STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING EXAM PERFORMANCE
For more information on standard specifications and subject guidelines:
http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/qualifications/ncea/subjects/arthistory/levels/
Content:
Six areas of study replace and reshape the twelve areas of study in the
previous level 3 guidelines. The new areas of study reflect both the
continuing importance of the art of the Renaissance as well as art of the
early twentieth century to the present, including modernist design and
architecture.
Structure of the external examination papers:
Examination papers for the level 3 external achievement standards will
contain plates of the works of artists, architects, and designers selected
from the lists provided in each area of study.
 There will be 1 resource booklet of plates to be used for all 3
standards. The booklet will be divided into 6 sections, each one
headed up with the title of the area in large bold type.
 There will be 5 plates per area - 30 plates altogether.
 The questions in the respective question booklets will direct students
to select plates from the plates for that area.
 Plates will be numbered in sequence - Area One - Plates 1 -5; Area
Two - Plates 6 - 10 and so on.
 There will also be an open question Question 7, in each standard and
students may use any plates in the booklet
 For AS91482 (3.1) students must select 2 plates from the booklet
 For AS91483(3.2) and AS 91484 (3.3) students must use 1 plate from
the booklet and 1 other art work which may be from the booklet or
may be from their own choice.
 Students may use the same plates in more than one standard.
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 The 3 external achievement standards are –
3.1 (AS91482) Demonstrate understanding of style in art works
Standard Criteria:
Demonstrate understanding involves analysing art works to explain stylistic
characteristics and identify similarities and/or differences in style between art
works, using supporting evidence from art works. Achievement
Demonstrate in-depth understanding involves analysing art works to justify
reasons for similarities and/or differences in style between art works, using
supporting evidence from art works. Merit
Demonstrate perceptive understanding involves an insightful explanation of
the reasons for similarities and/or differences in style, using supporting
evidence from art works and/or their context(s). Excellence
1. Students examine entire exam papers to see the possible ways questions
could be framed.
The questions may have the following approaches 
broad, enabling candidates to discuss wide-ranging characteristics ie.
“key characteristics of the painting styles” – Early Modernism or
“features of Bauhaus Design” – Modernist Design and Architecture.

focussed on stylistic characteristics – ie. “use of colour and light” – Late
Renaissance and Mannerism or “artist’s method of paint application
and treatment of space” – Modernism to Postmodernism

focussed upon genre – ie. “treatment of the figure” – Early Renaissance
“characterisation of the individual” in portraits – Late Renaissance and
Mannerism.
2. Students become familiar with a standard process of analysis.
When analysing art works follow a standard practice in note taking – e.g. artist,
name of work, subject, composition, space, colour, light etc. This enables
students to develop a routine for providing an in-depth analysis of the work.
3. Students need to be able to recognise, and have developed a strong
understanding of, the key stylistic characteristics of an artist, period
or movement.
The student who rote learns a stylistic analysis of an art work is likely to
flounder as the resource booklet will contain 5 plates that will broadly cover
each option in its entirety.
Students who understand the analytical processes should be able to find
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evidence from their selected art works to address the question but also be
familiar with the style and movement that the art works come from.
Students need to be able to distinguish between styles and explain reasons for
differences in style.

Use methods which enable students to discuss an art work or artist in
relation to others

Create stylistic summaries and then use them to see when and how they
do or do not apply to particular art works or artists.
4. Students require practice in analysing works, and related artists, that
they have not been specifically taught.
 Consider the general stylistic characteristics of the movement, or period
and give students practice in finding those characteristics in previously
unseen art works. These works could be by one of the artists you have
studied, or an artist who relates to the movement.
 Introduce a new art work, or artist, into a mock-exam or test
5. Students should check the choices they have in the examination.
a. Most candidates will have studied either one or two areas of study, but
they are only required to answer in one area for the exam.
3.2 (AS91483) Examine how meanings are communicated through art works
Standard Criteria:
Examine involves providing an explanation of the meanings and how the
meanings are conveyed through the features of art works. The key focus is
the connection between the meanings and how they are conveyed.
Achievement
Examine, in depth, involves providing a coherent and considered explanation
of the meanings and how the meanings are conveyed through the features of
art works. Merit
Examine, perceptively, involves explaining how and why meanings are
constructed and conveyed through the features of art works, with reference
to relevant contextual factors. Excellence
1. Students should carefully consider their choices in the exam.

