AS 90995 annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary

TKI Media Studies assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to demonstrate comprehensive understanding of rules that govern the media in New Zealand. 

This involves examining at least two implications of these rules for specific media practice, products and/or media users in New Zealand.  

This student has demonstrated comprehensive understanding of the rules that govern advertising in New Zealand by looking at two rules within the Advertising Code of Practice.

The student provides a clear overview of how the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) complaints process works (1), and a description of two specific rules within the Code of Practice (2). Reasons for why the rules exist and how/why they affect media users (3) are given, using a case study of a television advertisement as supporting evidence (4). 

The student examines the wider implications of the advertisements, complaints and decisions, including some examination of the context of the advertisement and it’s effect on media users (5).    

For a more secure Excellence, the student could:

• provide a more detailed examination of the wider implications by examining the effects on media users and why this complaint was not upheld
• provide more detailed examination of the wider effects of these rules beyond the specific advertisement and complaints.

For Merit, the student needs to demonstrate in-depth understanding of rules that govern the media in New Zealand.

This involves explaining why these rules exist and the effects of these rules on specific media practice, products and/or media users in New Zealand.

This student has demonstrated in-depth understanding of the effect of two rules that govern advertising in New Zealand.

The student gives a brief overview of the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) (1) and explains why two codes/rules exist (2), briefly showing understanding of the rules by explaining the effects of the rules on specific media users through the complaint discussed (3) (4) (5). The student’s understanding is demonstrated with evidence to illustrate how the complainant thought the codes were breached.

For a more secure Merit, the student could:

• develop the explanation of the ASA and how the complaints process works (1)
• provide more reasoned arguments for the code’s existence and more supporting evidence beyond the one complaint discussed
• provide more reasoned explanations as to how the rules affect specific media practice, products and/or media users (5) (6).

For Merit, the student needs to demonstrate in-depth understanding of rules that govern the media in New Zealand.

This involves explaining why these rules exist and the effects of these rules on specific media practice, products and/or media users in New Zealand.

This student has demonstrated in-depth understanding of the effect of two rules that govern advertising in New Zealand.

The student gives a brief overview of the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) (1) and explains why two codes/rules exist (2), briefly showing understanding of the rules by explaining the effects of the rules on specific media users through the complaint discussed (3) (4) (5). The student’s understanding is demonstrated with evidence to illustrate how the complainant thought the codes were breached.

For a more secure Merit, the student could:

• develop the explanation of the ASA and how the complaints process works (1)
• provide more reasoned arguments for the code’s existence and more supporting evidence beyond the one complaint discussed
• provide more reasoned explanations as to how the rules affect specific media practice, products and/or media users (5) (6).

For Achieved, the student needs to demonstrate understanding of rules that govern the media in New Zealand.

This involves describing rules that govern the media in New Zealand and how they operate, and describing the effects of these rules on specific media practice, products and/or media users in New Zealand.

This student has demonstrated an understanding of the effect of two rules that govern advertising in New Zealand. 

The student clearly describes how the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) operates, its overall function and the complaints process (1). The student describes two codes that govern advertising standards in New Zealand as determined by the ASA (3). The effects of the codes on society and media users are described through the complaint discussed (4).

The student explores a range of contexts, purposes and viewpoints  to inform their own opinion of the rules that govern advertising standards (5). Their understanding is supported with specific evidence to illustrate how the complainant thought the codes were breached (2). The student provides some explanation as to why the codes exist, the effects of the codes and the effect of the complaint (5).

To reach Merit, the student could:

• explain more clearly why the ASA exists, beyond ‘to keep control of advertising in New Zealand’
• explain wider effects of the rules on media practice, beyond the one complaint mentioned (6)
• explain the relevance of the research into vegetarians by linking this back to the codes and the complaint to show more in-depth understanding (7).

For Achieved, the student needs to demonstrate understanding of rules that govern the media in New Zealand.

This involves describing rules that govern the media in New Zealand and how they operate, and describing the effects of these rules on specific media practice, products and/or media users in New Zealand.

This student has demonstrated understanding of the effect of two rules that govern advertising in New Zealand. 

The student describes how the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) operates and its overall function (1), describing at least two codes that govern advertising standards in New Zealand as determined by the ASA (3), and describing some effects of the codes on society and media users (4).

The student starts to explore a range of viewpoints (both the complainant’s and the chairman’s) to inform their own opinion of the rules that govern advertising standards (5). Their understanding is supported with specific evidence to illustrate how the complainant thought the codes were breached (2).

For a more secure Achieved, the student could:

• describe how the complaints process operates in more detail (e.g. the potential penalties for an upheld complaint)
• describe the effect of the selected codes more clearly by developing more examples, such as the Code of Ethics (CoE) Rule 4
• describe the effect of the rules on the media industry and on media practice such as why the CoE is ‘the most common code to be broken by TV advertisements’.

For Achieved, the student needs to demonstrate understanding of rules that govern the media in New Zealand.

This involves describing rules that govern the media in New Zealand and how they operate, and describing the effects of these rules on specific media practice, products and/or media users in New Zealand.

This student has demonstrated an understanding of the effect of two rules that govern advertising in New Zealand.

The student briefly describes the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and its function (1), describing at least two codes that govern advertising standards in New Zealand as determined by the ASA, and briefly describing how the selected rules/codes operate and their effects (4). Their understanding is supported with specific evidence (2).

To reach Achieved, the student could:

• describe how the ASA operates by giving an example of a complaint upheld
• describe the complaints and review process, and the potential penalties for an upheld complaint, in more detail
• describe the selected codes more clearly in his/her own words to show understanding (3)
• describe the effect of the rules on advertisers and on New Zealand society by describing the complainants’ viewpoint in more detail, as well as the reasons behind the ASA’s decision that there were no grounds to proceed (5).