| MASTERSTROKES | High marks and rosettes for the cleverest moves |
| SATIN | Material used for ribbons and rosettes; or, a type of stitch used in embroidery and crewelwork (5) |
| COCKADE | Cod, cake of which makes a rosette for the hat (7) |
| MOTIFS | Recurring decorative designs in architecture - swags, rosettes, for example (6) |
| SEAOTTER | A rosette for the marine creature (3,5) |
| FLAVOUR | Lecturer wears rosette for season (7) |
| CUTEST | The cleverest of them all from college and university on trial (6) |
| EVER | Always among the cleverest |
| BESTOFTHREE | The cleverest triplet must win two (4,2,5) |
| BATTLEOFTWITS | Contest to see who has the cleverest taunts? |
| CRAFTIEST | The cleverest betters know how to work out trifectas (9) |
| BERRIES | What are bananas? Mistake I discovered among most of the cleverest |
| EVEREST | There are great heights inside the cleverest person |
| SMARTEST | Rams turn up at assessment to see who is the cleverest (8) |
| LEVER | The cleverest bit found in a lock (5) |
| CREDIT | Tick awarded in exam for high marks (6) |
| MORAYS | Further high marks announced for swimmers (6) |
| DEANS | Made the ___ list; got high marks |
| OVERRATE | Give too high marks to the number of balls bowled? (8) |
| YUCCA | Genus of evergreen plants, having rosettes of long, pointed, and rigid leaves at the top of a woody stem, and bearing a large head of showy white blossoms (5) |
