NZ Scholarship Te Reo Māori

Students can enter for NZ Scholarship if they are enrolled in a consented New Zealand secondary school. You do not have to be working towards NCEA to enter. Not all schools enter students for NZ Scholarship and some enter only a small number of subjects, so talk to your teacher about whether your school will enter you.

Across NZ Scholarship, assessment is by either a written or spoken examination or by the submission of a portfolio or report of work produced throughout the year. Which of these applies to Te Reo Māori specifically is set out in the subject's assessment criteria and reports, so confirm the format with your teacher.

NZ Scholarship assessments are designed to be challenging for the most able students in each subject. To be awarded the Scholarship, students are expected to show deep understanding of the subject, demonstrate high-level critical thinking and the ability to apply their understanding to complex situations. A score of 8 is an outstanding answer in all respects, showing integration and synthesis.

Assessments have between 3 and 5 parts, and your score for each part is added up to give your final result. Markers give a score of 0 to 8 for each part. A score of 8 is outstanding in all respects; a score of 1 shows little understanding relevant to the question; a score of 0 is for blank or irrelevant answers.

To be awarded a Scholarship or Outstanding Scholarship, you need to reach a set score known as a cut score. The numeric cut score is not published in the source material used here. Students who reach the cut score receive NZ Scholarship, and the very top students receive Outstanding Scholarship. Scripts close to either cut score are re-marked.

The number of Scholarships available in a subject is limited to around 3% of the number of students who achieve 14 or more credits in that subject at NCEA Level 3. There is some variation around the 3%, mainly for subjects with few candidates at NCEA Level 3.

If you believe an error has been made in marking, you can apply for a reconsideration or review. There is a limited time from when your assessed work is available, or your portfolio is returned, in which you can apply. Whether you can enter again in a later year is not stated in the source material, so ask your school.

NZ Scholarship results are released in mid-February each year. Soon after results are released, your assessed work will be available through your learner login. If you sat a Visual Arts portfolio subject, portfolios are returned in December following the completion of marking.

There is no charge for domestic student entry for NZ Scholarship. If you are an international student, you will need to pay a fee to enter; the amount is set out on NZQA's secondary education fees page. Ask your school if you are unsure which category applies to you.

Speak to your teacher first, since entry depends on your school. Then study the assessment criteria and reports for the subject, and review the selection of examination papers reproduced with permission from previous top scholars. Practise producing accurate, comprehensive and coherent answers, because markers reward integration, synthesis and perceptive responses.