Practical Project and Portfolio Presentation
This domain tests your ability to plan, make, document and present a practical project, and to speak about it in a viva. The examiner looks for evidence of process, safe practice and a coherent portfolio, not just a finished object.
Core rules
- Write a brief: subject, size, material, purpose, constraints and deadline.
- Research and sketch alternatives; make a small maquette before the final work.
- Keep a dated sketchbook with thumbnails, material tests, photographs at each stage and notes on failures.
- Label every portfolio item: title, date, material, dimensions and a one-line intention.
- Present the final work with a short statement that links concept, process and material choice.
- Transport work safely; fragile plaster and unfired clay need padding and a rigid box.
Worked example
A student presents a papier-mâché mask. The portfolio opens with the brief and reference sketches, then shows the mould, the first layer, the drying problem and the correction, then the sealed and painted final mask, and ends with a labelled photograph and a paragraph on the source motif. Reasoning: the examiner can trace decisions from idea to object, and the viva questions can be answered from the record.
Traps that cost marks
- Showing only the final object with no process evidence.
- Unlabelled photographs and undated notes.
- Claiming a technique you cannot explain in the viva.
- Presenting a fragile work without safe packing.