New Zealand Scholarship Earth and Space Science exam-day guide
New Zealand Scholarship Earth and Space Science · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Admission slip and photo ID
Print or download your NZ Scholarship admission entry and bring the photo ID your school or provider registered. The exact ID types accepted are set by NZQA - confirm with your school's Scholarship coordinator or NZQA before exam day, since an expired or wrong-form ID can bar entry. Keep both in one clear plastic sleeve.
Approved calculator
Earth and Space Science papers routinely need numerical work (radiometric ages, orbital or wave calculations, unit conversions). Bring a calculator from the approved list for the current year and check its batteries. Programmable or graphing models may be restricted - confirm the permitted model list with NZQA or your coordinator.
Spare pens, pencils, eraser, sharpener, ruler
Two or three blue or black pens, two pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, and a 30 cm ruler. Diagrams, sketch maps, cross-sections and graphs are common, so a ruler earns its place. Leave pencil cases that carry notes at home; clear cases are safest.
Wristwatch (non-smart)
Many exam rooms have a clock, but not always in your line of sight. A plain analogue or digital watch with no smart features lets you pace the three-hour paper. Smart watches and phones must be switched off and stored as directed.
Know the paper structure before you sit
Scholarship Earth and Space Science is a single written paper of about three hours. Confirm the current year's format, section weighting, and whether there is any choice of questions from the NZQA assessment specification or your teacher, and note it on a card you revise from. Do not rely on remembered formats from past years.
Revise the four Earth and Space Science strands
Be able to move between Earth systems (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere), geological processes and deep time, astronomy and planetary science, and the nature of science and evidence. Scholarship rewards links between strands, so practise writing paragraphs that connect, for example, plate tectonics to climate or to planetary evolution.
Practise past Scholarship questions under time
Work through NZQA past Scholarship papers and schedules under timed conditions. Mark your own answers against the schedule and note where you lost credit for missing evidence, units, or links. Aim to have written at least two or three full timed responses before the exam.
Build a one-page formula and data sheet
Compile the constants and relationships you use most (half-life, speed of light, Kepler's third law, density, wave speed, energy, unit conversions) on one page in your own words. Use it during practice so recalling it becomes automatic. Do not bring notes into the exam room.
Plan your route and arrival time
Confirm the exam centre, start time, and how early to arrive with your school or provider. Allow extra time for traffic and for finding the room. Arriving flustered costs marks; arriving early lets you settle and read the instructions calmly.
Water and a quiet snack for after
Check the centre's rules on drinks at the desk - often a clear bottle with no label is allowed. Eat properly before the paper and keep a snack for afterwards, when three hours of writing will have taken a toll.
Sleep and a normal breakfast
The night before, protect your sleep rather than cramming. A familiar breakfast and a short walk are better preparation than last-minute revision of material you already know. Bring a light snack in case the session runs long.
A calm pre-paper routine
Have a two-minute routine for the first moments in the room: read the instructions, count the pages, note the marks per question, and write your plan in the margin. This prevents the common error of over-writing one question and running out of time on the rest.
Plan the day
Stop learning new content. Re-read your one-page formula and data sheet, skim your summaries of the four strands, and do one full timed paper under exam conditions. Mark it against the schedule and list your three biggest weaknesses. Spend the remaining time on those three, not on everything.
Do a second timed paper or a set of long-answer questions, focusing on the skill Scholarship rewards: using evidence, explaining mechanisms, and linking strands. Practise writing conclusions that answer the question asked rather than describing a topic. Check your calculator works and your pens are not dry.
Do light revision only: your formula sheet, a few key diagrams (rock cycle, plate boundaries, stellar life cycle, Earth's energy budget), and definitions. Pack your bag with admission slip, ID, calculator, pens, pencils, ruler, and water. Confirm the centre and start time. Eat a proper meal and go to bed at a normal hour.
Eat breakfast, check your bag against the checklist, and leave with time to spare. Avoid last-minute cramming of new material; a quick read of your formula sheet is enough. At the centre, switch off your phone and store it as directed, find your seat, and settle your breathing before the paper opens.
Read all instructions and the whole paper before writing. Note the marks for each question and divide your time roughly in proportion, leaving 10–15 minutes at the end to check. Write a brief plan in the margin for each long answer: the mechanism, the evidence, and the link. If there is a choice of questions, choose on the basis of what you can answer with evidence, not what looks easiest.
Answer the question asked, in structured paragraphs or labelled diagrams. Show working and units in calculations. Use scientific vocabulary precisely and give evidence for claims. If a question stalls you, leave space and move on; return later. Watch the clock at the halfway point and adjust pace. Keep handwriting legible - markers cannot credit what they cannot read.
Check that every question has an answer, that units and significant figures are sensible, and that diagrams are labelled. Re-read the question stems to confirm you addressed the actual command words (describe, explain, compare, evaluate). Do not erase working you might need; cross out clearly instead. Hand in all materials as directed.
Rules to check
Bring the admission slip and the photo ID required by the provider. The accepted ID types and the consequences of arriving without them are set by NZQA or your school - confirm with the provider, and do not assume a student card will be accepted.
Phones, smart watches, and any other electronic devices must be switched off and stored as directed before the paper begins. Unauthorised devices at the desk are treated as a breach of exam rules, so hand them in or leave them outside the room.
Only approved calculators and equipment may be used. Confirm the approved calculator list and any banned items with the provider before exam day, and never bring notes, formula cards, or annotated material into the room.
Follow the supervisor's instructions on arrival, seating, toilet breaks, and leaving early. Raise your hand if you need to leave the room; a supervised escort is normally required, and time lost is not added back - confirm the exact break policy with the provider.
Write only in the spaces or booklets provided and put your candidate number, not your name, where instructed. Do not write in margins or on materials the supervisor has not authorised.
Scoring rewards evidence-based explanation and integration across Earth and Space Science strands, not recall alone. Structure answers to show mechanism, evidence, and links, and show working in calculations to earn method marks.
Academic integrity applies throughout: no communication with other candidates during the paper and no removal of question papers or answer booklets unless the supervisor permits it. Breaches are handled under the provider's rules - confirm the process with the provider.