Number
AS90816
Version
1
Page 1 of 2
Achievement Standard
Subject Reference
Religious Studies 1.1
Title
Describe key features of a sacred text
Level
1
Credits
Subfield
Religious Studies
Domain
Understanding Religion
6
Assessment
Internal
Status
Registered
Status date
2 December 2008
Planned review date
31 December 2010
Date version published
2 December 2008
This achievement standard requires the description of key features of a sacred text, and
an explanation of how these features help people to understand the text, using supporting
evidence from the text.
Achievement Criteria
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with
Excellence
 Describe key features of
a sacred text and explain
how they help people to
understand the text.
 Describe in detail key
features of a sacred text
and explain how they help
people to understand the
text.
 Comprehensively
describe key features of a
sacred text and explain
how they help people to
understand the text.
Explanatory Notes
1
Definitions:
 Describe means to present clear and accurate information.
 Describe in detail means to present clear and accurate information in depth or
breadth.
 Comprehensively describe means to present clear and accurate information in
depth and breadth.
2
A sacred text may arise from historical events, visual representation, oral traditions
and/or original experience, eg the Bible, the Qur’an, the Pali Canon, the Vedas, and
indigenous oral traditions, as recognised by the religious tradition. These may
include but are not limited to:
 the whole sacred text, eg the Qur’an, the Bible, the Torah
 a selection from a sacred text, eg the exploits of Krishna, the Book of Job.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
Number
AS90816
Version
1
Page 2 of 2
3
Key features of a sacred text could include but are not limited to:
 author, organisation, how it was transmitted, redaction, authority with which it is
regarded, original audience, context (includes social, historic, cultural, geographic,
religious), influence in the tradition, how the text was written, preserved and
transmitted over time, divisions of the text for readability and understanding,
associated mythology, purpose, character and plot, narrative, description, origin of
the text, emphasis on text as a place where meaning is found
 literary techniques such as: form, structure, organisation, layout, style, character
and plot
 language features such as: allegory, symbolism, metaphor, imagery
 literary genre such as: history, prophecy, poetry, myth, narrative, law.
4
The description of the key features is consistent with works by scholars that are
generally recognised as conforming to international recognised standards of religious
scholarship.
5
Examples of supporting evidence may be obtained from authoritative sources within
the religious tradition. These may include, but are not limited to: the Talmud, the
Hadith, creedal statements, Conciliar statements.
6
It is expected that the descriptions and explanations are largely sourced from
material supplied, or previously supplied, by a supervisor or teacher through
textbooks, lessons, scholarly works, or other teaching tools that form a delivery
package.
Quality Assurance
1
Providers and Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before
they can register credits from assessment against achievement standards.
2
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against
achievement standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to
those achievement standards.
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0226
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016