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Senior Parallel Exams
 
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2020 Parallel External Examinations for Years 11-13

Ms K. Dick, Assistant Principal —

10-17 September

NCEA parallel external examinations take place from 10-17th September. The timetable for these examinations is in its final draft and will be issued to girls shortly.

This year the parallel examinations take on a new significance. As has happened overseas, should alert levels be at Level 3 or higher in any part of the country, there is a possibility that NZQA would revert to derived grades across the whole country for the external examinations. It is therefore important that students revise thoroughly for their parallel examinations as the derived grades come from these.

Please support your daughter to make good choices in starting to prepare for these examinations. There are a range of fabulous study resources available on our OGHS Careers website and some great study advice from educationalist Karen Boyes in this Radio New Zealand interview. Little and often pays off, especially if girls are still finishing off other internal assessments. With the exams less than three weeks away, now is not too early to get stuck into some flash cards, revision quizzes and other tools and activities.

We aim to make the parallel examination conditions replicate the actual examination conditions as closely as possible. Because formal examinations are different to the way students learn in everyday classes, they need to understand the conditions under which the exams occur. They need to reflect fully on the importance of working independently to prepare and study for the exams.

Please talk to your daughter about her study plan. Go over the exam conditions in the link below with her. Allow for your daughter to arrive at her exam in plenty of time. Make sure she has had a good night’s sleep and a breakfast that will sustain her over three hours.

Some of the important NZQA rules for examinations are outlined in the link below. Students are required to follow these rules for the September examinations. Students may not leave the examination before the end of the allotted time in the parallel examinations.

This year, as for last year, some of our parallel examinations will be held in the school hall, as is common practice in most schools. Digital and specialised examinations will be held in separate classrooms as will exams for SAC (Special Assessment Conditions) students.

Students should be beginning their revision programme in earnest now, reducing work hours if they have a part-time job, and turning their attention from internal assessment to the external examinations. Scholarship students will also practise their papers in the parallel examinations. As well as being used for derived grades, parallel exams are important for all seniors because they help prepare students for the actual NCEA exams and put them in good study habits for when they reach tertiary study.

Useful study help is found on the school’s Careers page which can be accessed from the Student Landing Page. See the link below. This has wonderful information and helpful sites for exam preparation. Teachers also offer tutorials, revision and study material leading up to, and during the examinations. Active as well as passive study is necessary for success. Students can also take advantage of the Peer Tutoring programme and the Homework Help Forum on their landing page. See the links below.

NZQA External Examination Rules

Homework Help Forum

Peer Tutoring Request Form Form

If students prepare well and follow these instructions for the school parallel examinations, they will ensure maximum success in the final external examinations. Good preparation now will reap rewards.

We have lots of support in place to ensure students achieve the best results they can this year and are tracking student achievement and progress closely. Please do not hesitate to contact mentors, Heads of House, deans, teachers or myself if you have any concerns at all.