Lilli Scott is one of the thousands of Kiwi teens preparing for NCEA exams which start today. The 16-year-old Aquinas College student had eight exams to sit over the next three weeks and said she was "feeling good" leading up to her Level 2 and Scholarship exams.
Her exams include English, economics, history, business studies, Scholarship English, Scholarship history, drama and biology.
Scott said she found using NZQA assessment reports and past exams the most effective ways to study because she could see what questions had been asked in previous years.
The Year 12 student said she felt prepared to sit her upcoming exams after doing well in practice exams in September.
Scott said she was studying hard to become a journalist in the future.
In the Bay of Plenty region, 9155 students will be sitting papers in the upcoming end-of-year external exam round, including 446 students who have been entered for one or more Scholarship examinations.
NCEA and Scholarship examinations run from today through to Friday, December 1.
NZQA deputy chief executive Kristine Kilkelly said parents talking to their children about study and preparation in the lead-up to their exams was one of the ways parents could help their child to do well.
"Parents and whanau want to help, but sometimes worry they don't know enough about particular school subjects or that they've been out of the classroom too long to give valuable advice."
"You don't need to be an expert in NCEA or the subjects your child is taking to be able to support them to achieve," she said.
Lilli's study tips
- Check out the NZQA website and look for assessment reports under each subject, this outlines what examiners are looking for.
- Look at exams from previous years; you can find every question that has ever been asked about your subject and practise before your exam.
- Check out the website Quizlet. It's an online tool to create flashcards to help study.
- Put your phone on "do not disturb" while studying; it will help you focus.
- Make sure to take regular breaks. Try 50 minutes studying then a 10-minute break; after three hours of study take an hour off.
Ways parents and whanau can support students who are sitting exams:
Consult the experts: Teachers understand how NCEA works and know how your child is progressing. Many schools also have useful information on their website or parent portal.
Provide a suitable study environment: Students need a quiet, organised and well-lit space to study for NCEA examinations.
Balance study with free time: It's important students remain in a positive frame of mind and stay relaxed.
Prepare, prepare, prepare: Make sure you and your child know how they are going to get to their examinations, what the examination room rules are, and what they need to take with them (as well as what they can't).
Know the examination timetable: NCEA examinations are national examinations, so students do the same examination at the same time no matter where they live. Make sure you know what examinations your child is sitting, and when, so you can support them beforehand and talk to them afterwards about how it went.
Know where to go for information: If an event such as an earthquake occurs during the exam, you'll need to know whether your child's school or examination centre is open.
Visit the school's website, or keep an eye out for text messages from your school. You can also check the NZQA website or the official NZQA pages on Facebook and Twitter for information about exams.