SBA component
The public assessment of this subject is based on the Curriculum and Assessment Guide (Secondary 4-6) Visual Arts jointly prepared by the Curriculum Development Council and the Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority. Student have to refer to the Guide for the knowledge, understanding, skills etc. they are required to demonstrate in the assessment.
Key Assessment Objectives
The objectives of SBA include the assessment of the students’ ability to:
˙ generate ideas through observation, experience, imagination, technology and other skills;
˙ develop themes on personal feelings or ideas, or social-related issues or ideas for problem solving through identifying, selecting and organising primary and secondary sources;
˙ analyse, interpret and make critical judgment of artwork/art phenomena showing an understanding of form, purpose, meaning and context in writing;
˙ transform and integrate experience, knowledge and perspectives constructed from art appreciation and criticism, and learning of other areas into art making practices;
˙ explore, select and manipulate appropriate visual language, media, materials, tools, skills, techniques and imagery for creative expression and communication of a theme, or solving of a particular problem; and
˙ continuously reflect on, respond to and evaluate their own and others’ practice and work, and consequently modify their own work
Assessment Requirements
For each student attempting the HKDSE Visual Arts examination, the number of assessments and the weightings in subject required for the SBA are summarised in the table below:
|
Assessment task
|
Subject weighting
|
Completed in
|
|
Four pieces of Artwork / Critical Studies
A research workbook
|
30%
20%
|
S6
|
Students’ performances in portfolio will be assessed internally by subject teachers. A student must submit ONE portfolio. The portfolio consists of two components, a Research Workbook and 4 pieces of Artworks/Critical Studies (at least one piece of work should be an Artwork), and will be assessed based on the assessment criteria and rubrics specified.
The portfolio should be developed during S5 and S6 must be completed and submitted to the school teacher for internal assessment towards the end of S5 and S6 respectively. Schools will submit these marks to the HKEAA at the end of S6 in accordance with the mark submission schedule for all subjects.
General Timeline for conducting SBA work and Mark Submission (for Form 5 and 6 – if applicable)
Research Workbook
The Research Workbook must display the development of ideas, research and exploration of 4 pieces of work and the presentation on art appreciation and criticism in context in relation to art making / critical studies (please refer to p.6 of the Guidelines on Research Workbook).
Artworks / Critical Studies
In the portfolio, all of the 4 pieces of work should be in a theme. They can be all artworks OR one to three of them can be critical studies. In setting up the themes for their portfolios, students are encouraged to select a broad theme and they are provided with the flexibility to develop relevant sub-themes in the portfolios. The theme should be open-ended to allow a variety of responses, interpretations and solutions to artwork, as well as engaging students’ imagination and creativity.
Assessment Criteria
The assessment criteria and rubrics for the Research Workbook and Artwork/Critical Studies are given in the two tables below. Students should be assessed in accordance with these assessment criteria and rubrics
Research Workbook (develops a self-selected theme, shows study of relevant artwork and explores visual presentation for artwork and / or other materials for critical studies)
|
Assessment
Criteria
|
Marks / Rubrics
|
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
|
Exploration and development of theme or ideas
|
Uses materials from diverse sources
|
Uses materials from variety of sources
|
Uses materials from some sources
|
Uses materials from limited sources
|
Use materials from a single source
|
Shows no, or irrelevant, exploration or development of theme or ideas
|
|
Selects, transforms and integrates the materials
in development of theme or ideas
|
Selects, organises and integrates the materials in development of
theme or ideas
|
Selects, organises and applies the materials in development of theme or ideas
|
Selects and uses the materials for developing theme or ideas
|
Uses the materials for developing theme or ideas in a limited way
|
|
Substantially investigates and inputs materials to produce original ideas
|
Continuously inputs materials to produce personal ideas
|
Occasionally inputs materials to produce satisfactory ideas
|
Randomly inputs materials for idea development
|
Rarely input materials for idea development
|
|
Interpretation of artworks and its articulation with art making
/ critical studies
|
Recognises multiple contexts and formal qualities of the artwork
|
Recognises one or two contexts and some of the formal qualities of the artwork
|
Recognises one or
two contexts, or some of the formal
qualities of the artwork
|
Recognises limited contextual materials or the formal qualities of the artwork
|
States limited and basic contextual materials or formal qualities of the artwork
|
Shows no evidence of research or presents only one or two isolated facts about the artwork
