Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91474 about?

Accepted Answer

You need to read two unfamiliar texts (a prose extract and a poem) closely and write analytical responses to three questions about them. You'll identify specific literary techniques and language features that create meaning, explain how writers use these features deliberately, and compare how both texts work. This is about showing you can analyse texts you've never seen before by picking out the "how" and "why" of the writing.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91474?

Accepted Answer

1. Identify and name at least two relevant literary aspects (like narrative perspective, dialogue, imagery, tone, structure, symbolism, word choice) in each text 2. Quote specific details from the texts and explain how those details create meaning or effect 3. Discuss the writer's deliberate choices—why they used certain techniques and what effect those choices have 4. Compare how both texts use similar or different techniques to create meaning 5. Answer all three questions with balanced, developed discussion rather than summary or plot retelling

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91474?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You develop a clear critical discussion by identifying and explaining at least two relevant aspects in each text, support your points with specific textual examples, and attempt all three questions. Merit: You show convincing understanding by unpacking well-chosen quotations in depth, weaving evidence into your commentary, offering balanced and in-depth discussion across all questions, and investigating relevant implications of the writer's choices. Excellence: You offer perceptive insights by consistently identifying relevant aspects throughout all answers, embedding well-chosen examples with sophisticated analysis, exploring how different techniques work together, demonstrating sophisticated appreciation of language as deliberate choice, and showing original thought that links to broader ideas.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91474?

Accepted Answer

1. Not attempting all three questions, or leaving Question Three (the comparison) too brief—time management is a real problem, so practise working through all sections 2. Focusing on plot summary or what happens instead of analysing how meaning is created through literary techniques; examiners want analysis of technique, not retelling 3. Identifying only one aspect per question or naming aspects without actually explaining how they work; you need to unpack examples in detail and show why the writer's choices matter

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