About New Zealand Education

Year 9 and Year 10

All students follow a compulsory "core" consisting of English, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, Physical Education. There will also be some elective subjects.

Years 11–13

From Year 11, students work toward the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). At this level all students must reach minimum standards in English (or Maori) and mathematics. The rest of their course is up to the school and the student, but most students will be studying five or six subjects.

In Year 12 (age 16) students study up to six subjects for NCEA Level 2. Most schools will be including a wide range of non-traditional subjects at this level.

Year 13 (age 17) NCEA Level 3 and New Zealand Scholarships (Level 4). Students choose up to five subjects, usually relevant to their intended course of study at a tertiary institution. There are no compulsory subjects. To take languages and sciences at this level, these subjects must first have been studied in Years 11 and 12. An overview is available in international languages. You can access them by clicking on the language of choice.

New Zealand has 8 state Universities and 20 Institutes of Technology offering a wide range of degrees, diplomas and certificates which are recognised throughout the world.