1.2 Visual / Verbal Text
On this page you will find examples of past exam questions.
Click HERE for a list of different film techniques to write about.
Click HERE for a list of different film techniques to write about.
Past exam questions
Exam questions from previous years
Instructions
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Write an essay on at least ONE visual or oral text that you have studied. The text(s) can be any of the following:
If you choose to write about more than one text, the texts may be:
Choose ONE of questions 1–7. Make sure your chosen question suits the text(s), and that you understand and can write about both parts of the question before you start writing.
Write an essay on at least ONE visual or oral text that you have studied. The text(s) can be any of the following:
- Film
- television programme
- Radio programme
- Drama production
- Graphic novel
- Oral performance.
If you choose to write about more than one text, the texts may be:
- The same type (eg two drama productions)\
- A combination of different types (“intertextual studies” – eg a film and a radio programme).
Choose ONE of questions 1–7. Make sure your chosen question suits the text(s), and that you understand and can write about both parts of the question before you start writing.
2011 NCEA exam
- Describe at least ONE friendship that was important in the text(s).
Explain how the friendship helped you to understand one or more characters or individuals in the text(s), using examples of visual and / or oral language features to support your ideas. - Describe at least ONE idea that was worth learning about in the text(s).
Explain why the idea was worth learning about in the text(s) as a whole, using examples of visual and / or oral language features to support your ideas. - Describe at least ONE event that was a turning point in the text(s).
Explain how the event was a turning point in the text(s), using examples of visual and / or oral language features to support your ideas. - Describe at least ONE setting that was important in the text(s).
Explain how the setting helped you to understand one or more key ideas in the text(s), using examples of visual and / or oral language features to support your ideas.
Note: Setting is the time, place, and circumstances that form the background against which characters or individuals live and act. - Describe at least ONE challenge faced by a character or individual in the text(s).
Explain how the way he / she faced the challenge helped you to understand the character or individual in the text(s), using examples of visual and / or oral language features to support your ideas. - Describe the opening scenes or section of the text(s).
Explain how the opening scenes or section helped you to understand what the text(s) were going to be about, using examples of visual and / or oral language features to support your ideas.
Visual and oral language features could include:
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2012 NCEA exam
- Describe at least ONE conflict in the text(s).
Explain why the conflict was important to the text(s) as a whole, supporting your points with examples of visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE character or individual who changed during the text(s).
Explain how the change helped you to better understand the character or individual, supporting your points with examples of visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE idea that was memorable in the text(s).
Explain why the idea was memorable in the text(s) as a whole, supporting your points with examples of visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE significant setting in the text(s).
Explain how the setting helped you to understand one or more key ideas in the text(s), supporting your points with examples of visual and / or oral language features.
Note: Setting is the time, place, and circumstances that form the background against which characters or individuals live and act. - Describe at least ONE important event in the text(s).
Explain why the event had a positive or negative effect on one or more characters or individuals in the text(s), supporting your points with examples of visual and / or oral language features. - Describe the closing scenes or closing section of the text(s).
Explain how the closing scenes or closing section made a lasting impression on you, supporting your points with examples of visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE lesson learned by a character or individual in the text(s).
Explain why the lesson the character or individual learned was important to the text(s) as a whole, supporting your points with examples of visual and / or oral language features.
Visual and oral language features could include:
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2013 NCEA exam
- Describe a key relationship between two or more characters or individuals in the text(s).
Explain how the relationship helped you to understand these characters / individuals, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE important decision that a character or individual had to make in the text(s).
Explain how the decision affected the character / individual OR events throughout the text(s), supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE idea that is relevant to people in today’s society in the text(s).
Explain why the idea, as shown in the text(s), is relevant to people in today’s society, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE important setting in the text(s).
Explain how the setting helped to show the author / creator’s idea(s), supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.
Note: Setting is the time, place, and circumstances that form the background against which characters or individuals live and act. - Describe at least ONE event that was a turning point in the text(s).
