NCEA GENERAL INFORMATION

2021 NCEA GENERAL INFORMATION

This is New Zealand’s national qualification. Subjects are divided into a number of Achievement
Standards

NCEA is offered at three years:

Year 11 – NCEA Level 1

Year 12 – NCEA Level 2
Year 13 – NCEA Level 3 and Level 4 Scholarship

Further details are available by visiting www.ncea.govt.nz

From 2019 onwards, there is no charge for sitting NCEA at any level.

Notes:

• Each subject is divided into a number of Standards worth varying number of credits.
• There are between 4 to 9 Standards in each subject.
• Each Standard is worth 2-9 credits. The total credits per subject is usually around 18 – 24.

YEAR 11 – NCEA LEVEL 1

At St Peter’s College students must take English, Mathematics, Science and Theology &
Philosophy. Students then choose to take THREE other subjects.

YEAR 12 – NCEA LEVEL 2

At St Peter’s College students must take English, Mathematics, Theology & Philosophy plus
THREE further NCEA Level 2 Subjects

YEAR 13 – NCEA LEVEL 3

At St Peter’s College students must take English and Theology & Philosophy plus FOUR
further NCEA Level 3 Subjects

• Students require a minimum of 10 credits in L1 Maths to satisfy the numeracy requirement for
Level 1 and University Entrance

• Students require a minimum of 10 credits in L2 English (5 Reading/5 Writing) to satisfy the

literacy requirement for University Entrance. This can also be gained through L2 Te Reo Māori.
 NCEA GENERAL INFORMATION

GRADING
NCEA LEVEL 1
Awarded to students who gain a minimum of 80 credits including 10 in Maths (numeracy) and 10
in English/Te Reo (Literacy)

NCEA LEVEL 2
Awarded to students who gain a minimum of 80 credits; up to 20 from Level 1 and at least 60
from Level 2 or above

NCEA LEVEL 3
Awarded to students who gain a minimum of 80 credits; up to 20 from Level 2 and at least 60
from Level 3

ENDORSEMENTS
At each Level, students require 50 Excellence Credits to gain an NCEA endorsed with
Excellence, and 50 Merit or Excellence Credits to gain an NCEA endorsed with Merit or
Excellence.

UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE
You will be qualified for entrance to New Zealand Universities if you have obtained:

1. A FULL PASS AT NCEA LEVEL 3

2. APPROVED SUBJECTS – 14 credits in each of three approved subjects at Level 3.

3. LITERACY – 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of:

a. 5 credits in reading
b. 5 credits in writing

4. NUMERACY -10 credits at Level 1 or above in Mathematics

NOTE: The University of Auckland have increased their own literacy requirements. To
enter any university course at Auckland, students need to have 17 credits at NCEA English
Level 2 or 3.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Mr Michael Mullin
Deputy Headmaster, Curriculum
mmullin@st-peters.school.nz
 FACULTIES & THEIR SUBJECT OPTIONS - NCEA LEVELS OVERVIEW / Page 5

FACULTIES & THEIR SUBJECT OPTIONS

- NCEA LEVELS OVERVIEW -

ACCOUNTING FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements
9 Credits in Level 1 9 Credits in Level 2
ACCOUNTING Open Entry Accounting including Accounting including
externals externals

ART FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements
ART: DIGITAL or
Year 10 Art NOT OFFERED NOT OFFERED
PRACTICAL
12 Credits in Level 2
DESIGN NOT OFFERED 14 Credits in Level 1 Art Design + External
Portfolio
12 Credits in Level 2
PAINTING/
NOT OFFERED 14 Credits in Level 1 Art Painting /Illustration +
ILLUSTRATION
External Portfolio
12 Credits in Level 2
PHOTOGRAPHY NOT OFFERED 14 Credits in Level 1 Art Photography + Internal
and External Portfolio

COMMERCE FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements
14 Credits in Level 1 14 Credits in Level 2
BUSINESS STUDIES NOT OFFERED
Maths or English Business
14 Credits in Level 1
14 Credits in Level 2
ECONOMICS Open Entry Economics/Maths or
Economics
English

