Secondary school and NCEA
Secondary school in New Zealand begins in Year 9. Students usually begin studying for NCEA (the National Certificate of Educational Achievement) in Year 11.
In New Zealand, secondary schools are responsible for deciding which year level a student should be placed in. Schools will consider a number of factors including:
- the student’s age
- how many years of schooling they have completed
- any national school qualifications gained overseas.
Quality of New Zealand education
The New Zealand government regularly reviews education providers and their qualifications to ensure the quality of education remains high.
NCEA brochures
You can read more about NCEA in our brochure, ‘Study in New Zealand: a guide for students considering secondary school study’.
The brochure is available in English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, German, Japanese, and Spanish.