New Zealand Scholarship Biology

Assessment is by either a written or spoken examination or by the submission of a portfolio or report of work produced throughout the year. Which form applies depends on the subject. Assessments are designed to be challenging for the most able students in each subject, so expect tasks that go well beyond recall.

Students can enter if they are enrolled in a consented New Zealand secondary school. You do not have to be working towards NCEA to enter. However, not all schools enter students for NZ Scholarship and some enter only a small number of subjects, so talk to your teacher about whether your school will enter you.

Assessments have between 3 and 5 parts, and your score for each part is added up to give your final result. Markers give a score of 0 to 8 for each part. To be awarded Scholarship or Outstanding Scholarship you need to reach a set score known as a cut score; students below it do not receive the award in that subject.

A score of 8 is an outstanding answer in all respects: it shows strong evidence of integration and synthesis and is accurate, comprehensive, coherent, lucid and perceptive. By contrast, a score of 1 shows little understanding relevant to the question, and 0 is for blank or irrelevant answers. Aim to synthesise ideas rather than list facts.

The number of Scholarships available in a subject is limited to around 3% of the number of students who achieve 14 or more credits in that subject at NCEA Level 3. There is some variation around the 3%, mainly for subjects with few candidates at NCEA Level 3, so the effective bar varies by subject.

There is no charge for domestic student entry for NZ Scholarship. If you are an international student, you will need to pay a fee to enter; the amount is set out in NZQA's secondary education fees information. Check your status with your school before the entry deadline.

NZ Scholarship results are released in mid-February each year, and soon after that your assessed work is available through your learner login. If you believe an error has been made in marking, you can apply for a reconsideration or review, but there is a limited time from when your assessed work is available or your portfolio is returned.

Yes, students can sit NZ Scholarship in more than one subject, and those who receive multiple Scholarships may also be recognised through NZQA's Top Scholar Award ceremony. The monetary award ranges from a one-off $500 payment for a single subject award to $10,000 per year for up to 3 years for premier award winners.

To receive payment you must be enrolled in tertiary study at an approved provider in New Zealand, in a course approved by StudyLink for Student Allowance or Student Loan. For awards with payments across more than one year, you must maintain a 'B' grade average in your tertiary study each year. The award can be deferred for up to 4 consecutive years.

The most common failure is answering with accurate but isolated facts instead of integration and synthesis, which is exactly what a score of 8 rewards. Other frequent problems are misreading the question so the answer is only loosely relevant, running out of time across the 3 to 5 parts, and never practising extended written answers under timed conditions.