NCEA Level 3 Science

BiologyChemistryEarth and Space SciencePhysics
Year 9 scienceYear 10 scienceNCEA Level 1 scienceNCEA Level 2 scienceNCEA Level 3 science

Biology

26 credits Exam: Tuesday 17 November, afternoon
AS 91601 · Biology 3.1 Internal4 credits

Carry out a practical investigation in a biological context, with guidance

  • Planning a biology investigation with valid controls
  • Processing data with statistics
  • Evaluating validity and reliability
Biology investigation: temperature and Daphnia heart rate
AS 91602 · Biology 3.2 Internal3 credits

Integrate biological knowledge to develop an informed response to a socio-scientific issue

  • The biology behind a socio-scientific issue
  • Perspectives and their evidence
  • A justified response
A socio-scientific issue: aerial 1080 in Aotearoa
AS 91603 · Biology 3.3 External5 credits

Demonstrate understanding of the responses of plants and animals to their external environment

  • Orientation in space: tropisms, taxes, kineses, migration
  • Biological rhythms
  • Relationships within and between species
Orientation in space: tropisms, taxes, kineses and migrationBiological rhythms: clocks, zeitgebers and photoperiodismRelationships between species: competition, mutualism, exploitationRelationships within a species: territories, hierarchies, mating
AS 91604 · Biology 3.4 Internal3 credits

Demonstrate understanding of how an animal maintains a stable internal environment

  • Negative feedback
  • Thermoregulation
  • Blood glucose and water balance
Homeostasis: how animals keep their internal environment stable
AS 91605 · Biology 3.5 External4 credits

Demonstrate understanding of evolutionary processes leading to speciation

  • Mutation, gene flow, selection and drift
  • Speciation and isolating mechanisms
  • Patterns of evolution and the evidence
Mutation, gene flow, natural selection and genetic driftSpeciation and reproductive isolating mechanismsPatterns of evolution: divergence, convergence and radiationThe evidence for evolution: fossils, anatomy, DNA and Gondwana
AS 91606 · Biology 3.6 External4 credits

Demonstrate understanding of trends in human evolution

  • Bipedalism, the skull and the hand
  • Tools, fire, language and farming
  • How hominins spread
Trends in human biological evolutionTrends in human cultural evolutionHow hominins spread across the world
AS 91607 · Biology 3.7 Internal3 credits

Demonstrate understanding of human manipulations of genetic transfer and its biological implications

  • Selective breeding
  • Genetic engineering, cloning and gene therapy
  • Biological implications
Human manipulation of genetic transfer

AS 91603 past papers

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AS 91605 past papers

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AS 91606 past papers

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Chemistry

28 credits Exam: Friday 20 November, afternoon
AS 91387 · Chemistry 3.1 Internal4 credits

Carry out an investigation in chemistry involving quantitative analysis

  • Planning a titration investigation
  • Accurate technique and calculations
  • Evaluating the results
A quantitative chemistry investigation: titration analysis
AS 91388 · Chemistry 3.2 Internal3 credits

Demonstrate understanding of spectroscopic data in chemistry

  • Mass spectrometry
  • Infrared spectra
  • Carbon-13 NMR
Spectroscopic data: identifying organic compounds
AS 91389 · Chemistry 3.3 Internal3 credits

Demonstrate understanding of chemical processes in the world around us

  • The chemistry of a real process
  • Rates, equilibrium and conditions
  • Environmental and economic factors
Chemical processes in the world: from natural gas to urea
AS 91390 · Chemistry 3.4 External5 credits

Demonstrate understanding of thermochemical principles and the properties of particles and substances

  • Electron configuration and periodic trends
  • Shapes, polarity and intermolecular forces
  • Thermochemistry and Hess's law
Electron configuration and periodic trendsShapes, polarity and intermolecular forcesMelting, boiling, solubility and spontaneityThermochemistry and Hess's law
AS 91391 · Chemistry 3.5 External5 credits

Demonstrate understanding of the properties of organic compounds

  • Functional groups, names and isomers
  • Substitution, oxidation and elimination
  • Polymers, proteins and fats
Functional groups, naming and isomersSubstitution reactions: from haloalkanes to amidesOxidation, reduction and eliminationPolyesters, polyamides, proteins and fats
AS 91392 · Chemistry 3.6 External5 credits

