Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91543 about?

Accepted Answer

This is an external NCEA exam worth 5 credits where students listen to three spoken French audio passages and answer questions about them in English, French, or te reo Māori. The passages are on real-world topics of social interest — things like environmental issues, everyday French life, and social behaviour. Each passage is played once in full, then repeated in sections twice more. Students need to show they genuinely understood what was said, not just guess from the question or a supplied image.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91543?

Accepted Answer

1. Listen to three spoken French passages during the exam — each played once in full, then broken into sections and replayed twice 2. Answer questions about each passage in writing — you can respond in English, French, or te reo Māori 3. Show you understood the meaning of what was said, including details, perspectives, and implied meanings 4. For higher grades, go beyond listing facts — explain ideas, give supporting detail, and directly answer what the question is actually asking

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91543?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You get the general idea of the passages and can express key facts in simple sentences. You understand the overall topic but may miss some complex vocabulary, mix up similar-sounding words, or use a word's wrong meaning in context. Merit: You show clear understanding of more detailed and complex language. You write crafted responses that explain ideas rather than just listing words you recognised. You include specific detail and focus on what the French actually means in context, not just what individual words look like. Excellence: You show thorough understanding, including implied meanings. You organise your answers to directly address the question, back up your points with detailed evidence from the passage, and can handle complex expressions and subtle vocabulary. Your answers read like a coherent explanation, not just a list of things you heard.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91543?

Accepted Answer

1. Guessing meaning from a supplied image rather than from the audio — for example, writing about fashion history instead of what the passage actually said 2. Confusing similar-sounding French words, such as 'comportement' (behaviour) mistaken for 'compartment', 'gens' (people) for 'jeunes' (young people), 'humour' for 'amour' (love), and 'potable' (drinkable) for 'portable' or 'mobile phone' 3. Taking a word's most obvious meaning rather than the meaning that fits the context — for example, 'voiture' meaning 'car' but referring to a train carriage, or 'campagne' meaning 'campaign' not 'company' 4. Misreading expressions by focusing on one word — for example, seeing 'mettre en lumière' and writing about light, rather than understanding it means 'to highlight' 5. Writing very long answers that include irrelevant personal opinions or background knowledge not from the passage, such as references to Covid, World War II, or the cost-of-living crisis 6. Writing answers that are too short — just one or two sentences — without enough detail to show real understanding 7. Not attempting all questions 8. Basing answers on personal experience or the question title rather than on what was actually heard in the audio

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