The final three years of secondary school are an exciting time for most students. But with so many subjects on offer, it can be hard to decide what subjects to pick. Selecting the right subjects can influence whether or not your child attends university in New Zealand and may also influence their career choices.
While it can feel like a lot of pressure to get things right, there’s no need to panic. Our helpful guide tells you everything you and your child need to know about choosing their NCEA subject areas.
If you’re new to New Zealand or unfamiliar with the secondary school system, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is New Zealand’s secondary school qualification.
New Zealand introduced NCEA between 2002 and 2004. Students usually work toward three levels: Level 1 in Year 11, Level 2 in Year 12, and Level 3 in their final year of secondary school in Year 13. NCEA is recognised by employers and tertiary education providers within New Zealand and overseas.
NCEA is part of a framework that includes qualifications across ten levels. Your child will be earning qualifications from Levels 1, 2 and 3. The New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) ensures that any qualifications that are earnt in New Zealand are consistently graded.
NCEA involves choosing subjects and completing assignments throughout the school year. Assignments cover a wide range of things and can include essays, experiments, and tests. Between NCEA Level 1 and Level 3 students participate in end-of-year exams or have to submit portfolios to demonstrate what they have learnt. These final exams and assessments contribute to part of their yearly grade.
Throughout the year, NCEA assessments are graded both internally (usually tests or assignments submitted to their teacher for a percentage of their overall grade) and externally (usually in the form of a written exam overseen by NZQA.:
External exams: Typically involve a national exam at the end of the year, which is created and graded by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).
Internal assignments: Involves assignments such as essays, experiments, or tests throughout the year. Internal assessments are marked by the school and verified by NZQA’s independent moderators to maintain a national standard.
Assessments may be completed in English or te reo Māori.
Each NCEA subject is divided into standards, and students earn ‘credits’ throughout the year for each assessment or exam. There are two main types of standards in NCEA:
Achievement Standards:
In most core subjects, students achieve a grade associated with how well they understood the subject matter. Anything above and including an ‘Achieved’ grade is a pass. Students will be told in advance how many credits are associated with each assignment or exam. Achievement standards are graded as follows.
N: Not achieved
A: Achieved
M: Achieved with merit
E: Achieved with excellence
Unit Standards:
A unit standard is associated with subjects that are more vocational and are graded on a pass or fail basis.
A: Achieved
N: Not achieved
The number of credits associated with a subject standard varies. Most school subjects have five to eight standards. To successfully pass a subject, students usually need between 18 and 25 credits.
Students need to earn literacy and numeracy credits to pass within the NCEA framework. These credits can be earned through a variety of subjects (although it’s usually English and Maths). They demonstrate core skills needed for most jobs and for tertiary education.
What are literacy credits?
Literary credits are earned in subjects such as English and show competency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
What are numeracy credit?
Numeracy credits are earned in subjects such as Maths. They show that a student is proficient in numbers, measurement, and statistics.
To pass each level of NCEA, students must earn a total of 80 credits. Each Level has specific requirements, and some credits need to be earned in specific subjects (like English, Maths and Science.)
There is a wide range of subjects on offer in New Zealand secondary schools. However, your child is required to study ‘core subjects’ as well as a range of elective subjects of their choice.
All year 9 and 10 students are required to study core subjects such as:
English
Maths
Science
Health & PE
Your child will also be able to choose a range of subjects, including:
Technology
Arts
Social sciences
Languages
At years 9 and 10 your child won’t yet be sitting their Level 1 NCEA exams yet. Even so, it’s a good idea to get them thinking about what types of subjects they might like to study in Years 11-13 as these subjects will influence their career paths or tertiary education path.
To make choosing these electives easier, secondary schools allow students time to pick up and drop a range of electives in Year 9. It’s a good idea to encourage your child to explore a range of subjects from different learning areas. For example, taking one language, one art class, and one technology-related class will expose them to a wider range of disciplines.
For Year 11-13 its more important that students have thought more about their future as students will start to ‘sepcialise’ in different subjects as they work towards their NCEA qualifications.
At this stage, you can talk to your child about what subjects they want to pursue more seriously. The subjects they choose in Year 11 can influence what subjects they are able to take in Year 12 and, subsequently, Year 13.
If your child isn’t sure of what NCEA subjects they want to take at Level 1, 2 or 3, there are a few ways you can help.
Most secondary schools hold information evenings about certain subjects. Parents and students are invited to attend and can speak with teachers and sometimes current students taking those classes. These are usually held at the end of the year in Term 3 or 4 and are a helpful way to help students learn more about what they like.
Most students have some idea of what subjects they enjoy. If your child enjoys drawing or using different mediums to express themselves, they will probably have an interest in the arts. If your child is inquisitive when it comes to how things work, subjects that indulge their curiosity, like coding or technology, are a good idea. Students tend to flourish when they enjoy what they are studying.
If your child has an idea of what type of field they’d like to work in (medicine, technology, teaching) you can look into what types of subjects are needed to work in these areas. It’s a good idea for any student to take at least one STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, maths) as these skills are increasingly in high demand.
If your child wants to go into the trades, it’s still a good idea to encourage them to get at least Level 1 and Level 2 NCEA. Having English, Maths and Science qualifications at these levels is important for lots of trades. It will make it easier for them to go to university at a later date if they change their mind.
Sometimes, students don’t know what type of career they want yet, but they might know what they want to study at University. If your child plans on going on to tertiary education you can encourage them to choose the subjects they need to get into that course.
Most of the time if a student wants to study a subject at Level 2 they will need to have studied and passed that subject at Level 1. For example, to study Physics as a Level 2 subject, a student usually needs to have studied Maths and Science at NCEA Level 1 first.
If you’re confused about what subjects they need to take at Level 1 in order to take different classes at Leve 2 and 3 make sure you talk to someone at their school (along with your child) about what they need.
Career expos are a great way for young students to start thinking about their future. At a career expo students can explore everything from university courses, polytechnic courses, trades and careers in the defence force.
Most secondary schools in New Zealand have career advisors that can help your child choose their subjects. A career adviser can help students discover a range of career pathways and tertiary and training options that will help them get there.
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