European Baccalaureate Art study plan

European Baccalaureate Art · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Art (visual arts option within the European Baccalaureate)

Map the full visual arts option syllabus into a one-page topic inventory, tagging each topic by weighting and by the skill it tests (analysis, comparison, contextual knowledge, practical technique)
Build a personal glossary of 60 core visual-arts terms in the exam language, with a one-line definition and one example artwork for each
Practise formal analysis: describe, analyse, interpret and evaluate three unseen works using a fixed four-step template
Set up a dated visual diary and complete the first five entries recording observation, medium and intention

A one-page syllabus map plus a 60-term glossary and five completed visual-diary entries, all dated

Week 2

Construct a comparative-analysis grid covering medium, composition, colour, light, scale and context, and apply it to two pairs of works from different periods
Write two timed comparative essays of 45 minutes each under exam conditions, without notes
Identify and correct your three most frequent weaknesses from those essays (structure, vocabulary, evidence)
Memorise a timeline of major movements from roughly 1400 to the present with three anchor works per movement

Two marked timed essays with a written self-correction sheet listing three specific fixes

Week 3

Assemble a study set of 40 anchor works spanning at least six movements, each with artist, date, medium, context and one analytical point
Practise contextual analysis by linking five works to the political, social or religious conditions that shaped them
Draft a 300-word model answer on how patronage or commissioning shaped one work, then cut it to 200 words without losing evidence
Test yourself on the anchor set and log recall accuracy per movement

A 40-work anchor dossier with a recall-accuracy log showing at least 80 percent correct identification

Week 4

Complete a full past-paper-style mock under strict timing and mark it against published assessment criteria
Diagnose the gap between your mock mark and your target band, and convert it into three concrete revision actions
Refine analytical writing by practising 10 short-answer responses of three to five sentences each
Review all glossary and anchor-set errors collected so far and rebuild the weakest 15 entries

A completed timed mock with a self-marked score, a gap diagnosis and three written revision actions

Week 5

Develop a personal practical project: state an intention, produce three preparatory studies and annotate the decisions behind each
Experiment with at least two media or techniques you have not used before and record the results honestly, including failures
Link your practical work to at least three artists or movements studied earlier, explaining the connection in writing
Photograph and label all work produced so far for a portfolio record

A labelled portfolio section containing an intention statement, three preparatory studies and a written artist-linkage note

Week 6

Bring the practical project to a resolved outcome and write a 250-word process commentary covering intention, decisions and evaluation
Rehearse the oral or portfolio discussion by presenting your work aloud for 10 minutes and recording it
Review the recording and list five improvements to clarity, vocabulary and justification
Cross-check the practical work against the assessment criteria and note where evidence is thin

A resolved practical outcome, a 250-word process commentary and a recorded 10-minute presentation with a five-point improvement list

Week 7

Run a second full mock covering both analytical writing and practical justification, timed to exam conditions
Consolidate weak areas by rewriting your three lowest-scoring mock answers from memory
Build a one-page condensed revision sheet of dates, movements, key terms and analytical prompts
Practise rapid planning: produce five essay plans in 10 minutes each

A second marked mock, three rewritten answers and a completed one-page condensed revision sheet

Week 8

Rehearse the complete exam sequence twice under full timing, including planning time
Memorise the condensed revision sheet through spaced self-testing until recall is near-total
Prepare and rehearse answers to the five most likely oral or portfolio questions
Finalise the portfolio, check all labels and dates, and confirm which materials you may bring into the exam

Two full timed rehearsals, a near-total recall check on the revision sheet and a finalised, fully labelled portfolio

Week 2: You can write a structured comparative analysis of two unseen works in 45 minutes using the four-step template without notes

Week 4: Your timed mock scores within one band of your target, and you have written three specific corrective actions

Week 6: Your practical project has a resolved outcome, a written commentary and a recorded presentation you have critiqued

Week 8: You complete two full timed rehearsals and recall the condensed revision sheet with near-total accuracy