BTEC Level 1/2 Art and Design Grades Explained
Confused by Pass, Merit, Distinction, raw marks and UMS? This guide explains how the Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Art and Design Practice is assessed, how the two components combine, and what students can do to make their evidence stronger.
Current qualification: this page refers to the Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Art and Design Practice (603/7056/7), specification Issue 4. Assessment arrangements and raw grade boundaries can change, so always follow the current Pearson documents and instructions from your school or college.
The quick answer
- You must be entered for both components.
- Component 1 contributes 60% of the available UMS.
- Component 2 contributes 40% and must be taken in the final assessment series.
- Individual components are graded from Level 1 Pass to Level 2 Distinction.
- The whole qualification is graded from Level 1 Pass to Level 2 Distinction*.
- Your raw marks are converted to Uniform Marks (UMS) before the overall grade is calculated.
How the two components are assessed
Component 1: Creative Practice
60%72 guided learning hours · 84 raw marks · maximum 120 UMS
A Pearson-set assignment marked by your centre and moderated by Pearson. The supervised assignment is approximately 20 hours.
Component 2: Responding to a Brief
40%48 guided learning hours · 60 raw marks · maximum 80 UMS
An external synoptic task set and marked by Pearson. The supervised assessment is 20 hours and is taken in the final assessment series.
Why Component 1 contributes more: component weighting follows guided learning hours. Component 1 has 72 of the qualification’s 120 guided learning hours, while Component 2 has 48.
What grades can you receive?
The overall qualification uses seven grades. They show both the level reached and the quality of achievement within that level.
Each individual component stops at Level 2 Distinction. Distinction* is available only as the final qualification grade.
Extra Distinction* rule: reaching 180 UMS is not enough by itself. Pearson also requires a Level 2 Distinction in both Component 1 and Component 2.
Raw marks, UMS and the final grade
Your teacher or Pearson first awards raw marks for the evidence submitted. Pearson then converts those raw marks to a Uniform Mark Scale. UMS makes component achievement comparable between assessment series when the difficulty of a task or its raw grade boundaries may differ.
Fixed UMS thresholds for each component
| Component | L1P | L1M | L1D | L2P | L2M | L2D | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Component 1 | 36 | 48 | 60 | 72 | 84 | 96 | 120 |
| Component 2 | 24 | 32 | 40 | 48 | 56 | 64 | 80 |
Fixed UMS thresholds for the complete qualification
| Overall grade | L1P | L1M | L1D | L2P | L2M | L2D | L2D* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum UMS | 60 | 80 | 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180* |
*Level 2 Distinction* also requires Level 2 Distinction in both components.
Do not treat UMS as raw marks. For example, 96 UMS in Component 1 does not mean 96 raw marks—the component has only 84 raw marks available. Check Pearson’s published grade boundaries for the relevant assessment series if you need the raw-mark conversion.
What does stronger BTEC evidence look like?
Relevant investigation
Research and source material are selected for a reason. The student explains what is useful and applies it rather than merely collecting images and facts.
Purposeful experimentation
Materials, techniques and processes are tested to answer creative questions. Results are compared and influence what happens next.
Visible development
Different possibilities are explored. Decisions, problems, feedback, changes and refinements can be followed through the portfolio.
Control and communication
Practical skills increasingly support the intention. Images and annotation communicate the process clearly and suit the brief, audience or purpose.
Specific review
The student identifies what worked, what did not and why. Next steps are practical and can be seen in later work.
A connected response
Research, experiments, ideas, development and outcomes form one convincing creative journey rather than a collection of unrelated tasks.
These are helpful characteristics, not a replacement for Pearson’s marking grids. A grade is determined by the complete assessed evidence against the relevant descriptors.
How to give yourself the best chance of a higher grade
- Read the current assignment or brief carefully and turn every requirement into a checklist.
- Use relevant first-hand research and explain how it influences your choices.
- Generate genuinely different possibilities before selecting a direction.
- Test materials and techniques with a clear purpose—not simply to fill pages.
- Photograph important stages so development is not lost.
- Review work while developing it and act on the conclusions.
- Make links between research, experiments, decisions and the final response obvious.
- Present evidence in a clear order with readable, specific annotation.
- Use teacher feedback only within the conditions permitted for that assessment.
Continue with the component guides
Frequently asked questions
Click or tap a green question bar below to reveal the answer. Select it again to close the answer.
What is the highest grade in BTEC Level 1/2 Art and Design?
The highest overall qualification grade is Level 2 Distinction*. Individual components are graded only as high as Level 2 Distinction. To receive Distinction*, you need at least 180 UMS overall and a Level 2 Distinction in both components.
Is Component 1 worth more than Component 2?
Yes. Component 1 contributes a maximum of 120 of the 200 total UMS, while Component 2 contributes a maximum of 80. This creates a 60% and 40% weighting based on their guided learning hours.
Are raw grade boundaries always the same?
No. Raw marks are converted to UMS so achievement can be standardised between assessment series. Always use Pearson’s published grade boundaries for the specific series rather than relying on a boundary from a previous year.
What GCSE grade is a BTEC Level 2 Pass, Merit or Distinction?
The Tech Award is a Level 1/Level 2 qualification, but its Pass, Merit and Distinction grades should not be treated as simple one-to-one GCSE grade conversions. Schools, colleges and admissions teams may apply their own entry requirements, so check the requirement for the course you want to enter.
Can I receive a qualification if one component is unclassified?
Pearson aggregates the UMS outcomes from both entered components, and an unclassified component contributes only a low UMS outcome. Eligibility also requires Component 2 to be taken in the final assessment series. Because the exact result depends on the combined UMS and current rules, your examinations officer or teacher should check your individual position.
Can Component 1 be improved or resubmitted?
Pearson’s rules allow tightly controlled opportunities in particular circumstances, including an authorised improvement period before marks are submitted for moderation and a possible retake using a new assignment in a later academic year. This is not automatic. Your centre must decide what is permitted and follow the current Pearson rules.
Why is Component 2 called the terminal assessment?
It brings together learning from across the qualification and must be taken in the final assessment series—the series in which the overall qualification is claimed. Component 1 may be completed earlier or in the same academic year.
Source: Pearson BTEC Level 1/Level 2 Tech Award in Art and Design Practice specification, Issue 4 (March 2025), qualification number 603/7056/7. Read the current Pearson specification.