NES Visual Art (803) Practice Tests

Competencies 0001–0004 make up about 30% of the test. They ask you to understand the elements of art and principles of design and their use in works of art; understand tools, materials, techniques, methods, processes, and technologies employed in visual art and design; understand the thinking strategies employed in creating works of art, and more.

• Competency 0001: Understand the elements of art and principles of design and their use in works of art. Skills tested: Recognize elements of art (e.g., line, color, shape, form, texture, space, value); Recognize principles of design (e.g., unity, variety, harmony, balance, rhythm, emphasis); Analyze how elements of art and principles of design are used in compositions to achieve effects and communicate ideas.
• Competency 0002: Understand tools, materials, techniques, methods, processes, and technologies employed in visual art and design. Skills tested: Identify uses and advantages associated with tools, materials, techniques, methods, processes, and technologies employed in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, crafts, photography, film, video, electronic technologies, and design; Demonstrate knowledge of procedures for selecting and using tools, materials, techniques, methods, and processes to achieve effects and communicate ideas in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, crafts, photography, film, video, electronic technologies, and design; Demonstrate knowledge of procedures for maintaining and safely using tools, materials, and equipment employed in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, crafts, photography, film, video, electronic technologies, and design.
• Competency 0003: Understand the thinking strategies employed in creating works of art. Skills tested: Recognize art as a creative process based on ideas, images, emotions, observation, interpretation, communication, and abstraction; Identify methods for developing creativity (e.g., sketching, brainstorming, researching, collaborating, writing).
• Competency 0004: Understand artistic development in children and adolescents. Skills tested: Recognize theories of artistic development in children and adolescents; Identify typical phases, processes, and characteristics of artistic development from childhood through adolescence; Understand the skills (e.g., fine-motor skills, eye-hand coordination, cognitive ability) necessary to create various types of visual art; Recognize how students' art reflects their development, history, culture, and experiences; Recognize how arts education contributes to development in various areas (e.g., analytic abilities, perceptual awareness, critical thinking, creative problem solving and decision making, aesthetic sensitivity, appreciation of human diversity).

Competencies 0005–0006 make up about 20% of the test. They ask you to understand the connections among art, history, and culture; understand artworks from Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, and South America from ancient times through the present.

• Competency 0005: Understand the connections among art, history, and culture. Skills tested: Demonstrate knowledge of the role of the visual arts, artists, and arts organizations in reflecting, recording, and shaping history and culture; Analyze the treatment of themes expressed in art from different cultures and historical periods; Recognize ways in which artistic traditions from various cultures have influenced one another throughout history; Demonstrate knowledge of social, political, economic, and technological factors influencing art.
• Competency 0006: Understand artworks from Africa, Asia, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Oceania, and South America from ancient times through the present. Skills tested: Demonstrate knowledge of major developments, artists, periods, and characteristics of works of art and design from ancient times through the present; Recognize subjects, themes, and symbols represented in works of art and design from ancient times through the present; Analyze ways in which works of art and design from ancient times through the present reflect cultural factors and aesthetic values.

Competencies 0007–0009 make up about 20% of the test. They ask you to understand visual art as a form of communication; understand major functions, purposes, theories, and philosophies of art; understand the basic principles of art criticism: description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of works of visual art.

• Competency 0007: Understand visual art as a form of communication. Skills tested: Demonstrate knowledge of ways in which art serves as a medium for individual expression or communication of ideas; Analyze relationships between an artist and the development of a given artwork or series of artworks; Interpret subjects, themes, symbols, and meanings of artworks.
• Competency 0008: Understand major functions, purposes, theories, and philosophies of art. Skills tested: Analyze the various functions and purposes of visual art and design; Recognize the roles of visual art and design in everyday life.
• Competency 0009: Understand the basic principles of art criticism: description, analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of works of visual art. Skills tested: Critique works of visual art and design to construct inferences (e.g., about the culture of origin, the artist, and/or the artist's purpose); Apply knowledge of the basic principles and theories of art criticism; Demonstrate knowledge of concepts of style and stylistic change; Demonstrate knowledge of aesthetic theories (e.g., formalism, expressionism, mimetics, functionalism).

Competencies 0010–0011 make up about 10% of the test. They ask you to understand relationships between the visual arts and other art forms; understand relationships between the visual arts and other disciplines in the curriculum.

• Competency 0010: Understand relationships between the visual arts and other art forms. Skills tested: Recognize similarities among art disciplines (e.g., dance, music, theater); Demonstrate knowledge of ways in which art forms may be combined to express ideas or themes; Analyze how developments in the arts have paralleled and influenced one another throughout history.
• Competency 0011: Understand relationships between the visual arts and other disciplines in the curriculum. Skills tested: Demonstrate knowledge of ways in which the visual arts are related to content and concepts in other disciplines; Analyze how developments in the visual arts and other disciplines have influenced each other; Demonstrate knowledge of ways in which study of visual art augments understandings in other disciplines.

Competencies 0012–0012 make up about 20% of the test. They ask you to prepare an organized, developed analysis on a topic related to one or more of the following: creating works of visual art; visual art in context; interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of art; visual art and other disciplines.

• Competency 0012: Prepare an organized, developed analysis on a topic related to one or more of the following: creating works of visual art; visual art in context; interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of art; visual art and other disciplines. Skills tested: (Refer to objectives 0001 through 0011 and associated descriptive statements.).