Brain food and then the big exam

MAARTEN HOLL/The Dominion Post

LAST LOOK: Lukin Koveskali, of Titahi Bay, goes over some Shakespeare for the last time before his NCEA English exam.

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When Lukin Koveskali wakes up today he will rely on a special breakfast to get him prepared for his NCEA exam.

"I'll have a feed of Weet-bix and hopefully that will get the brain into action."

Lukin, 16, will be one of the 47,000 pupils nationwide sitting level 1 English, the NCEA exam with the most candidates.

There has been some last-minute cramming and a lot of nerves building up to the exam.

"I just want to get started. All this waiting is pretty hard, but I'm confident I've done enough study. I just have to keep calm and hopefully I will remember everything I have been taught. I should be pretty sweet."

It will be the only exam the Aotea College pupil sits; he has already passed his woodwork, engineering, graphics, physical education and maths through internal assessment.

"I have been studying for the last two terms for the English exam – learning quotes from Romeo and Juliet, writing essays and doing lots of reading. It's been a long year so it will be good to get it over and done with."

The exams began on Saturday with scholarship classical studies and agricultural and horticulture science. After the last exam on December 2 more than 142,000 secondary pupils will have sat exams.

The Qualifications Authority is advising candidates with NCEA exams in central Wellington today to allow extra time in case of delays caused by a motorcycle protest around Parliament.

A spokesman said that with the protest scheduled to start about noon, traffic delays were possible as riders scattered afterwards.

- © Fairfax NZ News