University years can often be a significant period in our lives. We are given much more freedom than in high school; we can study the subjects we want, and we meet a lot of new people, as universities are usually bigger than schools. All this makes it particularly important for students to choose a good university and the right course, so they can fully enjoy this marvellous time.
One particular option that many students consider at that point is studying at a university abroad. This can make the whole experience even greater because it's a way to make even more new discoveries and embark on incredible adventures. But what country can be suitable for a student from New Zealand to study in?
This may depend on several factors, such as the type of education you are looking for and the places you are interested in. Still, some destinations are particularly popular among New Zealand secondary school leavers, and one of them is Australia. Find out more about other countries where you can study with NCEA.
As Australia is New Zealand's close neighbour and a primarily English-speaking country, starting university-level studies there can be easier for Aotearoa Students. They can choose from a wide variety of courses and programs, continually improving their knowledge year after year.
In this article, we will see what the requirements are for New Zealanders to study in Australia after secondary school and how your NCEA score can help you enrol in the university of your dreams.
Understanding NCEA
One of our objectives will be to understand how NCEA compares to ATAR, the score attributed to secondary school leavers in Australia, which they use to apply for universities. However, before we can tackle this topic, it is helpful to quickly review the essentials of NCEA in New Zealand itself.
| University Name | Location | Typical ATAR Requirement | Popular Programs | NCEA Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Melbourne | Melbourne, VIC | 95–99 | Law, Medicine, Commerce | NCEA Level 3 with Excellence often required |
| University of Sydney | Sydney, NSW | 95–98 | Health Sciences, Arts, Law | High Merit/Excellence credits preferred |
| Australian National University (ANU) | Canberra, ACT | 95–99 | International Relations, Science, Law | Strong academic record and subject selection key |
| University of Queensland (UQ) | Brisbane, QLD | 90–95 | Engineering, Psychology, Business | Minimum NCEA Level 3 with English credits |
| University of New South Wales (UNSW) | Sydney, NSW | 90–96 | Computer Science, Engineering, Law | ATAR conversion required via NZQA |
| Monash University | Melbourne, VIC | 85–95 | Pharmacy, Medicine, Business | Open to a wide range of NCEA backgrounds |
| University of Western Australia (UWA) | Perth, WA | 80–90 | Environmental Science, Engineering | English proficiency required via NCEA Level 3 |
| University of Adelaide | Adelaide, SA | 80–90 | Medicine, Law, Sciences | Standard ATAR conversion accepted |
To begin with, NCEA stands for National Certificate of Educational Achievement and is the qualification that New Zealanders strive for at the high school level. It is primarily based on a system of credits that students must accumulate at each level. Learn about what NCEA is equivalent to in other countries.
In total, NCEA consists of three levels, each corresponding to years 11 to 13 of high school. When a student takes a course, they need to check what level it is related to and how many credits it can bring. To earn those credits, students must meet the different standards outlined in each course. Depending on the subjects, standards may require different skills and abilities and yield different quantities of credits.
Some standards may be compulsory at each level. For instance, to complete NCEA Level 1, students need to gain 10 literacy and 10 numeracy credits, which can be obtained through various courses.
Another important detail in relation to NCEA credit is the grades students can achieve. Some standards are not simply validated in exchange for credits, but are also awarded marks. The four possible assessment grades for NCEA subjects can be easily memorised as NAME, standing for Non-Achieved, Achieved, Merit and Excellence.
This NCEA assessment is not crucial for getting your NCEA qualification, but can be taken into account by a university when you apply. Students having high scores at each level are more likely to be accepted into prestigious programs, including interesting courses.
Another context in which your NCEA assessment grades can become significant is when applying to an Australian university. At that point, they will be converted into an ATAR score, which will help the university understand the level of knowledge you possess. So, how does this conversion work?
New Zealand students apply to Australian universities each year.
What Is ATAR?
ATAR stands for Australian Tertiary Admission Rank and is the main score used for student selection in Australian universities. How is a student's ATAR calculated?
As you can see from the name of the score, the ATAR is a rank. It shows how well an Australian Year 12 student has performed compared to all other Year 12 students in Australia. If a student gets an ATAR of 80, this means that their results are better than those of 80% of students.
The ATAR is based on the grades a student has in their ATAR subjects. The minimum number of courses a student should take to get an ATAR is four, but they can also choose more. These courses must necessarily include two units of English, so the student can prove their literacy. You can also enter a US university with NCEA.
To be able to study certain courses at university, students may need to take certain subjects in year 12 of high school, so when they begin the ATAR year, it is very important to decide on what they would like to do later.
The ATAR shares certain similarities with NCEA in that students select subjects and must complete units to earn grades, but there are also notable differences. Nevertheless, many universities in Australia accept NCEA as a secondary education qualification and can convert your results to their scale.
Converting NCEA to ATAR
As the ATAR in Australia only takes into account ATAR-level subjects usually completed in Year 12, a similar logic is applied to the NCEA results when they are converted by the NZQA (New Zealand Qualifications Authority). That is to say, only the credits gained in NCEA Level 3 courses are considered.
NZQA stands for the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. It ensures that qualifications like NCEA are credible and aligned with international standards. When applying to Australian universities, NZQA plays a key role in converting your NCEA results into an ATAR-equivalent score.