ENGLISH FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements

ENGLISH COMPULSORY COMPULSORY COMPULSORY

14 Credits in Level 1 14 Credits in Level 2

MEDIA STUDIES NOT OFFERED
English English

HUMANITIES FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements
14 Credits in Level 1 14 Credits in Level 2
GEOGRAPHY Open Entry
Geography or English Geography
14 Credits in Level 2
14 Credits in Level 1
HISTORY Open Entry History or Level 2
History or English
English
 FACULTIES & THEIR SUBJECT OPTIONS - NCEA LEVELS OVERVIEW / Page 6

LANGUAGES FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements
14 Credits in Level 1 14 Credits in Level 2
CHINESE 60% in Year 10 Chinese
Chinese Chinese

14 Credits in Level 1 14 Credits in Level 2

FRENCH Year 10 French
French French

14 Credits in Level 1 14 Credits in Level 2

SPANISH Year 10 Spanish
Spanish Spanish

14 Credits in Level 1 14 Credits in Level 2

TE REO MĀORI Year 10 Māori
Māori Māori

MATHEMATICS FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements

MATHEMATICS COMPULSORY COMPULSORY NOT OFFERED

16 Credits in Level 2
18 Credits at Level 1
CALCULUS NOT OFFERED Mathematics with
Mathematics incl MCAT
Calculus
10 Credits at Level 1 10 Credits in Level 2
STATISTICS NOT OFFERED
Mathematics Mathematics

MUSIC FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements
4 Years of Itinerant 14 Credits in Level 2
MUSIC 3 years of Music lessons
Music Music

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) FACULTY

LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements
14 Credits in Level 2 PE
PHYSICAL EDUCATION Open Entry 14 Credits in Level 1 PE
including 2.2 or 2.5
 FACULTIES & THEIR SUBJECT OPTIONS - NCEA LEVELS OVERVIEW / Page 7

SCIENCE FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements

SCIENCE COMPULSORY NOT OFFERED NOT OFFERED

14 Credits in Level 1
14 Credits in Level 2
Science (including 4
BIOLOGY NOT OFFERED Biology including
external credits in
externals
Biology standard)
14 Credits in Level 1
Science (including 4 14 Credits in Level 2
CHEMISTRY NOT OFFERED
external credits in Chemistry
Chemistry standard)
14 Credits in Level 2
14 Credits in Level 1
Physics (including 2
Science (including 8
PHYSICS NOT OFFERED external standards) and
external credits in
Maths externals 91261
Physics standard)
or 91262

TECHNOLOGY FACULTY
LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements
15 Credits in Level 1 16 Credits in Level 2
DVC Year 10 DVC
DVC DVC
FURNITURE: CARPENTRY: TRADES:
HARD MATERIALS Year 10 Hard Materials 15 Credits in Level 1 15 Credits in Level 2
Technology Furniture Carpentry
16 Credits at Level 2
Year 10 Food 15 Credits at Level 1
HOSPITALITY Hospitality, including
Technology Hospitality
US167

THEOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY FACULTY

LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3
SUBJECT
Entry Requirements Entry Requirements Entry Requirements

Theology & Philosophy COMPULSORY COMPULSORY COMPULSORY

NOTE: Entry into some subjects without prerequisites is still possible with Head of Faculty approval

NCEA LEVEL 1 NCEA LEVEL 2 NCEA LEVEL 3

Passing NCEA Level 1 involves Passing NCEA Level 2 involves Passing NCEA Level 3 involves
gaining a minimum of 80 credits. gaining 60 credits at Level 2 or gaining 60 credits at Level 3 PLUS
above PLUS 20 credits from any 20 credits from Level 2 or above.
Across the seven subjects in Year
level.
11, St Peter’s offers students the Level 1 literacy and numeracy
chance to obtain roughly 130 Level 1 literacy and numeracy requirement must also be met.
credits. requirements must also be met
Across the six subjects in Level 3, St
Across the six subjects at Level 2, St Peter’s offers students the chance to
Peter’s offers students the chance to obtain roughly 120 credits.
obtain roughly 120 credits.

NCEA LEVELS are a mix of Internal Achievement Standards which are taken during school time and External
Achievement Standards which are taken in the exam season at the end of the academic year. The object for
every student should be to pass the standards at as high a level as possible, aiming for Merit and
Excellence as their level of attainment

For specific course costs, see Subject Outlines in the following pages.