Jessica Bell's friends call her a nerd at school because of her academic successes.
But the 18-year-old does not care - she has just won $500 for her efforts.
The student from Rangitoto College, on Auckland's North Shore, won the top award in the Educational Scholarship Trust art historyexam, held last month.
Jessica, who gained 94 per cent in the exam, is one of 19 top-mark students awarded $500 each.
The exams are run each year to challenge bright students.
"I didn't expect to do this well. It was quite a shock," said Jessica, who plans to study for a Bachelor of Arts at Auckland University next year.
She attributes her academic success to simply listening in class.
"I don't study as much as people expect, but I listen and that really helps."
The trust has awarded 91 prizes to students this year for their performance in the exams, which are written by university professors based on the Bursary syllabus.
Students can choose from 19 subjects, but must enter a minimum of five to qualify for a $1500 national scholarship or a $500 scholarship.
Trust executive officer Sarah Taylor said the exams were designed to be harder than Bursary.
"They're a chance for students to prove themselves in an unashamedly competitive exam.
"Bursary's a great exam, but our exams challenge students and give them a chance to really go for it."
Auckland Grammar student Ross Bayer scored 100 per cent in the maths with calculus exam, the first time a student has correctly answered every question since the exam began in 1992.
St Joseph's Maori Girls College student Marina Hikurangi Skipper topped the Maori exam with 83 per cent. Mark Robinson, of Westlake Boys, won the top prize for accounting, with 86 per cent.
The trust has given four medallist awards of $500 to students showing all-round abilities: Rosalind Phillips (Havelock North High School), John Chen, Ross Bayer and David Delamore (Auckland Grammar).
