About New Zealand Scholarship
New Zealand Scholarship is an award that recognises top secondary school students. Top students in each subject are given the opportunity to do NZ Scholarship assessments in order to achieve this award.
Assessments
NZ Scholarship assessments are designed to be challenging for the most able students in each subject. Assessment is by either a written or spoken examination or by the submission of a portfolio or report of work produced throughout the year.
To be awarded the NZ Scholarship, students are expected to show deep understanding of the subject, demonstrate high-level critical thinking and the ability to apply their understanding to complex situations.
NZ Scholarship is a monetary award
Students who achieve NZ Scholarship receive a monetary award, and students who receive multiple NZ Scholarships may also be recognised through NZQA’s Top Scholar Award ceremony.
On this page
How to enter for NZ Scholarship
Students can enter for NZ Scholarship if they are enrolled in a consented New Zealand secondary school.
You do not have to be working towards NCEA to enter NZ Scholarship.
Talk to your teacher about entering
If you are a student and think you would like to sit NZ Scholarship for one or more subjects, you should speak to your teacher or teachers.
Not all schools enter students for NZ Scholarship, and some schools only enter students in a small number of subjects.
Home school or non-consented school entry
Students who are home-schooled or enrolled in a non-consented school, can also enter in certain circumstances.
For the entry conditions read section 5 of the Assessment Rules for schools and TEOs 2023.
Section 5 of the Assessment Rules for schools and TEOs 2023
Entry fees for international students
There is no charge for domestic student entry for NZ Scholarship. If you are an international student find out how much you will need to pay to enter.
About the monetary awards
Students who achieve NZ Scholarship can receive a monetary award. This ranges from a one-off $500 payment for a single subject award to $10,000 per year for up to 3 years for premier award winners.
You must be enrolled in tertiary study in NZ
To receive payment for a NZ Scholarship monetary award, you must be enrolled in tertiary study in New Zealand. It is possible to defer the monetary award for up to 5 years if you are still at school or not planning to enter tertiary study straight away.
For awards with payments across more than one year, you must maintain a 'B' grade average in your tertiary study each year.
What are the different monetary awards?
Read the details about the different monetary awards in the Assessment Rules for schools and TEOs 2023, Schedule 1 section 6.2.
How many students get this award?
The number of Scholarships available in a subject is limited to around 3% of the number of students who achieve 14 or more credits in that subject at NCEA Level 3.
There is some variation around the 3%, mainly for those subjects with few candidates at NCEA Level 3.
How NZ Scholarship is marked
NZ Scholarship assessments have between 3 and 5 parts, and your score for each part is added up to give your final result.
To be awarded a Scholarship or Outstanding Scholarship, you need to reach a set score that is known as a ‘cut score’.
What the scores mean
Markers give a score of 0 to 8 for each part of the assessment.
- An answer given a score of 8 is an outstanding answer in all respects. It shows strong evidence of integration and synthesis, and is accurate, comprehensive, coherent, lucid, perceptive.
- A score of 1 shows little understanding relevant to the question.
- A score of 0 is awarded for answers that are blank or irrelevant.
Exam scripts for candidates whose scores are close to either the Scholarship or Outstanding Scholarship cut scores are re-marked, to ensure their results are correct.
Students who reach the cut score receive NZ Scholarship, and the very top students receive Outstanding Scholarship.
Students who score below the cut score do not receive NZ Scholarship in that subject.
Student exemplars
A selection of examination papers has been reproduced with permission from previous top scholars.
View exemplars on the New Zealand Scholarship subjects page.
New Zealand Scholarship results
NZ Scholarship results are released in mid-February each year.
Soon after results are released, your assessed work will be available through your learner login. NZ Scholarship Visual Arts portfolios will be returned to you in December, following the completion of marking.
Find out more about NZ Scholarship results
Reconsiderations and reviews
If you believe that an error has been made in marking, you can apply for a reconsideration or review. There is a limited time from when your assessed work is available or your portfolio is returned, when you can apply.
Find out more about NZ Scholarship reviews and reconsiderations
Scholarship subjects, results and award winners
Find answers to some of your specific questions:
Questions about New Zealand Scholarships and payments
If you are a student or parent, your school should be able to answer your questions.
New Zealand Scholarship subjects
Find all New Zealand Scholarship subjects, assessment criteria and reports
Find the subjects
How we select subjects for Scholarship
Read about the criteria for a subject to be included in New Zealand Scholarship
Find out more
New Zealand Scholarship results
Find out how to access your results and overall results from previous years
Find out more
Top Scholar award winners 2023
Meet the winners of 2023's Top Scholar Awards and watch the award ceremony
Find out more