NZ Scholarship Visual Arts exam-day guide
NZ Scholarship Visual Arts · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Portfolio submission confirmation
NZ Scholarship Visual Arts is assessed through a portfolio of submitted work rather than a single timed written paper, so confirm the exact submission method, deadline, and file or physical format with your teacher and NZQA. Keep a copy of any submission receipt or confirmation. Mark as needs_review: submission mechanics can change year to year, so confirm with the provider.
Printed or saved copy of your submission requirements
Have the current year's assessment specification and any teacher-issued checklist on hand so you can verify numbering, labelling, and required supporting statements. Confirm exact requirements with your teacher or NZQA rather than relying on memory.
Your resolved body of work, finalised
Bring or upload the work exactly as you intend it to be assessed. Avoid last-minute edits that leave files unsaved, unexported, or missing. If physical, protect surfaces and edges for transport.
Consistent, legible labelling
Check that every panel, image, or file carries the identification and ordering your school requires. Illegible or misordered work can lose marks for reasons unrelated to your art-making.
Digital files in the required format
If any work is digital, confirm accepted file types and size limits with your teacher and test that files open on a different device. Mark as needs_review: format and size limits are set by the provider and may change.
Backup of all digital material
Keep at least two copies, on separate drives or cloud accounts, of every digital file and photograph of physical work. Verify the backups open before the deadline.
Documentation photographs of physical work
If photographs of your work are submitted, check focus, colour accuracy, and lighting. Photograph early so re-shoots are possible.
Your visual diary or workbook
Bring supporting developmental material if your teacher indicates it is required or useful for verification. Confirm with your teacher what supporting evidence is expected.
Student identification
Carry your student ID or the identification your school requires for internal verification and any sign-out of submitted work. Confirm the exact ID requirement with your school.
Materials for any supervised session
If your school runs a supervised component or hand-in session, bring only permitted materials. Confirm the permitted-materials list with your teacher in advance.
Contact plan for the day
Save your teacher's and the school's assessment contact details so you can reach someone quickly if a file fails, a drive is lost, or a submission link does not work.
A realistic time buffer
Plan to finish and submit well before the deadline so that technical problems, printing queues, or transport delays do not become assessment problems.
Plan the day
Stop opening new directions and finish what you have. Review the whole body of work against the assessment criteria and your teacher's feedback, then make only targeted improvements. Resolve labelling, ordering, and any required statements. Export and back up all digital files, and photograph physical work in good light. Test that every file opens on a second device. Confirm the submission method and deadline in writing with your teacher.
Do a complete dry run: assemble exactly what will be submitted and check it against the requirements line by line. Re-verify backups and confirm the files are the final versions, not earlier drafts. Pack physical work safely or confirm upload access. Get a full night's sleep rather than starting a large new piece, since rushed additions rarely improve a resolved portfolio.
Eat, arrive early, and bring your identification and any permitted materials. Open digital files once more to confirm they are intact. Submit or hand in with time to spare, and keep the receipt or confirmation. If a technical problem occurs, contact your teacher immediately rather than attempting improvised fixes alone.
Follow the supervisor's instructions, work only with permitted materials, and keep your identification visible if required. If something is unclear, ask the supervisor rather than guessing. Use remaining time to check labelling and completeness before you leave.
Retain your own copy of everything submitted and note what you sent and when. If your school requests verification or a folio return, respond promptly. Do not continue altering submitted work unless your teacher confirms it is permitted.
Rules to check
Submit only your own original work. Confirm with your teacher and the provider how collaboration, found imagery, and borrowed source material must be acknowledged, and follow that guidance exactly.
Follow every instruction about labelling, ordering, file format, and supporting statements. Work that cannot be identified or opened may not be assessable, regardless of its quality.
Carry the identification your school requires and present it if asked during any supervised session or hand-in. Confirm the exact ID requirement with your school.
Use only materials and equipment permitted for any supervised component. Ask the supervisor before using anything you are unsure about.
If you need to leave during a supervised session, ask the supervisor first and follow their instructions on breaks and re-entry. Confirm the provider's break rules in advance.
Report technical failures, lost files, or damage immediately to your teacher and keep evidence of the problem. Do not attempt to substitute or recreate work without confirming what is allowed.
Understand how your work will be judged: read the current assessment criteria and schedule, and ask your teacher to explain anything ambiguous. Do not rely on second-hand descriptions of the standard.
Do not assume deadlines, formats, or submission methods are the same as previous years. Confirm all practical details with your teacher or the provider before the day.