0400_s26_gt — 2026 May-June Art and Design 0400 Grade Threshold · Cambridge CAIE IGCSE

Submitting work as separate files instead of one chronological PDF

“Some work was submitted as separate files. This made it difficult to see the progression of ideas because it was not always clear in what order the work was meant to be viewed. Centres should ensure in future that each candidate submits one .pdf file containing all their Component 1 work.”— 0400 Component 1, May/June 2025

How to fix: Combine ALL pages into a single .pdf file before upload, in the exact order you want the examiner to view them. Number every page. Check orientation — every spread should be the right way up. For Component 2, set the coversheet as page 1 and indicate which question you selected. Centres should run a final check on Submit for Assessment that one PDF per candidate has uploaded successfully.

Including hyperlinks, QR codes, zip files or interactive elements

“Candidates should not include hyperlinks, QR codes, zip files or interactive elements in their submitted work.”— 0400 Component 1, May/June 2025

How to fix: Anything you want the examiner to see must be visible directly on the page as an image. Do not embed links to videos, online portfolios, Padlets or Google Drives. Do not paste QR codes pointing to external content. Do not zip files. Flatten everything into static page images inside the PDF — examiners will not click out of the document.

Hand-written annotation that is illegible when enlarged

“In future, it would be helpful if candidates word-process rather than hand-write any included annotation in order to improve legibility.”— 0400 Component 1, May/June 2025

How to fix: Type your annotations in a word processor and paste them onto the page as captions or text boxes alongside the visual work. Reserve handwriting for the artwork itself. If you keep handwritten notes for design reasons, make sure the photo is high resolution and zoom in to verify it is readable on screen before you flatten the PDF.