Exam Weighting: About 4–6% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• Key characteristics of prehistoric art and its global origins.

• How materials, scale, and context reveal the purpose of early artworks.

• The relationship between function and meaning in ancient artifacts.

• Techniques used in sculpture, painting, and architecture during prehistory.

• How art reflects the spiritual and cultural practices of early societies.

Exam Weighting: About 15–20% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• Major works from Egyptian, Greek, and Roman civilizations.

• How religion, power, and politics shaped artistic expression.

• The evolution of idealized human forms and architectural innovations.

• Symbolism and narrative in mythological and historical artworks.

• How cultural exchange influenced artistic development across regions.

Exam Weighting: About 11–14% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• Key styles from Romanesque to Baroque art.

• The influence of Christianity, monarchy, and exploration on artistic themes.

• Techniques in manuscript illumination, fresco, and oil painting.

• The rise of colonial art in the Americas.

• How art reflected societal values and power structures.

Exam Weighting: About 21–23% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• Major movements from Neoclassicism to Postmodernism.

• How political, social, and technological change shaped artistic styles.

• Development of individual expression and abstraction in art.

• Connections between European and American art movements.

• How artists challenged traditional forms and institutions.

Exam Weighting: About 6–8% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• Key artworks from Mesoamerica, Central, and South America.

• Symbolism and materials used in architecture, textiles, and sculpture.

• The role of ritual and cosmology in Indigenous art.

• The impact of colonial contact on artistic traditions.

• How Indigenous art conveys identity and continuity.

Exam Weighting: About 6–8% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• The cultural and spiritual purposes of African art.

• How materials and forms represent status, power, and belief.

• Regional diversity in sculpture, masks, and performance art.

• The relationship between art, ritual, and community.

• How African art influenced global modernism.

Exam Weighting: About 4–6% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• Architectural and decorative art of the Islamic world.

• Symbolism in calligraphy, tilework, and textiles.

• The role of religion and empire in artistic production.

• Cross-cultural connections between Asia, Europe, and Africa.

• How regional traditions adapted over centuries.

Exam Weighting: About 8–10% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• Religious influences of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam on art.

• Key works like Angkor Wat, Great Stupa at Sanchi, and Forbidden City.

• The symbolism of nature, spirituality, and harmony.

• Use of materials like bronze, jade, and ink in artistic expression.

• How Asian art reflected cultural exchange and dynastic power.

Exam Weighting: About 4–6% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• Art as a reflection of ancestry, navigation, and ritual.

• Materials and techniques in wood, fiber, shell, and stone.

• The cultural significance of tattooing, masks, and body art.

• The importance of ceremony and performance in Pacific art.

• How art maintains spiritual and social continuity across generations.

Exam Weighting: About 10–12% of the total exam.

What You’ll Learn:

• Key themes of globalization, identity, and technology.

• How artists address politics, culture, and the environment.

• The use of new media and installation art.

• The role of cultural dialogue and postcolonial perspectives.

• How contemporary art challenges traditional definitions and spaces.