NCEA Scholarship Geography free practice questions with answers
Read question 1 and its full worked answer from paper 1 of our 20-paper NCEA Scholarship Geography set, then download the 6-page PDF. These are original practice questions, not official past papers. Page updated 3 November 2026.
Question One (8 marks)
(a) Use information from Resource A.
Describe how the global average sea level has changed since 1901.
[2 marks]
(b) Use Resources A and B.
(i) Calculate how far the sea would rise in 50 years at the 2013–2022 rate of 4.62 mm a year, and how many years a rise of 1 metre would take at that constant rate.
(ii) Explain why a straight-line calculation like this may understate the risk to Tuvalu.
[2 marks]
[1 mark]
- (ii) Resource A shows the rate has increased (from the 1901–2018 average of about 1.3–2.1 mm a year to 3.2 mm a year by 2018 and 4.62 mm a year in 2013–2022), so a constant rate probably understates future rise. Tuvalu's average elevation is less than 2 m, so floods from king tides and storm surges are an earlier threat than permanent inundation, and the average rise hides the extremes. [1 mark]
A straight-line projection is a start; always say what assumption it makes (a constant rate) and why that may not hold.
Your sample is downloading. Liked it? NCEA Scholarship Geography Paper 1 is the full paper: three essay questions of 8 marks (24 in all) in three hours on one global theme, each with a booklet of real, sourced case-study facts, a marking guide by score band, and worked Scholarship and Outstanding answers, with a worked solution for every question.
Get Paper 1 for A$11.99See all 20 papers from A$11.99More free NCEA (New Zealand) samples
Questions about this sample
What is in the NCEA Scholarship Geography free sample?
The first 3 questions from paper 1 of the set, in the real exam layout, followed by the step-by-step worked answers. It is a 6-page PDF; this page shows question 1 with its answer.
How many full NCEA Scholarship Geography papers are there?
20 original papers for New Zealand Year 13 students preparing for NZ Scholarship Geography (standard 93202). Each is three essay questions of 8 marks (24 in all) in three hours on one global theme, each with a booklet of real, sourced case-study facts, a marking guide by score band, and worked Scholarship and Outstanding answers, with a worked solution for every question. Papers start at A$11.99 and download instantly as a PDF.
Are these official past papers?
No. The sample is taken from our own original practice paper and is not an official past paper or affiliated with any exam authority.