Secondary Schools

Secondary education covers Years 9 to 13, (during which students are generally aged 13 to 17). Most secondary students in New Zealand attend government-funded schools, which are known variously as secondary schools, high schools, colleges or area schools.

Along with the formal education aimed at achieving qualifications (see below) secondary school students are also encouraged to participate in the school’s sporting and cultural activities.

Secondary school qualifications
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is the school exam secondary students in New Zealand take to assess their competencies. Students can achieve the NCEA at three levels via a wide range of courses and subjects, both within and beyond the traditional school. For most students, the three levels of the NCEA correspond to the final three years of secondary schooling (Years 11-13).

The NCEA qualification is achieved through a mix of internal assessments on work completed by the student as well as some external end-of-year exams. A New Zealand Scholarship qualification is also available. This qualification challenges and recognises high performing students, for the most part, from Year 13.

Here's how NCEA qualifications compare to international qualifications:

More information about the NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship can be found on www.ncea.govt.nz.

International qualifications are also available at a number of New Zealand secondary schools. These include the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and the International Baccalaureate (IB). CIE is an examining body associated with the University of Cambridge in England. They provide internationally recognised qualifications to students in over 150 countries. In New Zealand, 52 schools offer CIE. The International Baccalaureate was founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968 as a non-profit educational foundation. There are 11 IB World Schools in New Zealand offering one or more of the IB programmes.

For students who may be interested in pursuing their tertiary studies in the US, it is important they take standard entrance exams towards the end of their secondary education. Depending on the admission criteria of the University, many students are required to complete the SATs and/or ACTs. There are sites established by The New Zealand-United States Educational Foundation throughout the country where students can sit the exams. To learn more visit http://www.fulbright.org.nz/.

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