Senior exam preparation
By Justin Zani | Posted: Wednesday September 14, 2022
The senior school exams begin on Wednesday, 21st September and by now preparations and study should be well under way.
Students in Years 11 to 13 should have a school exam for each external standard that they are entered for. This gives students a taste of what the NCEA exams at the end of the year will be like and provides a valuable opportunity for feedback on progress.
Importantly, if a student misses the final exam in November (e.g. due to illness, injury, bereavement or national sports team), then they may be able to apply for a derived grade. This will most likely be based on the school exam results.
Here are a few key things that students must do in order to be ready for the exams.
Start times
Exams start at 9am and 1pm. Students need to be at school 30 minutes before their exams in order to find their room and seat, and for the exam supervisor to go through the rules and setup. Mr Ashwin has sent the exam timetable out to all students. If students do not have an exam, they can stay at home and study. Full uniform, including blazers is expected during the exams.
Structured and effective revision
Sometimes, our boys focus wholly on the next exam and neglect everything that comes after. A structured revision timetable, and effective revision strategies can really help. Here is a good site with some study tips.
https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/ncea-study-tips/
Exam rules
The exam rules are the same as the NCEA exams. Students should have a read over the rules again to make sure their exams get off to a settled and focused start.
https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/external-examination-information-for-students/
Cell phones should be left at home as these must not enter the exam room.
Digital exams
If a student is entered for a digital paper, they must make sure they can login to the NZQA site before the exam. Students also need to ensure that their device is set up and ready for the exams by following the instructions on the NZQA site below. They must go to the digital exam room even if they now want to do a paper exam. A list of rooms will be available prior to each digital exam.
https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/ncea-exams-and-portfolios/external/device-readiness-check/
Good luck to all of our senior students during the exam season.
Mr Justin Zani
NZQA Principal’s Nominee
