Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91898 about?

Accepted Answer

AS91898 is a 3-credit external exam (written under exam conditions) where you answer questions about a computer science concept — in recent exams this has included topics like artificial intelligence and encryption. You need to show you understand not just what the technology is, but how it works, why it matters, and what problems or challenges it raises.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91898?

Accepted Answer

1. Study a computer science concept in depth during the year — recent exams have focused on AI and encryption. 2. In the exam, answer structured questions that ask you to describe how the concept works, explain how it is applied in a real context (like healthcare or car safety), discuss its impact on people or society, and evaluate key problems or future challenges it faces. 3. Use correct technical vocabulary and link ideas together rather than just listing facts. 4. Answer every part of every question — the exam has multiple parts (a, b, c, d) and leaving sections blank costs marks.

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91898?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: You correctly identify the computer science concept, give accurate details about how it works or is used, and answer questions in the context asked (e.g. AI in healthcare, not just AI in general). You explain things like how data is processed or why a security risk exists — not just list physical features like 'cars have sensors'. Merit: On top of the Achieved content, you explain the impact of the concept clearly — for example, explaining that faster AI diagnosis leads to better patient outcomes, not just saying 'AI is used in healthcare'. You understand the 'why' behind things, such as why older methods (like dip switches) were insecure compared to modern encryption, and you connect technical ideas to human effects like mental health or user behaviour. Excellence: You go beyond explaining to critically evaluating — for example, discussing the real limitations of SHA-256 or neural networks, not just describing them. You tackle future-proofing questions with genuine insight (e.g. the threat quantum computing poses to current encryption). You link multiple ideas into one coherent discussion and use specific examples from the exam materials (like diagrams) to anchor your answers.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91898?

Accepted Answer

1. Focusing on physical hardware (e.g. 'cars have GPS sensors') instead of explaining the computer science concept behind it — examiners repeatedly flagged this as a key reason for not achieving. 2. Writing about a topic not in the exam — some students wrote long answers about viruses or coding when the question was about AI or encryption. 3. Giving vague or surface-level answers, like saying 'it's hard to share passwords' instead of explaining the actual risk (e.g. interception or man-in-the-middle attacks). 4. Not answering the specific context in the question — for example, talking about AI in general when the question specifically asked about AI in healthcare. 5. Leaving large parts of the paper blank, especially the more detailed later parts of each question. 6. Confusing technical terms — for example, mixing up 'encoding' with 'encryption', or thinking basic binary dip switches were a form of encryption.

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