IB Visual Arts HL exam-day guide
IB Visual Arts HL · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Final selection of resolved works
Bring every work you intend to exhibit. At HL the current guide is commonly cited as requiring 8–11 resolved pieces; verify the exact number, size, and media limits with your teacher before you pack. Check that each work is dry, securely mounted or framed, and structurally sound.
Curatorial rationale, printed and digital
The HL rationale is commonly capped at 400 words; confirm the current limit with your teacher. Print two clean copies, save a PDF backup to cloud and USB, and run a word count before you leave home.
Exhibition text for each work
Label text is commonly limited to 500 characters per work; confirm the current cap. Print labels on card, bring a plain-text backup file, and check spelling of titles, media, dimensions, and dates against your process portfolio.
Installation toolkit
Measuring tape, spirit level, pencil, eraser, screwdriver, craft knife, lint-free cloth, nitrile gloves, and hanging hardware suited to the venue's wall type. Confirm what the venue supplies and what fixings are forbidden before you import your own.
Touch-up and cleaning materials
Matched paint or pigment for minor scuffs, clean brushes, cotton swabs, and a soft duster. Avoid strong solvents; confirm ventilation, drying time, and whether touching up on site is permitted with your teacher.
Layout plan and sightline sketch
A scale floor plan showing wall elevations, work positions, hanging heights, and viewing distances. Include a backup arrangement in case a wall is unavailable, lighting differs, or a work cannot be hung as planned.
Labels, title cards, and work inventory
A printed inventory listing title, media, dimensions, and year for every work, plus spare blank labels and a marker. Cross-check the inventory against your curatorial rationale so titles match exactly.
Camera or phone for documentation
Charge the device and bring storage. Confirm with your teacher whether you may photograph the installed exhibition, whether images of identifiable people need consent, and whether the school requires its own photo set for moderation.
ID and candidate details
Bring the identification and candidate number your school requires. Exact ID rules for internal practical assessments vary between providers and schools, so confirm with your programme coordinator rather than assuming.
Confirmation of access, timing, and upload deadlines
Confirm venue access time, assessment start, moderation photo requirements, and any digital upload portal deadline with your teacher. Do not assume the portal closes at the same time as the live assessment.
Personal comfort kit
Water, a snack, any prescribed medication, comfortable clothes that can get dusty, and a watch. Installation is physical work; plan short breaks and avoid rushing the final hour before assessment.
Plan the day
Stop making new work and finalise the selection. Count words in the curatorial rationale and characters in every exhibition text; over-limit text can be penalised. Print labels, pack the toolkit, and send your teacher a proposed layout for feedback.
Do a dry run: lay works out in a cleared room, check sightlines, and photograph the intended arrangement. Replace failed hardware, reprint smudged labels, and confirm who unlocks the venue and when.
Pack works, labels, rationale, toolkit, documentation device, and ID the night before. Charge devices, back up files to cloud and USB, check transport and traffic, and get a full night's sleep.
Arrive at the confirmed access time, not the assessment time. Inspect walls, lighting, and power; photograph the empty space; then hang the largest or heaviest works first using your plan. Keep walkways clear and tools corralled in one spot.
Clean fingerprints, level every frame, place labels at a consistent height and distance, and remove all packaging and tools from the viewing area. Do a slow walkthrough from the entrance as a viewer would.
Be present and reachable but do not adjust works unless your teacher asks. Complete any signature, declaration, or photo-log forms. After assessment, document the exhibition from multiple angles and confirm what may be taken down and when.
Rules to check
Understand the format: IB Visual Arts is assessed through the comparative study, process portfolio, and exhibition; the practical 'exam day' is the exhibition installation and teacher assessment, so confirm with your teacher exactly which component is being assessed on the day.
Carry valid ID and know your candidate number; exact identification requirements for internal practical assessments vary, so confirm with your programme coordinator.
All exhibited work, curatorial rationale, and exhibition texts must be your own. Acknowledge borrowed images, ideas, or technical assistance in line with your school's academic honesty policy.
Respect the published limits for the curatorial rationale and exhibition texts; confirm the current word and character caps with your teacher, as over-length text may be restricted or penalised.
Follow venue safety rules: no open flames, unventilated sprays, or hazardous materials without written permission; secure heavy works and keep fire exits clear.
You may take short breaks during installation, but confirm timing and supervision with the teacher or invigilator; the assessment window itself is set by your school.
Do not move, add, or remove works once the teacher begins assessing unless you are explicitly instructed to; ask before photographing other candidates' work or identifiable people.
Scoring: your teacher assesses the exhibition against the published assessment criteria, and samples are moderated externally. Ask your teacher to confirm the criteria, weighting, and moderation photo requirements rather than relying on rumour.