Minister wishes students success in exams

  • Hon Chris Hipkins
Education

Education Minister Chris Hipkins has wished students the best of luck for this year’s NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams which start tomorrow.

Around 140,000 students will have participated in 119 NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams by the end of the exam period on 3 December.

“I want to congratulate students for all their hard work during the year, and wish them the best for the coming weeks,” Chris Hipkins said.

“This is an important time of year for students. Support and encouragement from whānau can help students focus and manage exam pressure.

“I know that each student will have their own ways of coping with exam stress, but I encourage them to build in study breaks and talk to someone if the pressure is getting too much.

This is the fourth year that students could choose to sit their NCEA exams online. It’s now available in 14 subjects across NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3.

“Around 20,000 students from nearly 200 schools opting into the digital option this year,  a significant increase from last year when 6,700 students from 53 schools sat digital exams in English, Media Studies and Classical Studies.

“This is the first set of exams since the Government scrapped NCEA and scholarship exam fees, benefitting the families of 168,000 students.

Key facts of NCEA and NZ Scholarship exams

  • Approximately 1.1 million exam booklets
  • 48,000 online exam entries
  • 120 exam sessions
  • 5,500 exam staff
  • 1,700 markers
  • 41 exam centres (including in the Cook Islands and Niue)
  • Approximately 140,000 students

“I know a huge amount of work goes into planning and preparing students for these exams, and teachers and school leaders do a fantastic job to make sure that students have the very best opportunity to succeed,” Chris Hipkins said.

Students’ NCEA results will be released by NZQA in mid-January, and New Zealand Scholarship results are due in February.

Information to help students manage exam pressure is available at www.nzqa.govt.nz/exampressure