Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91126 about?

Accepted Answer

AS91126 is an external NCEA exam (sat in November) worth 5 credits. You read a range of German texts — things like articles, blogs, emails, and stories — and answer questions in English (or Māori or German) to show you understand what is written. The texts are about everyday topics like people's hobbies, health, or life stories. You do not translate word-for-word; instead you explain the meaning, pick out the important details, and back up your answers with evidence from the text.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91126?

Accepted Answer

1. Read several written German texts on familiar topics (e.g. theme parks, yoga, a person's life story). 2. Answer questions in English showing you understand the information, ideas, and opinions in each text. 3. Select only the relevant details from the text to answer each specific question — not everything you can find. 4. Back up your answers with evidence or examples from the text, and explain what they mean rather than just copying German words. 5. For higher grades, go beyond the obvious facts: explain implied meanings, draw conclusions, and connect ideas using text evidence.

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91126?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You show a basic understanding of the general meaning (the 'gist') of the texts. You pick out some correct information and make general points, but your answers may not always directly address the question or include much text-based evidence. Merit: You clearly understand the texts, including specific details. You select the most relevant information, explain it accurately, and refer back to the text to justify your points. Your answers are focused and mostly complete. Excellence: You show a thorough understanding, including meanings that are not directly stated. You fully support every point with text evidence, explain implied meanings or conclusions, and add your own well-justified insights. Answers are detailed, precise, and go beyond the obvious.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91126?

Accepted Answer

1. Quoting German directly from the text without translating or explaining it — this does not show understanding. 2. Writing too much for one part of a question and accidentally using evidence that belongs to a different part, then repeating it. 3. Skipping the introduction or key sentences in a text and then getting basic facts wrong (e.g. misidentifying who invented the teddy bear or what Richard's relationship to Margarete was). 4. Misreading the question — for example, thinking a question asks about studying in a city when it only asks about visiting. 5. Struggling with common verbs like 'aufhören' (to stop), leading to wrong answers about what happened in the text. 6. Giving adjectives or general descriptions instead of the specific personal qualities or reasons the question actually asks for. 7. Not using enough text-based evidence to back up answers, even when the overall idea expressed is correct.

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