At the end of last term Year 11 Science students sat their Chemistry 1.1. Internal assessment. It was a nerve-racking and exciting experience for all of us as we had not done any NCEA practical assessment before.

Students were split into two groups and assigned either the AM or PM session in which we had a total of 2 ½ hours to carry out a practical Chemistry investigation, with direction. The context for the investigation was the rate of chemical reactions.

At the end of the investigation we had to hand in a written report. This involved writing a step-by-step method, justifying the choices made to increase accuracy and ensure reliability of the investigation. It also included writing a discussion on the validity of the experiment, processing results to reach a conclusion and linking these to the Science ideas studied in class.

It was definitely a test of our scientific understanding and ability to apply our knowledge in test conditions. However despite being challenging, it was a great learning experience for us all.

Tashya Wijesinha, Year 11