Externally Set Assignment — AS & A Level Digital Media & Design (9481) questions by topic
The Externally Set Assignment in AS & A Level Digital Media & Design asks you to choose one brief, such as How does water change your world?, The Journey, Kinship or The lifecycle of things, and develop a personal response through research, exploration and a final digital outcome.
Draw is the command word attached to this coursework-style unit, and the whole assignment carries a substantial 100 marks. This page holds 15 questions from papers set between 2023 and 2025. Draft a research-led response and submit stages for instant marking, so gaps between exploration and a finished outcome are flagged before submission rather than discovered afterwards.
What examiners look for
- A recurring criticism is candidates giving insufficient attention to research and exploration, sometimes neglecting this stage altogether and producing limited evidence.
- Examiners note that some scripts used unattributed material from online sources, which limited marks across the AO1, AO2 and AO3 assessment objectives.
- Lower-scoring scripts often relied heavily on internet-sourced images for backgrounds, characters and environments when making Pixel Art games rather than original material.
- Reports praise candidates who continued their research and critically reflected on their progress, and who created a useful body of first-hand photographic images, such as of water pollution, as a foundation for further study.
- Strong answers thoughtfully created colour palettes relating to the theme and combined text with iconography to develop infographics, and used research on recycling and sustainability to inform ideas at an appropriate scale.
May–June 2025, Paper 02
Choose one assignment. Activation Activation is a local organisation that seeks to encourage young people to become more active. It focuses on dance, outdoor pursuits and sports.…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. Cloud Design a static or moving display that could be used as a backdrop for an exhibition about the climate. Choose one of the following concepts to…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. Games Café Games Café is a new café. It will offer analogue games as well as drinks and food. You are invited to produce digital material to support the…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2024, Paper 02
Choose one assignment. The artist's studio A large museum is hosting an exhibition to raise interest and participation in art and design, with a competition for digital artists to…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. The lifecycle of things Develop a visual resource for a charity, social enterprise or organisation involved in raising awareness of the alternatives to…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. Beach town re-brand A beach town wants to revitalise its tourist industry. The town has a historic centre and an amusement park. Choose one of the following…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2024, Paper 02
Choose one assignment. Routes A town planning authority is developing a project to encourage walking and cycling. The aim of the project is to generate interest and participation…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. Light Box Light Box is a digital platform where traditional stories are re-presented. Storytelling takes many forms including theatre, poetry or artworks.…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. Kinship Kinship describes a person's relatives, or a group of people descended from a common ancestor. It can also describe people of the same kind or…
Answer this question and get it marked →May–June 2023, Paper 02
Choose one assignment. The Journey A digital games company is developing a new role-playing game called The Journey. Two characters work as a team to complete challenges in order…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. Sense of Location Design a personal response to a competition called Sense of Location. You should focus on the country, city, town or place where you live…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. Synthetic milk You have been asked to create visual material for an advertising campaign for synthetic milk. There should be no reference to animals. All…
Answer this question and get it marked →October–November 2023, Paper 02
Choose one assignment. How does water change your world? How does water change your world? Do you have too much or too little? What are the visual characteristics of water? What…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. Nutmeg Design marketing material for a voice-activated home digital hub called Nutmeg. Choose one of the following concepts to develop: - a video…
Answer this question and get it marked →Choose one assignment. Sanctuary An animal sanctuary requires digital material for a new visitor centre. The sanctuary houses endangered or persecuted species and offers a variety…
Answer this question and get it marked →Other AS & A Level Digital Media & Design topics
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