|
|
Expresses informed personal view(s) with support of evidence and/or insight
|
Expresses and justifies personal view(s)
|
Expresses personal view(s) with some support
|
Expresses personal view(s) without support
|
Expresses no personal view
|
|
Articulates or translates contextual and formal knowledge to artwork / critical studies
|
Relates contextual and formal
knowledge to artwork
/ critical studies
|
Applies contextual knowledge to artwork
/ critical studies
|
Applies limited contextual or formal knowledge to artwork
/ critical studies
|
Unselectively uses contextual or formal knowledge in artwork
/ critical studies
|
|
Experimentation of media and skills, and exploration of ways of expression
|
Demonstrates abundant and thorough experiments of media and skills
|
Demonstrates abundant experiments of media and skills
|
Demonstrates some experiments of media and skills
|
Demonstrates limited experiments of media and skills
|
Demonstrates few experiments of media and skills
|
Demonstrates no, or unrelated, experiments
with media or skills, and exploration of ways of expression
|
|
Demonstrates abundant and thorough exploration of ways of expression
|
Demonstrates abundant exploration of ways of expression
|
Demonstrates some exploration of ways of expression
|
Demonstrates limited exploration of ways of expression
|
Demonstrates few exploration of ways of expression
|
|
Reflection and progression in learning
|
Continuously and thoroughly reflects on the portfolio from diverse perspectives
|
Frequently reflects on the portfolio from various perspectives
|
Occasionally reflects on the portfolio from some perspectives
|
Barely reflects on the portfolio
|
Rarely reflects on the portfolio
|
Shows no reflection and progression in learning
|
|
Shows substantial progression in learning
|
Shows adequate progression in learning
|
Shows some progression in learning
|
Shows limited progression in learning
|
Shows little progression in learning
|
Artwork / Critical Studies (a total of 4 pieces of work of one theme, one to three of which can be written work of critical studies, or all are artwork)
|
Assessment
Criteria
|
Marks / Rubrics
|
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
|
Media, skills and techniques
|
Demonstrates excellence in manipulating media, skills and techniques / writing skills
|
Demonstrates proficiency in manipulating media and techniques / writing skills
|
Demonstrates average competence in manipulating media and techniques / writing skills
|
Demonstrates limited skills in manipulating media and techniques / writing
|
Demonstrates minimal skills in manipulating media and techniques / writing
|
Demonstrates no skills in manipulating media and techniques, / writing
|
|
Visual presentation
/analysis
|
Demonstrates an exceptional use / analysis of visual elements and principles of organisation relevant to the theme
|
Demonstrates an effective use / analysis of visual elements and principles of organisation relevant to the theme
|
Demonstrates an appropriate use / analysis of visual elements and principles of organisation relevant to the theme
|
Demonstrates a limited use / analysis of visual elements or principles of organisation relevant to the theme
|
Demonstrates an unselective use / analysis of visual elements and principles of organisation
|
Demonstrates a lack of awareness
of the use / analysis
of visual elements and principles of organisation
|
|
Relationship with context
|
Indicates deep knowledge of personal, aesthetic or cultural context(s) in relation to the theme
|
Indicates adequate knowledge of personal, aesthetic or cultural context(s) in relation to the theme
|
Indicates some knowledge of personal, aesthetic or cultural contexts in relation to the theme
|
Indicates limited knowledge of personal, aesthetic or cultural contexts in relation to the theme
|
Indicates superficial knowledge of personal, aesthetic or cultural contexts in relation to the theme
|
Indicates a lack of contextual knowledge
|
|
Creativity and imagination /
critical thinking
skills
|
Demonstrates imagination, creative and complete ideas / Expresses informed personal view(s) with evidence support or insight
|
Demonstrates creative ideas and imagination / Expresses justified personal view(s)
|
Demonstrates ordinary ideas / Expresses personal view(s) with some supports
|
Demonstrates incomplete ideas / Expresses
personal view(s) without
support
|
Idea(s) are imitated from others / Expresses no personal views
|
Demonstrates no ideas / views
|
|
Overall presentation and communication of theme
|
Communicates the theme or message in an innovative way with a coherent and complete presentation
|
Communicates the theme or message effectively with a coherent presentation
|
Communicates the theme or message clearly with a complete presentation
|
Communication of the theme or message is incomplete
|
Communication of the theme or message is inadequate
|
Fails to communicate the theme or message
|
|
Progression of all 4 pieces of work
|
Shows substantial progression
|
Shows adequate progression
|
Shows some progression
|
Show limited progression
|
Shows little progression
|
Shows no progression
|
Link(s) to HKEAA – SBA references https://www.hkeaa.edu.hk/DocLibrary/SBA/HKDSE/SBAhandbook-2028-VA-E.pdf
Last Updated: 2026-05-04 15:33