests, work ethic and learning style. After all, every student is different!

That said, there are a few aspects of the course that Art A Level students tend to find particularly challenging.

Quantity of A Level Art work

First things first, students can often get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of work they need to complete.

Unlike other A Level subjects, there’s no exam to sit. Rather, most of your grade will be made up of coursework, with a timed assessment where you create a final piece under supervision.

In this way, A Level Art requires a big time commitment. Which brings us onto…

Time management

Being able to manage your time well is a crucial skill if you want to succeed in your Art A Level.

Since much of your grade is determined by coursework, you’ll need to dedicate significant time to your work – which you’ll also need to juggle with the requirements of the other subjects you choose to take at A Level.

Plus, as part of your assessment, you’ll need to create a final piece in 15 hours of supervised time (following a preparatory period). Planning how best to use those 15 hours can be difficult!

Personal accountability

A Level Art will give you a level of personal accountability that you likely won’t have encountered in your studies previously.

The benefits are that you’ll largely be able to choose the direction of your studies and explore areas that you have a real interest in. However, it does mean that the onus is on you. It’s important that you’re able to motivate yourself to get your work done.

Plus, honing your artistic abilities will require hard work and dedication. Even with natural ability, you won’t access the top grades without putting time and effort into your work.

Analytical skills

You’ll need an analytical and critical mind to do well in this course.

This is important in order to understand the subject matter you’re covering – like in any A Level subject. But it’s also important for interpreting subjective concepts, exploring their meaning and using them to inspire your own work.

Even in your practical work, you’ll need to be able to look critically at what you’ve created and reflect on your strengths and weaknesses in order to improve.

Creativity

Lastly, Art A Level requires you to embrace your creativity and take risks.

Remember, you’ll be leading the direction of your artistic exploration. And you’re responsible for picking out your A Level Art themes and ideas.

In this way, it helps if you have a strong interest in the subject. This will give you direction by allowing you to follow your passions and explore areas you’re truly interested in.

What does the A Level Art syllabus look like?

So, what does the A Level Art syllabus look like?

Well, it can look very different depending which specialism or ‘pathway’ you choose.

Essentially, all the main exam boards offer a range of A Level syllabuses – or specifications – under the collective title of ‘Art & Design.’

Broadly, these tend to be:

Art, craft and design
Fine art
Graphic communication
Textile design
Three-dimensional design
Photography

Some exam boards also offer a specialism in critical and conceptual studies.

However, whichever path you take, the pattern of work and assessment will be the same.

A Level Art exams

There aren’t any formal exams for A Level Art.

Instead, you’ll be assessed through two main components.

1. Personal investigation

The personal investigation accounts for 60% of your overall grade.

Essentially, this is a practical investigation into an idea, issue, concept or theme, which is supported by written material.

You’ll…

Work on coursework
Complete a final project
Write an essay of at least 1,000 words

This component is completed in your own time, and has no time limit.

2. Externally set assignment

The externally set task or assignment is worth 40% of your overall grade.

This is essentially a timed assessment where you have a few months to work on a theme before creating a final piece within a 15-hour time frame.

Preparatory period

At the start of the preparatory period, you’ll receive a question paper with potential themes or starting points for you to choose from.

You’ll then have around three months to work on your theme and prepare for your final piece.

Supervised time

You’ll have 15 hours of unaided, supervised time during which to create your final piece.

Don’t worry, you won’t have to sit the 15 hours all in one go. Rather, you’ll start with a block of at least three hours of supervised time, and then you’ll be able to complete the rest in separate chunks.

You can refer to your preparatory work in your supervised time, but you can’t add to it or amend it – and both your preparatory work and your final piece will have to be kept secure in between sessions.

Topics for A Level Art

As we’ve touched upon already, the art topics that you cover at A Level will vary depending on your specialism and exam board.

That said, all the specifications will require students to develop practical and theoretical knowledge and understanding of:

Relevant materials, processes, technologies and resources
How ideas, feelings and meanings can be conveyed and interpreted in images and artefacts
How images and artefacts relate to the time and place in which they were made and to their social and cultural contexts
Continuity and change in different genres, styles and traditions
A working vocabulary and specialist terminology.

