New Zealand School System

National Certificate of Educational Achievement

The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is the main national qualification for secondary school students in New Zealand.

NCEA is three certificates: it can be awarded at Levels 1, 2 and 3. Students usually begin studying for their NCEA Level 1 in Year 11 and continue through Years 12 and 13 (from ages 15 through to 18).

Many vocational qualifications are also offered in secondary schools. These include, for example, the National Certificate of Tourism and the National Certificate in Computing.

NCEA is recognised by overseas universities

NCEA is New Zealand’s national school-leaver qualification and is well-recognised overseas. It is highly-regarded by employers and used for selection by universities, both in New Zealand and in other countries.

For details, see the specific country requirements for the recognition of NCEA.