Top Tips for Tackling Subjects with Portfolios

The IB has a great range of creative courses you can take as part of your diploma: Visual Arts, Dance, Music, Theatre, and Film! A special aspect of these 'Group 6' courses is that final assessment of these subjects is based solely on your portfolio and coursework - no exams! Julia, who is in her final year of IB HL Visual Arts, is here to talk you through the basics of making a portfolio:

 

Using the example of Visual Art, this article will outline a quick checklist to keep in mind when constructing a coursework portfolio.   

Be mindful of purpose  

• Ask yourself why what you are writing matters; what boxes ought it be checking? Is it explaining your thoughts? Your method? Is it analysis?   

• It easy to get lost in the banal slide write-up in Art – we all know everyone is in it for the drawing not the writing – but if you are already sitting down to write, at least make it worthwhile and a have it get you marks. 

  Use the buzzwords   

  • There are plenty of easy to find word banks of key words to use during description, analysis and/or reflection. Using particular phases and words make it easy for examiners to give you marks as each of your points is clearly signposted.  
  • Keep on top of it 

    This is a tip which can be applied to any element of the IB, and we have all heard it too much, but that does not make it any less true.   

    Slides are easy work, and one could whip one up within 40 minutes. But those 40 minutes per slide add up significantly when you end up having to produce seven slides back-to-back for the next day – save yourself the regret and rookie-mistake. 

One could go into greater detail and insight as to how to construct an exemplary portfolio, but this is a neat introduction to get you on track with your Group 6 subject.