NCEA Level 2 and Matthayom 6 Equivalency Arrangement
NZQA has an arrangement with the Council of University Presidents Thailand (CUPT) to recognise NCEA Level 2 for applying to Thai universities.
This arrangement outlines the requirements for NCEA Level 2 and Matthayom 6 equivalency. The Council has informed Thai universities that students who meet any of the below options are eligible to apply for study at a Thai university under the Thai University Central Admission System.
Thai universities make their own admission decisions. Students need to check admission requirements for the universities to which they plan to enroll.
Option 1 entry requirements
NCEA Level 2 Certificate (at least 80 credits, of which 60 credits must be Level 2 or higher and 20 credits from the literacy and numeracy co-requisite).
Option 2 entry requirements
- 60 credits at Level 2 or higher in a minimum of five subjects.
- Must include 4 credits in English at Level 2 or higher, and 4 credits in Mathematics at Level 2 or higher.
Additional guidance for Option 2
- Option 2 does not require a student to achieve NCEA Level 2 .
- Students are advised to achieve a minimum of 12 NCEA Level 2 credits per subject across 5 subjects.
- If English and Mathematics are not two of the 12-credit subjects, the student may need to achieve 68 credits at Level 2 (including 4 credits each from English and Mathematics at Level 2 or higher).
On this page
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
For Option 1:
- English Language (EL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) credits are accepted towards achieving the NCEA Level 2 certificate.
For Option 2:
- English Language (EL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) are not accepted as subjects and do not count towards the Option 2 English credit requirement.
- The English credits must be from English at Level 2 or higher to meet the Option 2 requirement.
Additional advice for Thai university entrance
Universities in Thailand have indicated that they would give preference to applicants with NCEA Level 2, evidence of literacy and numeracy, and students that have achieved in five subjects.
Therefore, it is recommended that you:
- achieve NCEA Level 2
- achieve credits in NCEA Level 2 English and Mathematics (see Option 2 above)
- study five distinct subjects
- achieve a minimum of 12 Level 2 credits per subject (preferably more, and as many Merit and Excellence credits as possible).
The universities’ expectations should be taken into consideration when choosing your course of study.
Planning your study
NCEA is a very flexible qualification with a large number of subject areas. Some of the subjects available in New Zealand may not be accepted to count towards entry into academic tertiary courses overseas.
Thai universities make their own admission decisions. You need to check admission requirements and study any pre-requisite subjects for your intended university programme.
Please ensure you receive appropriate guidance from your school and agent regarding your subject choices.
Documents you may need to provide Thai universities
Check the admission requirements and documentation for the universities you plan to enrol at.
You will generally need:
New Zealand Record of Achievement (NZROA)
Your official results notice.
The NZROA lists qualifications achieved, including NCEA Certificates.
It can be downloaded from MyNZQA learner portal.
Log in to MyNZQA (external link)
Final results and qualifications for the school year are available on the NZROA in mid-January the following year.
New Zealand Record of Achievement (NZROA)
Verifying the NZROA
Universities can verify electronic copies of the NZROA.
Thai Overseas Results Notice (ORN)
The Thai ORN is a summary of qualifications, NCEA Levels, subjects, credits and grades from the previous years' study. It is available in mid-January each year.
International fee-paying students with Thai citizenship can download their Thai ORN PDF from the 'order documents' section of the Learner Portal.
The cost is included in the fees their school pays to NZQA.
Other students, including Thai students who have New Zealand residency, should email DMLR@nzqa.govt.nz to request a Thai ORN.
If you completed NCEA Level 2 in 2017 or earlier
Since 2018, we have included a statement on whether results meet requirements for Matthayom 6.
If you completed NCEA before then, Thai universities will use the NZRoA and Thai ORN to check whether your results meet requirements.
Option 1 requirements between 2010 and 2023
If you studied NCEA between 2010 and 2023, the ‘Option 1’ entry requirements were:
- NCEA Level 2 Certificate (at least 80 credits, of which 60 must be Level 2 or higher).
- Literacy and numeracy requirements were the same as those for NCEA Level 1. You will have met these requirements if you were awarded an NCEA Level 2 Certificate.
English Language (EL) was not accepted for literacy, except English for Academic Purposes 22750 and 22751.
English Language (EL) credits were accepted as part of the 80 credits required to gain NCEA Level 2. They could have been from either NCEA Level 1 or 2 or a combination of both.