Your AI study partner for Merit and Excellence.
Real NCEA past papers, graded the way NZQA grades them, with a tutor that asks you the next question instead of writing the answer for you.
Free to start, no card needed.
Physics 91170, Q1 (a)
Graded against the real mark schedule
Real Exam Practice
Practise with real NCEA papers.
Work through actual past exam questions, write your answer, and get AI feedback against real mark schedules. When you get stuck, ask Study Buddy for a hint — it guides you without giving it away.
Waves at the Beach
Level 1 · Physics · 90940
State the name of the physics phenomenon when waves travel around a barrier.
You're on the right track! The question says the waves “spread out and curve around the edges.” That's a specific wave behaviour.
Here's a nudge: this word starts with D, and it happens whenever a wave passes through a gap or around a barrier. It applies to water waves, sound, and light.
Think about what your textbook calls it when waves change direction at the edge of an obstacle — not reflection, not refraction, but...?
NCEA AI Tutor
Your notes. Your AI study partner.
Upload your class notes, study guides, or textbook pages. Study Buddy reads them and becomes your personal tutor for that standard — quizzing you, explaining the hard parts, and coaching you toward Merit and Excellence answers.
AI Tutor workspace
Level 2 · Biology · 91156
Your notes
Study mode
Based on your notes on cellular respiration:
Describe the role of mitochondria in cellular respiration and explain why they are referred to as the 'powerhouse of the cell.'
Mitochondria are where aerobic respiration takes place. They convert glucose and oxygen into ATP — the main energy currency. Called the 'powerhouse' because the electron transport chain on their inner membrane produces the majority of ATP.
Merit tip: Link the structure (folded inner membrane = large surface area) to the function (more space for electron transport chain = more ATP).
For parents · free parent portal
Know how exam prep is going, without nagging.
The parent portal shows you your teen's week, their grades on the real NCEA scale and which subjects are improving or slipping. You see their progress, never their answers, so the work stays theirs. Here's what Mia's mum sees this week.
Their week
Which days they studied and how many questions they practised.
5 of 7 days · 23 questions
Their grades
Marked on the real NCEA scale, so you can see what's climbing and what's slipping.
Their subjects
Which subjects are improving, which need work, and how many questions they've practised in each.
Improving
Physics · Mechanics · 14 questions
Needs work
Biology · Gene expression · 5 questions
Tap a subject to see every graded question.
One code and you're linked.
Your teen makes a code under Account, then Parents.
You enter it at studybuddy.kiwi/parent. Parent accounts are free.
Top up when they run low, for one child or all of them in one payment.
Enter your teen's code
Linked to Mia Thompson
Flashcards
Flip, recall, repeat.
Built from real NCEA standards and exam language. Each card tests one concept — flip to check, mark your confidence, and request an explanation when the answer doesn't click.
Biology, Level 2
Card 3 of 24How credits work
Simple credit system
Use credits for AI tutoring — chat, grade, generate quizzes, analyse documents. Most subjects cost 1 credit; advanced subjects cost 2.
Standard AI
1 credit per interaction
Most subjects — English, History, Geography, Business Studies, and more — use 1 credit per AI interaction.
Advanced AI
2 credits per interaction
Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Science, and other select subjects use a more powerful model for complex equations, multi-step problems, and graph analysis.
Need more credits?
Top up instantly from your account page, no plan change needed. Credits land straight away so you can keep studying.
Browsing exams, viewing papers, and navigating flashcards are always free — no credits needed.
How it works
A clean workflow for exam prep
Three steps, repeated paper by paper until the exam feels familiar.
- 1
Find the paper
Pick a subject and level. Every NZQA paper is filed by standard and year, so you're practising within a minute.
Subjects → Level 2 → 91170 → 2023 - 2
Answer and get graded
Write your answer in the paper. The grader marks it Achieved, Merit or Excellence against the real schedule and names the step you're missing.
Merit, 3/4 · what Excellence needs - 3
Close the gaps
Ask the tutor when you're stuck, flip the flashcards for that standard, then go again on next year's paper.
Tutor · Flashcards · Next paper
Built for real classrooms
Simple, student-friendly pricing
Pick a plan that fits your study schedule. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Try the AI tutor before subscribing
- 20 AI interactions to try tutoring
- 7-day platform access
- 100 MB note storage
- Browse subjects and exam structure
Great for weekly revision
- 150 AI interactions / month
- Advanced AI for Maths, Science & select subjects
- 1 GB note storage
- Past paper practice + guided feedback
Best value for regular study
- Everything in Foundation
- 350 AI interactions / month
- 3 GB note storage
- Best value for regular study
For intensive exam season
- Everything in Accelerate
- 700 AI interactions / month
- 5 GB note storage
- Best for intensive exam season
Real progress, not just revision
Students using Study Buddy report better answer structure, stronger confidence under timed conditions, and clearer understanding of what markers expect at each grade band.
"I got better at structuring answers because the feedback showed exactly what markers wanted."
"The paper-by-year flow is way easier than searching random files online."
"Flashcards and tutor together helped me move from pass-only mindset to aiming higher grades."
Support & policies
We're here to help
Questions about billing, credits, or your account? Reach out anytime — we respond within 24 hours.
Resources
Real past NCEA exam papers, mark schedules, and AI-supported tutoring prompts.
Refund policy
As a digital product, used AI credits cannot be refunded. Full details in our Terms & Conditions.
Cancel anytime
Cancel your subscription whenever you want. Access stays active until your billing period ends.
Email us directly at support@studybuddy.kiwi — or use the form.
Send us a message
Your first 20 interactions are free.
No card. Pick a subject, open a paper, and find out what the marker actually wants.