Explain why the turning point was important in the text(s), supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe your first impressions of a character or individual in the text(s).
Explain how your understanding of the character / individual developed or changed throughout the text(s), supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE change that happened in the text(s).
Explain how the change helped you understand one or more key ideas in the text(s), supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.
Visual and oral language features could include:
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2014 NCEA exam
- Describe at least ONE character or individual you could relate to in the text(s).
Explain why being able to relate to the character or individual was important to the text(s) as a whole, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE method the director / creator used to engage the audience with the text(s).
Explain how this method engaged the audience, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. Note: Methods could include characters, events, relationships, narrative point-of-view, visual and / or oral language features, style, conflicts, or structure. - Describe at least ONE important idea the director / creator developed throughout the text(s).
Explain how this idea helped you to understand an important message for teenagers, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE character or individual in the text(s) that helped you to understand an important message.
Explain how the character or individual helped you to understand the message, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE important setting in the text(s).
Explain how the setting helped you to understand one or more characters or individuals in the text(s), supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.
Note: Setting is the time, place, and circumstances that form the background against which characters or individuals live and act. - Describe the closing scene(s) or section of the text(s).
Explain how the closing scene(s) or section helped you to understand an important message in the text(s), supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least ONE important conflict in the text(s).
Explain how this conflict helped you understand one or more characters or individuals in the text(s), supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.
Visual and oral language features could include:
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2015 NCEA exam
- Describe at least one important relationship in the text(s).
Explain how this relationship positively or negatively influenced one or more characters, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least one important character in the text(s).
Explain how the character changes throughout the text(s), supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe the opening scene of the text(s).
Explain why the opening scene was important, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least one important setting in the text(s).
Explain how the setting helped you to understand at least one idea, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.
Note: “Setting” may refer to physical places as well as social and historical contexts. - Describe at least one important object or symbol in the text(s).
Explain why this object or symbol helped you to understand at least one idea, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.
Note: A symbol could be a place, person, or thing that represents something more than itself. - Describe the structure of the text(s).
Explain how the structure helped you to understand an important idea, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.
Note: “Structure” refers to the way a text is arranged. - Describe an incident that changes the course of events in the text(s).
Explain how this change helped you to understand an important idea, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least one important technique used in the text(s).
Explain how the use of the technique created impact, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.
Visual and oral language features could include:
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2016 NCEA exam
- Describe at least one important object in the text.
Explain why that object was important, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe one important moment in the text.
Explain how that moment changed at least one important relationship or character, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least one important technique used in the text.
Explain how the technique created an emotional response in you, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features - Describe the closing scene of the text.
Explain how the closing scene helped you to understand at least one important aspect of the text, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features - Describe at least one important place in the text.
Explain how that place helped you to understand an important message in the text, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe an important conflict in the text.
Explain how the conflict helped you to understand an important message, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least one important character in the text.
Explain how this character is revealed to you throughout the text, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe one key moment that helped to prepare you for another moment in the text.
Explain how the first moment prepared you for the second, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.
2017 NCEA Exam
- Describe the closing scene(s) or section of the text.
Explain how this part of the text was predictable or unexpected, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe a place or time where a main character felt very comfortable or uncomfortable in the text.
Explain how visual and / or oral language features helped you to understand the character’s reaction(s). - Describe at least one friendship that was significant in the text.
Explain how the friendship helped you to understand one or more characters or individuals in the text, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe a key moment that shocked or surprised you in the text.
Explain how this moment was important to the text as a whole, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least one challenge faced by a character or individual in the text.
Explain how this challenge helped you to understand the character or individual, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe a character or individual that you disliked OR admired in the text.
Explain how your feelings towards this character helped you to understand the text as a whole, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features. - Describe at least one idea that changed your perspective (point of view) in the text.
Explain how the idea changed your perspective, supporting your points with visual and / or oral language features.