Clarification details
Updated May 2015. This document has been updated to address issues that have arisen from moderation.
The purpose of clarifications
We create clarification documents to help people understand the current requirements of achievement standards. Clarifications do not introduce new criteria, change the intent of the standard, or change what we expect from assessment.
These documents unpack and explain the language and intent of the standard so people interpret and apply the standard consistently. We provide examples or guidance as illustrations only. They are not prescriptions or requirements.
For official requirements, always refer to the current version of the achievement standard as published by NZQA.
Practical Investigation
- Students must work individually throughout the entire investigation and templates should not be utilised.
- The investigation must be a collection of data over time.
- This investigation requires students to have identified and included relevant findings from another source. Sources should be from verifiable or published resources, not from other student’s findings. It is good practice for students to reference all the findings from the sources utilised.
- Merit requires a discussion of the biological ideas related to the investigation that is based on the student’s findings and those from other sources. Biological ideas should be agricultural or horticultural ideas.