How do I develop an original idea for my final piece?

Once you have been given the theme, I would first brainstorm ideas about different avenues you could explore, it's a good idea to take a double page in your sketchbook and create a mindmap with ideas - you could make some sketches or write them down. Then find artists to research, from books, the internet, or ones whose work you've seen in a museum or gallery, and make studies of their work to get ideas and inspiration and allow you to develop your own work.Remember that it takes time to develop ideas; it's a good idea to explore a few different ones before settling on a specific theme to focus on. Don't worry if you change your mind a few times, that's a natural part of the development process, but towards the exam you will need to choose something to focus on for the final piece. Once you've got this far, take time to work on your final piece ideas, make sketches of different layouts and test pieces in a range of media until you find the one which works best. You will have had many opportunities in the coursework to try out many different things so for the exam it's a good idea to stick to what you're confident with. However, examiners do like to see original ideas and work, so don't be afraid to be bold and demonstrate your creativity.