Art and Design (Expressive)
Points of change and areas of stability across National 5, new Higher and new Advanced Higher
The new National Courses at National 5 combine popular and relevant topics of study from Standard Grade and Intermediate 1 and 2 Courses.
The new National Courses at Higher combine popular and relevant topics of study from the existing Higher.
The new National Courses at Advanced Higher combine popular and relevant topics of study from the existing Advanced Higher.
These new Courses also introduce revised content and revised methods of assessment, increasing personalisation and choice for learners.
The Art and Design Courses are explored through the following areas of study:
National 5 and Higher:
Advanced Higher:
 Expressive art (National 5)
 Artists/designers and their work (National 5)
 Expressive Activity (Higher)
 Expressive Studies Unit
 Expressive Enquiry Unit
Through these areas of study, learners will develop specific skills for learning, skills for life and skills for work. The development of subject-specific
and generic skills is central to all Courses. Learners will develop these skills and techniques in context and they should be made aware of the skills
they are developing and of their transferability. It is this aspect of skills development that will help learners progress to further study or the world of
work.
This Advanced Higher Course has been designed to allow a considerable degree of flexibility in the contexts for learning, increasing personalisation
and choice for learners. In this Advanced Higher Course learners’ creative work will focus only on expressive art and art studies, allowing them to
extend and develop their creative experience in a more focused manner than at lower levels. Learners should be self-directed and working more
independently at this level. They should be given scope for determining the contexts for their creative learning.
Course/level
Areas/topics
of study
National 5 (SCQF 5)
Higher (SCQF 6)
The National 5 Course is designed to
allow a considerable degree of flexibility
in themes/topics which can be used for
learning, increasing personalisation and
choice for learners. At this level,
learners should be given increased
scope for negotiating the contexts for
learning.
The Higher Course is designed to allow
a considerable degree of flexibility in
themes/topics which can be used for
learning, increasing personalisation and
choice for learners. At this level, learners
should be given scope for negotiating
the contexts for learning.
Advanced Higher (SCQF 7)
At Advanced Higher:
 This Course has two mandatory
Units.
 There are no optional Units in the
new Course.
 Art Studies is a discrete Unit at this
level. Centres are still encouraged to
link this Unit with learner’s practical
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At National 5:
At Higher:
 There is a new two-Unit structure.
Knowledge of art and design
practice is now included in the
practical Units.
 As with Standard Grade and
Intermediate 2, the Course focuses
on the development of knowledge
and understanding of art and design
practice and practical art and design
skills.
 The 1750 timeline has been
removed.
 Reflection is now an explicit part of
learning and assessment.
 There is a new two-Unit structure.
Knowledge of art and design practice
is now included in the practical Units.
 The Course focuses on the
development of knowledge and
understanding of art and design
practice and practical art and design Centres that currently deliver Advanced
skills.
Higher will be familiar with the following
topics or areas of study:
 The 1750 timeline has been
removed.
 Reflection is now an explicit part of
 Investigating how artists’ use
learning and assessment.
materials, techniques and/or
technology in their work.
Centres that currently deliver Higher will
 Analysing the impact of social,
be familiar with the following topics or
cultural and other influences on
areas of study:
artists’ work and practice.
 Producing analytical drawings and
 Investigating how artists and
investigative studies showing an
designers use materials, techniques
understanding of the subject/a
and/or technology in their work.
considered response to stimuli.
 Analysing the impact of social,
cultural and other influences on
 Skills in using a range of art
artists’ and designers’ work and
materials, techniques and/or
practice.
technology and the visual elements
 Producing analytical drawings and
creatively.
investigative studies showing an
 Developing and resolving a variety of
understanding of the subject/a
creative ideas for art work in 2D
considered response to stimuli.
and/or 3D formats.
 Producing focused investigative

Using creative visual problem
visual and/or market research for a
solving, planning, self-reflection and
design activity.
evaluation skills within the creative
 Skills in using a range of art and
process.
design materials, techniques and/or
technology and the visual elements
creatively.
 Developing and refining a variety of
creative ideas for art and design
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At National 5 centres that have
delivered Standard Grade and
Intermediate 2 will be familiar with the
following topics or areas of study:
 Investigating how artists and
designers use materials, techniques
and/or technology in their work.
 Analysing the impact of social,
cultural and other influences on
artists’ and designers’ work and
practice.
 Producing analytical drawings and
investigative studies showing an
understanding of the subject/a
considered response to stimuli.
 Producing focused investigative
visual and/or market research for a
design activity.
 Skills in using a range of art and
design materials, techniques and/or
technology and the visual elements
work.
 The focus of the Course is the
development of knowledge and
understanding of art practice and the
development of practical art skills.
 Reflection and evaluation are explicit
parts of learning and assessment.
Added
Value/Course
assessment
creatively.
 Developing and refining a variety of
creative ideas for art and design
work in 2D and/or 3D formats.
 Using problem solving, planning
and self-evaluation skills as part of
the creative process.
To achieve the National 5 Course,
learners must pass all of the required
Units and the Course assessment.
work in 2D and/or 3D formats.
 Using problem solving, planning and
self-evaluation skills as part of the
creative process.
To achieve the Higher Course, learners
must pass all of the required Units and
the Course assessment.
To achieve the Advanced Higher Course,
learners must pass all of the required Units
and the Course assessment.