They also require you to develop the skills to:

Record experiences and observations, in a variety of ways using drawing or other appropriate visual forms; undertake research; and gather, select and organise visual and other appropriate information
Explore relevant resources; analyse, discuss and evaluate images, objects and artefacts; and make and record independent judgements
Use knowledge and understanding of the work of others to develop and extend thinking and inform own work
Generate and explore potential lines of enquiry using appropriate media and techniques
Apply knowledge and understanding in making images and artefacts; review and modify work; and plan and develop ideas in the light of their own and others’ evaluations
Organise, select and communicate ideas, solutions and responses, and present them in a range of visual, tactile and/or sensory forms.

How to get an A in A Level Art

A Level Art is a challenging course. But with the right approach to your workload, there’s no reason why you can’t pass it with flying colours.

Here are our top tips for how to get an A in A Level Art.

1. Know what to expect

First things first, it’s important to know exactly what to expect in your A Level Art assessments.

Head over to your exam board’s specification to understand exactly what you’re going to be marked on in each component, so that you can tick every box.

2. Practise your artistic techniques

Natural talent is one thing, but practice makes perfect.

Honing your practical skills takes time, perseverance and dedication – but it’s worth it!

3. Be organised

Don’t leave it until tomorrow (or the next day, or the next!).

Staying on top of your workload – and organising your time – is key to meeting your deadlines and handing in work that’s the best quality.

4. Ask for help

If you’re getting behind, struggling with motivation, or need extra help honing a technique, you don’t have to struggle alone.

An A Level Art tutor is an expert who can give you one-on-one attention to help boost your confidence and grades. In fact, 90% of Tutorful students improve by at least one grade!

5. Reflect on your practice

Learning to reflect on your own practice will help you to improve and hone your skills.

That doesn’t mean beating yourself up over mistakes! Instead, look at your work objectively and pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses to make the necessary adjustments.

6. Follow what interests you

Students can easily get stuck trying to select A Level Art ideas, themes and inspiration.

Instead of racking your brains for what you think you should choose, focus on exploring the areas that interest you most. This will help to motivate you to work hard – and your passion will shine through in your work!

Find a tutor to help bring A Level Art to life

Art can be an enjoyable subject – especially if you have a passion for creating visual work.

But it still requires hard work, dedication and perseverance if you’re going to access the top grades.

To make sure you can keep up with the demands of this course, why not find an A Level tutor who’ll have your back every step of the way?

Our Art A Level tutors are experts at bringing the subject to life.

They’ll give you one-on-one attention you won’t get at college, helping you to hone your skills and tailoring their plans to suit your strengths, weaknesses and learning style.

In this way, they’ll help you to reach your full potential every time.

FAQs

Is Art A Level worth it?

Yes! Art A Level is absolutely worth it for the right student.

It’s invaluable for aspiring artists, as the course provides a fantastic platform to help you explore your creativity and hone your skills.

But regardless of your career aspirations, it’ll also provide you with transferable skills that will stand you in good stead throughout your life – including analytical skills, communication skills, and the ability to think outside the box.

Is art one of the hardest A levels?

That depends on what kind of learner you are. If you struggle with time management, personal accountability and motivation, art is certainly going to be one of the harder A Levels you could choose.

Curious as to how different subjects compare for difficulty? Check out more of our A Level difficulty guides:

Is it hard to get an A in Art A Level?

Yes, it’s hard to get an A in Art A Level. However, a higher proportion of students tend to get an A in Art A Level compared to other subjects.

In 2024, 31.9% got at least a grade A in Art and Design A Levels – compared to 27.8% across all subjects (according to FFT Education Datalab).

How many people get A* in Art A Level?

In 2024, 13.9% of A Level Art and Design students got an A* (according to FFT Education Datalab). This is significantly higher than the average of 9.3% across all subjects.
Remember, an art tutor can help you to reach your potential and access higher grades.