National 4 Art and Design
Course Specification
This explains the overall structure of the Course, including its purpose and aims and information on the skills, knowledge and understanding that will be developed.
- National 4 Art and Design Course Specification
September 2014
Unit Specifications
These provide an outline of what each Unit will cover within the following Unit Specifications and detail the Outcomes and Assessment Standards.
Added Value Unit Specification
These define the mandatory requirements for the Added Value Unit, including the Outcomes and Assessment Standards.
They also include the further mandatory information on Course coverage for the National 4 Course and include information on the assessment method to be used and the conditions of assessment.
Added Value Unit Assessment
The Art and Design Added Value Unit assessment is a practical activity. While describing what candidates must do, the published assessment offers considerable flexibility in the choice of a context for the assessment.
In the assessment, candidates select one expressive and one design development idea from their previous work, which they use as the basis for planning and producing a finished piece of expressive art work and a design solution. Candidates will then evaluate the final piece of expressive art work and the design solution.
Centres can access the assessment through their SQA Co-ordinator.
As with all SQA Unit assessments, Added Value Unit assessments must be internally verified by centres.
Course and Unit Support Notes
These provide advice and guidance for teachers/lecturers on learning, teaching and assessment within the Course and its Units.
Past Papers and Marking Instructions
Unit Assessment Support
These documents contain details of Unit assessment task(s), show approaches to gathering evidence and how the evidence can be judged against the Outcomes and Assessment Standards. Teachers/lecturers can arrange access to these confidential documents through their SQA Co-ordinator.
Verification and Course reports
- Art and Design Qualification Verification Summary Report July 2024
- Art and Design Qualification Verification Summary Report June 2023
- Art and Design Qualification Verification Summary Report June 2022
Further information on the verification process
Understanding Standards
The following presentations were delivered at CPD events for National 3, National 4, National 5 and Higher Art and Design Courses. They can be used by Nominees to help pass on information to colleagues in their school, college or local authority. Equally, anyone delivering the new National Courses may find the contents helpful in understanding the required standards.