The Course assessment will consist of
a portfolio and a question paper.
Both will be externally assessed.
The Course assessment will consist of a
portfolio and a question paper. Both will
be externally assessed.
The Course assessment will consist of a
portfolio. The portfolio will be externally
assessed.
Coursework: portfolio
The portfolio provides evidence of the
further development of a single line of
expressive and a single line of design
enquiry. It will have 160 marks and be
externally marked by SQA.
Coursework: portfolio
The portfolio provides evidence of the
further development of a single line of
expressive and a single line of design
enquiry. It will have 160 marks and be
externally marked by SQA.
Coursework: portfolio
The portfolio provides evidence of the
further development and resolution of the
learner’s creative idea(s). It will have
100 marks and be externally marked by
SQA.
The portfolio of art and design work will
show the creative starting point and the
further development and realisation of a
single line of expressive enquiry and a
single line of design enquiry.
The portfolio of art and design work will
show the creative starting point and the
further development and creative
realisation of a single line of expressive
enquiry and a single line of design
enquiry.
The portfolio of art work will show the
creative starting point and the further
development and creative resolution of the
learner’s idea(s).
When compiling evidence for the
portfolio, learners will select one strong
expressive and one design
development idea from their previous
work. They will further develop these
ideas before producing one final piece
of expressive art and one design
solution, and evaluating their final piece
of expressive art and design solution.
There will be some flexibility in how
learners present this work for external
When compiling evidence for the
portfolio, learners will select one strong
expressive and one design development
idea from their previous work. They will
further develop these ideas before
producing one final piece of expressive
art and one design solution, and
evaluating their final piece of expressive
art and final design solution. There will
be some flexibility in how learners
When compiling evidence for the portfolio,
learners will select one or more strong
expressive development idea(s) from their
previous work. They will further develop the
idea(s), producing a coherent body of
sequential development work including
resolved piece(s) of expressive art,
Learners will explain the context behind
their work and analyse in depth example(s)
of art work related to their practical portfolio
work. They will also evaluate their own art
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assessment.
SQA will provide advice and guidance
on the degree of support that can be
provided for learners, the conditions
under which this component will be
undertaken, and the nature and amount
of evidence to be generated.
Question paper
The question paper has 40 marks. It is
set and externally marked by SQA.
The question paper has two equally
weighted sections — expressive and
design. Questions in the paper are not
categorised.
All learners will complete one
mandatory question and one optional
question in each section of the paper.
The question paper will sample and
assess the learners’ knowledge and
understanding of art and design
practice, and their ability to critically
analyse and respond to examples of art
and design work, showing awareness of
the visual qualities and/or functional
impact of the work.
The question paper format draws on
styles of questions and/or approaches
used in existing Intermediate 2 question
papers.
present this work for external
assessment.
SQA will provide advice and guidance
on the degree of support that can be
provided for learners, the conditions
under which this Component will be
undertaken, and the nature and amount
of evidence to be generated.
Question paper
The question paper has 60 marks. It is
set and externally marked by SQA.
The question paper has two equally
weighted Sections — expressive and
design. Questions in the paper are not
categorised.
work.
There will be some flexibility in how
learners present this work for external
assessment.
SQA will provide advice and guidance on
the degree of support that can be provided
for learners, the conditions under which
this Component will be undertaken, and the
nature and amount of evidence to be
generated.
Question paper
There is no question paper for this subject.
All learners will complete one full
question from a choice of two questions,
in each Section of the paper.
The question paper will sample and
assess the learner’s knowledge and
understanding of art and design
practice, and their ability to critically
analyse and respond to examples of art
and design work, showing awareness of
the visual qualities and/or functional
impact of the work. It will also assess
learner's understanding of art and
design work and the contexts which
influence the work of artists and
designers.
The question paper format draws on
styles of questions and/or approaches
used in the existing Higher and
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National 5 question papers.
Further
information
The details above for National 5 should
be read in conjunction with the relevant:
The details above for Higher should be
read in conjunction with the relevant:
Mandatory documentation:
 Course Specification
 Unit Specifications
 Course Assessment Specification
Mandatory documentation:
 Course Specification
 Unit Specifications
 Course Assessment Specification
Advice and guidance:
 Course and Unit Support Notes
Advice and guidance:
 Course and Unit Support Notes.
Assessment:
 Unit Assessment Support materials:
judging evidence table
 Coursework Component:
— General assessment
information on the
Coursework: general marking
principles
— The Coursework assessment
task: general marking
principles, detailed Marking
Instructions
 Question paper:
— Specimen question paper:
general marking principles;
detailed Marking Instructions
Assessment:
 Unit Assessment Support materials:
judging evidence table
 Coursework Component:
— General assessment
information on the Coursework:
general marking principles
— The Coursework assessment
task: general marking
principles, detailed Marking
Instructions
 Question paper:
— Specimen question paper:
general marking principles;
detailed Marking Instructions
The details above for Advanced Higher
should be read in conjunction with the
relevant:
Mandatory documentation:
 Course Specification
 Unit Specifications
 Course Assessment Specification
Advice and guidance:
 Course and Unit Support Notes
Assessment:
 Unit Assessment Support materials:
judging evidence table
 Coursework Component:
— General assessment information
on the Coursework: general
marking principles
— The Coursework assessment task:
general marking principles,
detailed Marking Instructions
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