NCEA Level 3 Health

It is Health as studied within NCEA Level 3, the highest of the three NCEA levels. NCEA is the main qualification for secondary school students in New Zealand, recognised by employers and used for selection by universities and tertiary providers here and overseas. Your Health course is made up of standards worth credits.

Students generally work through NCEA levels 1 to 3 in years 11 to 13 at school, so Level 3 is usually taken in year 13. It suits students who want a qualification recognised by employers and tertiary providers, and who may be heading to university, other study, or work.

Schools use internal and external assessment to measure how well you meet each standard. Internal assessment happens in school during the year; external assessment includes the national exams at the end of the year. Some skills cannot be tested in a sit-down exam, which is why both methods are used.

For each standard a letter appears next to your result: N, A, M or E, standing for Not Achieved, Achieved, Merit and Excellence. Achieved, Merit and Excellence tell you how well you reached the standard. Note that E now means Excellence, not a fail as it did for many parents.

No. You will not get any more credits for Merits and Excellences, but there are good reasons to aim high. With 50 credits at Merit or Excellence you gain Certificate Endorsement, and 14 credits with Excellence in a course gives that course Course Endorsement, which shows employers and institutions how well you did.

The source material does not set out a retake or resit policy for NCEA Level 3 Health, so this cannot be confirmed here. Ask your teacher, check the NZQA website, or phone NZQA on 0800 697 296 for the rules that apply to your standards.

The source does not state a duration or question count for NCEA Level 3 Health, and the credits needed to gain NCEA are covered on NZQA's NCEA levels and certificates page rather than in the material summarised here. Confirm both with your teacher or on the NZQA website.

No. You can build up credits during the year, or even over more than one year, and once you have credits they last forever. You can also keep track of how many credits you are stacking up as you go along, so you know where you stand before the end of the year.

Chasing credits without checking which standards they come from. Getting as many credits as you can is great, but it is important to think about what subjects you are getting credits in. If you are aiming for a job or university course, you need credits in the standards employers or the university expect to see.

NCEA levels 2 and 3 open doors to tertiary study and training, and some providers also look for University Entrance as a sign you are ready for tertiary study. Just having UE does not guarantee entry to any course you like, as universities want to see lots of Es in your results.