New Zealand Scholarship Music Assessment exam-day guide
New Zealand Scholarship Music Assessment · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Check your assessment format and venue with your teacher or provider
New Zealand Scholarship Music is administered through schools and NZQA processes, and the practical component may involve performance submission or a live/scheduled session depending on the year. Confirm the exact format, venue, and any equipment arrangements with your teacher or the provider well before the day rather than assuming from previous years.
Bring photo identification if required
Some assessment sessions require photo ID. Ask your teacher or the provider whether ID is needed for your specific session and which forms are accepted. Do not rely on a guess; if unsure, treat this as needs_review and confirm in advance.
Printed or saved copy of your programme
Have a clear list of the works or items you are presenting, in performance order, with composer, title, and timing. Give a copy to any accompanist, page-turner, or technician and keep one on you.
Scores and parts for any accompanist
Bring a clean, legible copy of every score or part your accompanist or ensemble needs, plus a spare set. Mark cuts and repeats clearly so no rehearsal time is lost on the day.
Your instrument, accessories, and spares
Bring your instrument in working order, plus the consumables your instrument needs: reeds, strings, valve oil, rosin, capos, picks, drumsticks, cables, batteries, and a tuner. Pack spares of anything that can fail. For voice, bring water and confirm any backing tracks or accompaniment format.
Backing tracks or click tracks in the required format
If you use recorded accompaniment, confirm the accepted file format and delivery method with the provider and bring a backup copy on a separate device or USB. Label files clearly by track and order.
Warm-up and cool-down plan
Know exactly how you will warm up in the time available, including any physical warm-up for singers and instrumentalists. Pack anything you need for it, such as a silent practice mute or warm clothing.
Water, a snack, and any medication you need
Bring water and a light snack so you are not performing hungry or dehydrated. Carry any prescribed medication and tell the supervisor if you may need it. Check venue rules on food and drink with the provider.
Arrive early enough to set up and check sound
Plan to arrive with enough time to register, set up, tune, and do any sound or balance check. Confirm the arrival time and any soundcheck window with the provider, as these vary by venue.
Confirm whether scores or a written programme note are required
Ask whether the assessors expect printed scores, programme notes, or a repertoire list, and in what form. This is needs_review until confirmed with your teacher or the provider, as requirements can differ between sessions.
Read the current assessment specifications and rules
Check the current NZQA Scholarship Music assessment specification and any rules about permissible works, originality, and collaboration. Confirm anything unclear with your teacher or the provider rather than relying on secondhand advice.
A plan for nerves and focus
Decide in advance on a short pre-performance routine: breathing, a final quiet run-through of tricky passages, and a cue to start. Knowing your recovery plan if something goes wrong is part of being prepared.
Plan the day
Lock your programme and stop changing repertoire. Run full mock performances in the order you will present them, timing each item and the transitions. Record one run and listen or watch back for balance, tuning, and stage presence. Confirm logistics with your teacher or the provider: arrival time, venue, equipment, accompanist arrangements, and any documentation required. Check instrument health now so there is time for repairs or replacement strings and reeds. Protect sleep and avoid heavy new technical work.
Do a light, confident run-through rather than a hard practice session. Check and pack your instrument case, accessories, spares, scores, backing tracks, ID, water, and snack. Charge any devices and test backup media. Re-read the programme and your starting cues for each item. Confirm your travel plan and set two alarms. Eat normally, hydrate, and get a full night's sleep. Avoid last-minute repertoire changes.
Eat a proper meal and hydrate. Do a short, gentle warm-up appropriate to your instrument or voice, then rest your voice or hands rather than over-practising. Arrive at the venue early enough to register, set up, tune, and check sound. Keep conversation light and avoid comparing preparation with others. Run your focus routine and review only your entry points and cues.
Follow the supervisor's and assessors' instructions exactly on order, timing, and breaks. Announce items only if asked. If something goes wrong, keep going where possible and recover at the next safe point rather than restarting unless permitted. Manage stamina across the programme, stay hydrated between items, and keep your attention on communicating the music rather than on errors. After finishing, follow the provider's instructions on leaving the space and returning equipment.
Rules to check
Follow all directions from supervisors and assessors about entry, performance order, timing, and leaving the room. If an instruction is unclear, ask before you begin rather than assuming.
Bring and present photo identification if the provider requires it. Confirm the accepted forms of ID with your teacher or the provider in advance; do not assume a particular document will be accepted.
Present only works and materials that comply with the current assessment rules on repertoire, originality, and any permitted collaboration. Confirm any uncertainty about a work's eligibility with your teacher or the provider before the day.
Use only equipment, backing tracks, and accompaniment that you have declared and that the provider permits. Do not introduce undeclared recordings, edits, or assistance during the assessment.
Breaks and rest periods are governed by the provider's session arrangements. Ask the supervisor what is available and when, and use breaks to rest your voice or hands rather than to rehearse loudly.
Scoring is carried out by assessors against the current Scholarship Music assessment specification, including the practical performance standard and any required written or analytical components. Read the current specification and confirm how each part contributes with your teacher or the provider.
Keep phones and other devices silenced and out of use during the assessment unless a device is part of your declared setup. Confirm the venue's device policy with the supervisor.
Raise any problem with equipment, accompaniment, or your ability to perform with the supervisor immediately so it can be addressed and, where the rules allow, noted for the assessment.