Demonstrate understanding of equilibrium principles in aqueous systems

  • Solubility and Ks
  • Weak acids, bases and buffers
  • Titration curves and indicators
Solubility and KsWeak acids, bases, pH and buffersTitration curves and indicators
AS 91393 · Chemistry 3.7 Internal3 credits

Demonstrate understanding of oxidation-reduction processes

  • Oxidation numbers and half-equations
  • Electrode potentials
  • Electrochemical cells
Oxidation-reduction: electrode potentials and cells

AS 91390 past papers

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AS 91391 past papers

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AS 91392 past papers

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Earth and Space Science

24 credits Exam: Wednesday 2 December, afternoon
AS 91410 · Earth and Space Science 3.1 Internal4 credits

Carry out an independent practical Earth and Space Science investigation

  • Planning an independent investigation
  • Collecting and processing data
  • Evaluating the investigation
Planning and running an independent ESS investigation
AS 91411 · Earth and Space Science 3.2 Internal4 credits

Investigate a socio-scientific issue in an Earth and Space Science context

  • A New Zealand Earth and Space Science issue
  • Stakeholders and evidence
  • A justified course of action
Investigating an Earth and Space Science issue in Aotearoa
AS 91412 · Earth and Space Science 3.3 Internal4 credits

Investigate the evidence related to dating geological event(s)

  • Relative dating
  • Radiometric dating and half-life
  • Building a timeline of events
Dating geological events
AS 91413 · Earth and Space Science 3.4 External4 credits

Demonstrate understanding of processes in the ocean system

  • Ocean composition and circulation
  • The ocean carbon cycle
  • Heat, tides, waves and El Niño
Ocean composition, layers and circulationThe ocean carbon cycle and ocean acidificationOcean heat, tides, waves and El Niño
AS 91414 · Earth and Space Science 3.5 External4 credits

Demonstrate understanding of processes in the atmosphere system

  • Composition of the atmosphere
  • Atmospheric circulation
  • Cycles and climate trends
Composition, layers and energy balance of the atmosphereAtmospheric circulation: cells, wind belts and the westerliesWater, carbon, volcanoes and climate trends
AS 91415 · Earth and Space Science 3.6 Internal4 credits

Investigate an aspect of astronomy

  • Choosing an astronomy question
  • Working with real data
  • Evaluating conclusions
Investigating an aspect of astronomy with real data

AS 91413 past papers

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AS 91414 past papers

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Physics

29 credits Exam: Thursday 12 November, afternoon
AS 91521 · Physics 3.1 Internal4 credits

Carry out a practical investigation to test a physics theory relating two variables in a non-linear relationship

  • Choosing a relationship to test
  • Linearising data and finding the gradient
  • Comparing results with theory
Testing a physics theory by experiment
AS 91522 · Physics 3.2 Internal3 credits

Demonstrate understanding of the application of physics to a selected context

  • A technology or context
  • The physics principles behind it
  • Explaining it in depth
Physics applied to a context: fibre-optic broadband
AS 91523 · Physics 3.3 External4 credits

Demonstrate understanding of wave systems

  • Interference and diffraction gratings
  • Standing waves, harmonics and beats
  • The Doppler effect
Interference, double slits and diffraction gratingsStanding waves, harmonics, resonance and beatsThe Doppler effect
AS 91524 · Physics 3.4 External6 credits

Demonstrate understanding of mechanical systems

  • Momentum and centre of mass
  • Circular motion and gravity
  • Rotational motion and simple harmonic motion
Centre of mass and momentum in two dimensionsCircular motion and gravityRotational motionSimple harmonic motion
AS 91525 · Physics 3.5 Internal3 credits

Demonstrate understanding of Modern Physics

  • The photoelectric effect
  • Atomic spectra
  • Nuclear binding energy
Modern physics: photons, energy levels and the nucleus
AS 91526 · Physics 3.6 External6 credits

Demonstrate understanding of electrical systems

  • DC circuits and internal resistance
  • Capacitors and inductors
  • AC circuits
DC circuits, internal resistance and Kirchhoff's lawsCapacitorsInductors, Faraday's law and transformersAC circuits
AS 91527 · Physics 3.7 Internal3 credits

Use physics knowledge to develop an informed response to a socio-scientific issue

  • The physics behind a socio-scientific issue
  • Perspectives and evidence
  • A justified response
A physics issue: how should New Zealand make its electricity?

AS 91523 past papers

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AS 91524 past papers

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AS 91526 past papers

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