Question 1

What is NCEA AS 91904 about?

Accepted Answer

This is a Year 13 internal assessment worth 6 credits where students design and build a working electronics project using advanced techniques. You will plan, build, test, and document an electronics outcome — something like a sensor system, wireless device, or feedback controller — and explain how and why it works, including how it communicates data and what real-world implications it has.

Question 2

What do students need to do for AS 91904?

Accepted Answer

1. Choose and build a functional electronics project that uses at least one complex technique — for example, wireless data transfer, I2C or serial communication protocols, feedback control, interrupt-driven software, or custom PCB design. 2. Construct and test circuits, checking they meet your original specifications. Document your testing results carefully. 3. Debug and modify your project when things don't work, recording what you changed and why. 4. Explain how your circuit behaves and functions — what each part does and why you chose it. 5. Explain the communication protocols your project uses (e.g. how two components talk to each other over I2C or serial). 6. Address relevant real-world implications such as health and safety, usability, sustainability, or ethical considerations. 7. For higher grades: use your test results to make reliable improvements, and justify (with reasons backed by evidence) why you chose specific components, subsystems, and communication protocols.

Question 3

What's the difference between Achieved, Merit, and Excellence for AS 91904?

Accepted Answer

Achieved: Your electronics project works and meets your specifications. You have used at least one complex technique, tested and debugged your circuits, explained how the electronics behaves, described the communication protocols used, and considered relevant implications. Merit: Everything from Achieved, plus you have used your testing and analysis data to make sure the circuit works reliably — not just once, but consistently. Your decisions are backed up by evidence from your testing. Excellence: Everything from Merit, plus you have made ongoing improvements throughout the whole project (not just at the end), and you have clearly justified — with solid reasoning and evidence — why you chose your communication protocols, components, and subsystems over other options.

Question 4

What mistakes do students typically make in AS 91904?

Accepted Answer

1. Not providing enough evidence of testing — students build something that works but don't document test results or show how testing led to changes. 2. Describing implications at a surface level without connecting them meaningfully to the actual project (e.g. just listing 'health and safety' without explaining what that means for their specific outcome). 3. Explaining what a communication protocol is in general terms rather than justifying why they chose it for their particular project. 4. Failing to show iterative improvement — students make changes at the end rather than refining throughout the design and development process, which is required for Excellence. 5. Justifications for component and subsystem choices are vague or missing — students say what they used but not why it was the best option compared to alternatives.

Electronics

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