NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship success

Late last year, almost 170,000 students sat NCEA external examinations and 7,500 students participated in New Zealand Scholarship. Achievement in NCEA Level 2 has risen by one percentage point since 2015 to 77.4 per cent. The results for the achievement of Level 2 for all 18-year-olds will be released later in the year.

“The highlight of provisional results was the significant increase in Māori student achievement in NCEA Level 2, which has lifted by 2.9 percentage points to an impressive 73.5 per cent,” says NZQA Chief Executive Dr Karen Poutasi.

Overall achievement in NCEA Level 3 has increased 0.7 percentage points to 63.4 per cent. For decile 1–3 schools, achievement of NCEA Level 3 has had a steeper rise: up 2.5 percentage points to 53.9 per cent.

Provisional data shows NCEA Level 1 achievement is 0.2 percentage points lower than the final 2015 figure and University Entrance is 0.7 percentage points lower. Both are expected to increase slightly before the results are finalised as schools update and provide late internally assessed results and students apply for review or reconsideration of their results.

“Achievement data for students at earthquake-impacted schools shows that NCEA qualification and University Entrance in those areas is in line with national trends and past patterns of achievement,” says Dr Poutasi.

‘While the earthquakes were certainly very stressful for students, schools, and parents, the emergency grade process minimised the impact on students, ensuring all students were treated fairly, given the extraordinary circumstances.”

Almost 7,500 students participated in New Zealand Scholarship examinations in 2016, with 2,355 students being awarded one or more scholarships.

New Zealand Scholarship is designed to extend the very best students and financially reward those who are going on to full-time tertiary study in New Zealand. Top scholars receive both monetary awards and recognition, with their names and details of their awards published on the NZQA website. Premier and Top Subject scholars are invited to the Top Scholar Awards ceremony held each year in May.

“The Top Scholar ceremony recognises the outstanding results of our New Zealand Scholarship students, along with the presentation of the Prime Minister’s Award for Academic Excellence to the highest achieving New Zealand Scholarship student,” says Dr Poutasi.

NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship achievement statistics for 2016 will be finalised at the end of March 2017 and will be made publicly available on the NZQA website in early April.

NZQA congratulates all students and schools on their well-deserved achievements in the 2016 results.