By contrast, if a student has taken an NCEA Level 2 subject in Year 13 of high school, this will not serve them when applying to an Australian university.
Another essential aspect to consider is that the conversion of NCEA will be based on the student's NAME assessment grades. This means that students who would like to study at a university in Australia should prioritise achieving high standards.
To attribute you a score similar to the ATAR, the Australian university will base itself on the best 90 credits you have earned and calculate your average, using the following values: 5 for each credit earned with Excellence, 3,5 for each Merit and 2,5 for each Achieved.
Universities often establish a minimum entrance score you will need to achieve to enrol in each given course, and those with inferior scores will not be accepted.
Only your best 90 credits at NCEA Level 3 are used to calculate your ATAR-equivalent score. That means it's crucial to focus on Level 3 achievement standards and aim for Merit or Excellence in those. Credits from Level 2 or unit standards are not included in the ATAR conversion.
Australian universities also have high requirements in relation to your level of English. To be able to apply, you will need to have gained at least 18 NCEA Level 3 credits in English.
So, if students want to enter an Australian university successfully, they should carefully select each NCEA subject they take and try to achieve the best possible results in them.
| Estimated ATAR | NCEA Level 3 Credits Used | Excellence Credits | Merit Credits | Achieved Credits | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99+ | 90+ credits | 80+ | 10+ | 0 | Competitive for medicine, law |
| 95 | 90+ credits | 60–70 | 20–30 | 0–10 | Strong for top-tier unis |
| 90 | 90+ credits | 40–50 | 30–40 | 0–10 | Competitive for many degrees |
| 85 | 90+ credits | 30–40 | 40–50 | 0–20 | Likely meets most bachelor entry |
| 80 | 90+ credits | 20–30 | 40–50 | 10–20 | Acceptable for standard programmes |
| 75 | 90+ credits | 10–20 | 30–40 | 30–50 | Entry to mid-range courses |
| 70 | 90+ credits | 0–10 | 20–30 | 50–60 | Limited bachelor-level entry |
| Below 70 | 90+ credits | Minimal | Low | High | May not meet direct entry |
To enter the most prestigious degree programmes in Australia, you may be required to get the NCEA Level 3 endorsed with Excellence. In other words, you will need to gain 50 credits or more at excellence, which is a very high objective. NCEA is considered equivalent to A-levels in the UK and can serve to enter top universities.
To have your NCEA Level 3 endorsed with Excellence, you need 50 or more Excellence credits at Level 3. This endorsement strengthens your university application and is often required for competitive programs, especially in medicine, law, or engineering.
Choosing the Right Australian University and Degree
Now that you have a better idea of how your NCEA Level 3 credits are converted to an ATAR-equivalent score for Australia, you'll need to choose some appropriate universities or courses to apply to. Remember that choosing a university isn't just about the academic results, though.
With Australian universities offering a broad range of bachelor degrees from arts and science to commerce, engineering, and health, many have special entry requirements, including ATAR or NCEA scores or even subject choices.
The better your NCEA results, the more competitive the university and course you can consider applying to. If there's a chance you could do worse than expected, you may even want to consider some "safety schools" or less competitive choices so that you're still accepted onto a programme even if your NCEA results aren't exactly what you wanted.
There are even Australian universities, such as the University of Melbourne or ANU, that offer dedicated pathways for New Zealand secondary school students, recognising NCEA as a valid qualification and converting your credits to provide an ATAR rank for their admissions.
Remember that university rankings aren't everything, either. You need to find universities that provide an environment where you can excel, not just one with a history of students performing well. After all, every student is different and not everything will do well in the country's best-performing universities.
There are also extracurricular activities and the university's location itself. You'll want to be happy where you're living and studying, while also ensuring you can continue to enjoy yourself outside of class.
Get Better NCEA Results with Personalised Tutoring Support
Whether you are aiming to enter university in Australia or New Zealand, it can be crucial that you achieve good NCEA results and gain your credits with high grades. But what to do if a particular standard seems too difficult to achieve?
In that case, all you need to do is find a good personal tutor specialising in NCEA. The advantage of taking a tutoring course is that you will get tailored support and focus on developing the exact skills you need for a given subject. As a result, your course will help you progress quickly and achieve a better score.
Moreover, addressing a challenging issue can instil confidence in students and encourage them to perform better overall. So, students who have been assisted in one subject often tend to have higher grades in other courses as well. As their knowledge improves, they will take more pleasure in attending school courses and become more motivated.
of successful applicants earn NCEA Level 3 with Merit or Excellence.
However, a significant challenge many secondary school students face is finding a suitable NCEA tutor. How to obtain information about them and ensure they have the necessary education to teach NCEA subjects? The simple answer to these questions is Superprof.
Enter a university in Europe with NCEA to discover new countries. Just because you've been in education in New Zealand until this point, that doesn't mean that your bachelor's degree (or master's degree) has to be from there, too.
On the Superprof website, you can view the profiles of numerous NCEA-level tutors from all across New Zealand. We will provide you with information about them, including their location, price, and experience, and you can read comments from other students to learn even more about them.
Finding the right person with Superprof is easy, and the courses you'll take will be engaging and fun. This will push you to work harder, and you will achieve excellent NCEA results.
With most tutors offering the first session for free, you can even try a few potential tutors before finding the one that's right for you, your budget, and your preferred learning style.
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