Comparative Guide: Art & Design (IGCSE & O Level) in Bangladesh
For schools in Bangladesh, Art & Design offers powerful routes into creativity, culture and local industry (textiles, graphics, media). This page compares Cambridge O Level Art & Design (6090) and Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Art & Design (9–1), focusing on assessment structure, specialisms, and practical implications for teaching and learning.
Cambridge O Level Art & Design (6090)
Content & Structure
- Component 1: Portfolio (60%) — A coherent body of practical work developed across the course.
- Component 2: Externally Set Assignment (40%) — Preparatory studies plus an 8-hour timed test.
- Areas of study (examples): Painting & other media, Graphic communication, 3D design, Textiles/Fashion, Photography.
Implications for Teaching
- Flexible framework: departments can mix areas of study to match staff expertise and available facilities.
- Plan a structured portfolio journey: recording → developing → refining → presenting, with periodic crits and annotation.
Implications for Students
- Emphasis on sustained experimentation and personal response, with clear sketchbook/process evidence.
- Timed test rewards confident media handling and the ability to resolve ideas under exam conditions.
Opportunities
- Wide latitude to localise projects (e.g., textile traditions, craft processes, urban Dhaka visual culture).
Cambridge O Level Art & Design (6090)
Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Art & Design (9–1)
Content & Structure
- Component 1: Personal Portfolio (50%) — Practical portfolio evidencing the full creative process.
- Component 2: Externally Set Assignment (50%) — Preparatory work plus a 10-hour timed test.
- Endorsed titles (choose one for both components): Fine Art (4FA1), Graphic Communication (4GC1), Photography (4PY1), Textile Design (4TE1), Three-Dimensional Design (4TD1).
Implications for Teaching
- Depth within a single endorsement: map skills progression (materials, techniques, processes) to that title.
- Embed assessment objectives (develop ideas, refine, record, present) across schemes of work and critiques.
Implications for Students
- Consistent focus in one area supports portfolio coherence and specialism-specific skills.
- 10-hour exam requires stamina and project management from initial idea to final outcome.
Opportunities
- Strong alignment with creative industry pathways (graphics, photography, textiles) and higher-level study.
Edexcel International GCSE Art & Design (9–1)
Key Comparisons at a Glance
Use this to align assessment, specialisms and evidence requirements with your department’s facilities and expertise.
| Qualification | Components & Weighting | Timed Test | Specialisms / Endorsements | Assessment Evidence | Marking Focus (AOs) | Notes for Curriculum Design | Official Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge O Level Art & Design (6090) | Portfolio 60% Externally Set Assignment 40% |
8 hours | Flexible areas (e.g., Painting, Graphics, 3D, Textiles, Photography) | Sketchbooks/process studies; experimentation; final outcomes; annotation | Develop ideas; explore/refine media; record; present/resolution | Mix areas of study to match staff skills; stage interim reviews; build local/contextual studies | Cambridge 6090 |
| Edexcel Int. GCSE Art & Design (9–1) | Personal Portfolio 50% Externally Set Assignment 50% |
10 hours | Choose ONE title: Fine Art; Graphics; Photography; Textiles; 3D Design | Portfolio journey; prep studies; realised outcome(s) within chosen title | AO1 Develop; AO2 Refine; AO3 Record; AO4 Present | Go deep in one endorsement; map technique ladders; plan specialist resources/workflows per title | Edexcel (9–1) |
Conclusion
Both Cambridge O Level and Edexcel International GCSE assess a full creative process from investigation to resolution. Cambridge offers broader in-course flexibility across areas of study, while Edexcel asks students to go deep in one endorsement — helpful when you want clear specialism tracks (e.g., Graphics or Photography). In Bangladesh, most departments can localise projects to available media and facilities; scheduling critiques and building strong process evidence are key to success in either route.
