New Zealand Scholarship Earth and Space Science study plan

Explain how energy and matter move between the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, using at least three named reservoirs and two named fluxes

Summarise the rock cycle in terms of plate tectonic settings, and state which rock types form at divergent, convergent and intraplate settings

Classify ten common minerals by silicate structure or diagnostic physical property and justify each identification from observable evidence

Describe the difference between a mineral and a rock, and between a rock's texture and its composition

Explain plate driving forces (slab pull, ridge push, mantle convection) and evaluate which dominates, citing evidence

Interpret the geological evidence for plate tectonics: magnetic striping, palaeomagnetic pole paths, earthquake and volcano distributions, and seafloor age

Relate the three plate boundary types to the earthquakes, volcanoes and topography they generate

Apply the elastic rebound model to explain earthquake generation and the meaning of magnitude versus intensity

Construct a geological timescale from Precambrian to Holocene and place major biological and tectonic events on it

Explain the principles of relative dating (superposition, cross-cutting relationships, faunal succession) and apply them to a described sequence

Calculate absolute ages using radioactive decay and half-life data, and explain the assumptions and limits of radiometric dating

Describe how fossils form, what taphonomy can bias the record, and use index fossils to correlate strata

Describe the formation and evolution of the Solar System, including condensation, accretion and differentiation, and the evidence supporting it

Compare the terrestrial and giant planets in terms of composition, internal structure and atmospheric evolution

Explain the Earth–Moon system, tides and orbital dynamics, and the evidence for the Moon's formation

Relate orbital parameters (obliquity, eccentricity, precession) to Milankovitch climate cycles

Explain stellar evolution from the main sequence to end states, and relate mass to luminosity and lifetime

Interpret a Hertzsprung–Russell diagram and classify stars by spectral type and luminosity class

Explain redshift, the expansion of the universe and the evidence for the Big Bang, and distinguish it from steady-state alternatives

Describe the origin and distribution of the elements produced by stellar nucleosynthesis

Explain the global ocean circulation, including thermohaline circulation, and its role in redistributing heat

Describe wind-driven surface currents, upwelling and the Coriolis effect, and connect them to climate patterns

Explain atmospheric structure, the greenhouse effect and the role of feedbacks in climate sensitivity

Interpret ocean and atmosphere data (temperature, salinity, CO2 records) to identify trends and anomalies

Design an investigation that tests a stated hypothesis, identifying variables, controls and appropriate sampling

Evaluate the reliability and validity of data, and identify sources of error and bias in Earth and space science measurement

Interpret unfamiliar crossover scenarios by applying at least two domains together (for example, sea-level change linking ice, ocean and tectonics)

Construct a reasoned argument that weighs competing evidence and states its uncertainty

Synthesise all domains by explaining one Earth–space system in which at least three domains interact

Practise timed written answers under exam conditions and self-mark against the criteria

Identify and revise the three weakest areas revealed by practice, using targeted notes

Explain how scientific models are tested, revised and sometimes replaced, using at least two historical examples