Candidates should be familiar with the plate they have selected and have
a knowledge of its meaning and the relevance of its motifs. They will
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select one art work from the resource booklet and one other either from
the booklet of one of their own choice that they have studied.
2. Students should be familiar with the terminology used in the exam.:

iconography

motifs, iconographical motifs

iconographical devices

iconographic ornament or motifs

conventional iconography, traditional iconography

narrative devices

allegorical

appropriated motifs

photographed motifs and/or text/typography
3. Students require practice in interpreting iconography.
Develop strategies which demonstrate the differences between listing and
explaining motifs or symbols – ie. dove = Holy Ghost, compared with a fuller
explanation of how these convey meaning within particular art works.

Use comparison to demonstrate how similar iconographical motifs can
convey different meanings
ie. two Crucifixion scenes – one which shows Christ’s painful death - The
Suffering Christ, another which puts greater emphasis on his conquest
over Death - The Triumphant Christ.
ie. two Feminist scenes – one which celebrates women’s achievements,
another which places emphasis on women’s forgotten achievements.

Use a step-by-step process to build up knowledge
e.g. list symbols/motifs → list meanings → relate to content of the work
as a whole → interpret meaning → assess how important iconography is
for conveying meaning

Show students how the combined use of several motifs might follow
iconographical conventions in narrating a story and can serve to give a full
understanding of the artists’ intentions

For Renaissance topics, students can gain a fuller understanding of how
motifs are used repetitively, (or conversely, how they are used in
unconventional ways), through viewing wide ranging examples of
depictions of particular religious subjects. For example focus a lesson on
the subject Madonna and Child, a portion of a lesson on Adoration of the
Magi scenes.

For Areas 3 - 6, students could brainstorm the icons of the era, or the
concerns relevant to a time or place, to understand the nature of the
iconography of the time. They could, for example, brainstorm the 1960s
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era in America, or the concerns of environmental artists since the
1980s.This may lead them to understand the significant content conveyed
in art works.
3.3 (AS91484) Examine the relationship(s) between art and context
Standard Criteria:
Examine involves explaining the relationship(s) between art and context.
Achievement
Examine, in depth, involves explaining the relationship(s) between art and
context, with supporting evidence from art works and/or other sources.
Merit
Examine, perceptively, involves evaluating the relationship(s) between art
and context. Excellence
1. Students should carefully read the examination questions.
For example: Area Three: Early Modernism 1900-1940
1. Describe the impact of World War One on art in Europe
2. Explain how context influenced TWO art works
3. Discuss relationships between context and subjects and techniques
4. Assess the importance of philosophy and spirituality as the most significant factor
relating to the emergence of art movements in Europe.
For example: Area One: Fourteenth Century Italian Painting
1. Describe the social and urban life of Siena
2. Explain its influence on TWO paintings
3. Evaluate importance of that environment on development of naturalism
For example: Area Two: Late Renaissance to Mannerism
1. Describe the contexts that contributed to the growing popularity of portraits
2. Explain the influence of Neo Platonism two paintings by Raphael
3. Relationships between context and patronage
4. Significance and the revival of classicism in production of art works


Students could gain practice in dealing with the complexities by making bullet
point lists of the factors, as indicated above.
Students could work in groups, each on a different factor and then amalgamate
ideas on the whiteboard to create an effective response.
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2. Students should be familiar with a range of possible approaches to the
questions.
The questions may be varied in their approach as follows:

Some questions may require discussion of of two aspects of context ie. “social
and urban life” and “corporate and guild patronage” Area 1 – Early
Renaissance; while other questions focussed upon one context ie. ” Rome, the
Pope and the Vatican” Area 2 – Late Renaissance to Mannerism.

A range of types of contextual knowledge should be addressed ie. historical
context - “situation in Europe during World War One” Area 3 – Early
Modernism; “cultural context – elements of New York culture” Area 5
Modernism to Post-Modernism; artistic context – “impact of Primitivism” Area 3
– Early Modernism.

To gain Excellence, candidates need to place art works within a broader context
ie. “development of naturalism in Trecento painting” Area 1 – Early
Renaissance; “the emergence and influences on Venetian art” Area 2 – Late
Renaissance to Mannerism; “development of art with the emergence of the
digital age” Area 5 – Modernism to Post Modernism.
4. Students should develop knowledge of context alongside the analysis of art
works, including both style and meaning Cognitive organisers can reinforce contextual knowledge e.g. a segment of a chart
or mind map can identify context as an aspect to address.
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