KEY POINTS:
An Auckland student passed one of the country's toughest secondary school history exams without a single lesson.
Ben Nicholson, 17, from St Peter's College, earned a history scholarship last year without studying the course, a surprise result which has critics questioning the exam.
The Year 13 student was able to answer the essay questions by reading only the resources provided in the exam and says he had no prior knowledge of the curriculum.
Although Ben studied the Cold War under the Cambridge system of exams, he decided to enter the national scholarship exam - with a curriculum of Tudor England - for "a bit of fun".
When he opened his results Ben was pleasantly surprised he had earned a scholarship pass and a $500 cheque.
"I'd never studied the course before, so I don't think it should be able to happen. I'm not going to complain about it though," he said.
To prepare for the exam, Ben studied notes from a friend at another school, material which did not appear in the exam.
Although clearly a bright student, Ben says he missed out on scholarships in calculus, statistics and French and got 68 per cent in the Cambridge history exam far less than hoped.
St Peter's deputy principal and senior history teacher, Jackie White, told her Cambridge students not to enter the scholarship exam, as the content was completely different.
Some of her NCEA students failed scholarship despite spending 120 hours in class on the topic. White was shocked by Ben's mark.
"In reality, surely, the question should be of the type that if you haven't been in a class all year, you shouldn't be able to pass it," she said. "It's devaluing my subject. It's just ridiculous."
White said Ben made "wince-inducing" errors, such as saying that James I was King of France, and she would have given his script a 'Not Achieved'.
In a statement, New Zealand Qualifications Authority deputy chief executive Bali Haque said he was satisfied the examination was appropriately marked and that the student was a worthy recipient of a scholarship.
The main focus of scholarship history is not the recall of memorised facts said Haque, but the communication of substantiated argument and the analysis of source material and the views of historians.
"Given his background in studying history, the candidate and the school clearly saw the worth of entering the scholarship history exam."
However, National Party education spokeswoman Katherine Rich said the result was "curious".
"Sure, we're trying to catch our best and brightest, but this goes against common sense. Content should play a part; otherwise, if you're a smart student, why do the course?
"If you're smart you can treat scholarship as a lottery, just take a punt."
Graham Young, head of the Secondary Principals' Association, said the result was "extraordinarily unusual" but didn't see any reason for concern. "My gut reaction is that if somebody can demonstrate they have the knowledge, irrespective of where they got it, they should be acknowledged," Young, head of Tauranga Boys' College, said.
Two years ago, King's College seventh former Benedict Tompkins passed the scholarship geography exam without a lesson.
The case forced NZQA to investigate the incident and write a report.
BEN'S RESULTS
Cambridge A-level history:
Curriculum covers the Cold War.
* Study time: 120 hours in class and 25 hours' study.
* Result: 68 per cent.
Scholarship history:
Curriculum covers Tudor England.
* Study time: no class time, 4 hours' study.
* Result: 29 out of 48 (cut-off: 28).
- HERALD ON SUNDAY
