Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91146 about?

Accepted Answer

This is an external (NZQA exam) standard worth 5 credits. You read a variety of Samoan texts — things like articles, poems, emails, or advertisements — and answer questions in English, Māori, or Samoan to show you understand what the texts mean. The 2025 exam had three reading texts: one about cycling, one about friendship, and one poem about Samoan cultural concepts (tautua, va fealoai, and tofi mai anamua). You need to go beyond just spotting the obvious facts — at higher grades you must explain hidden or implied meanings and back up your answers with evidence from the texts.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91146?

Accepted Answer

1. Read a variety of written or visual Samoan texts on everyday, familiar topics (e.g. articles, poems, advertisements, blogs). 2. Answer comprehension questions about the texts — you can write your answers in English, Te Reo Māori, or Samoan. 3. Show you understand the main ideas and key details in each text. 4. For higher grades, explain implied or hidden meanings (e.g. what a poem suggests about cultural values, or what a character's actions tell us about their feelings) and support your answers with specific evidence from the text.

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91146?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You identify the main ideas and key concepts in the texts and can describe what is happening in general terms. You show some understanding and summarise ideas in your own words, but your answers may have limited supporting detail from the text. Merit: You clearly explain key ideas and cultural concepts (like tautua or va fealoai) and back up your answers with relevant evidence from the text. You go beyond just summarising — you interpret implied meanings such as relationships, respect, or social dynamics, even if not fully explored every time. Excellence: You show deep, thorough understanding of both the stated content and the implied or subtle meanings in the texts. You use detailed textual evidence to fully justify your conclusions, explain cultural concepts with insight, and link ideas to broader themes like community, identity, or values. Your answers are clear, well-organised, and leave no ambiguity.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91146?

Accepted Answer

1. Giving only brief or vague answers without quoting or referencing specific details from the text to back up points. 2. Missing at least one part of a multi-part question, which limits the grade you can receive. 3. Identifying surface-level facts but not explaining what they imply or suggest (e.g. describing what happened without explaining why it matters or what it tells us). 4. Struggling to explain Samoan cultural concepts (like tautua, va fealoai, tofi mai anamua) and connect them to the text with evidence. 5. Providing answers based on general knowledge or personal opinion rather than what is actually in the text. 6. Not fully reading or engaging with all the texts, leading to incomplete or off-topic responses.

Reading Samoan

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