NZ Curriculum Year 8 English free practice questions with answers
Read question 1 and its full worked answer from paper 1 of our 20-paper NZ Curriculum Year 8 English set, then download the 4-page PDF. These are original practice questions, not official past papers. Page updated 3 November 2026.
What kind of whales were stranded on the beach?
A blue whales
B orca
C pilot whales
D humpback whales
Correct answer: C — pilot whales
- What is the question asking? It asks for a fact that the text states.
- Go back to the text and find the evidence: “Pilot whales,” she said briskly. “Over eighty of them.”
- The second paragraph names them.
- So the correct answer is C (pilot whales).
- Why the other options are wrong:
- A (blue whales): The text says pilot whales.
- B (orca): The text says pilot whales.
- D (humpback whales): The text says pilot whales.
Go back to the text and find the exact words that answer the question, then match them to an option.
Your sample is downloading. Liked it? NZ Curriculum Year 8 English Paper 1 is the full paper: 30 multiple-choice questions on three texts (a story or novel extract, a poem and a non-fiction text) and 15 language questions, plus a writing task with a marking guide and model response, with worked solutions, with a worked solution for every question.
Get Paper 1 for A$11.99See all 20 papers from A$11.99More free NZ Curriculum (Years 1 to 10) samples
Questions about this sample
What is in the NZ Curriculum Year 8 English 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 4-page PDF; this page shows question 1 with its answer.
How many full NZ Curriculum Year 8 English papers are there?
20 original papers for New Zealand Year 8 students following the NZ Curriculum. Each is 30 multiple-choice questions on three texts (a story or novel extract, a poem and a non-fiction text) and 15 language questions, plus a writing task with a marking guide and model response, with worked solutions, 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.