GuidesThe guide, part 8 of 9

What is University Entrance?

What University Entrance is, what a student needs to achieve it as NZQA sets out, how it relates to NCEA, and what it does and does not guarantee.

Every statement on this page comes from an official source: NZQA, Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatū) and Ministry of Education.

What University Entrance is

University Entrance (UE) is the minimum requirement to go from school to a New Zealand university.¹ It is a separate award, not an NCEA certificate.² Once you have met the requirements, University Entrance appears on your Record of Achievement.³

NCEA Levels 2 and 3 open doors to tertiary study and training, and some tertiary providers also look for University Entrance as a sign you are ready for tertiary study.⁴

What you need to be awarded it

NZQA lists the requirements as follows.

NCEA Level 3.⁵
14 credits at Level 3 in each of three approved subjects.⁶
10 Literacy credits at Level 2 or above, made up of 5 credits in reading and 5 credits in writing.⁷
10 Numeracy credits at Level 1 or above, made up of the co-requisite Level 1 Numeracy unit standard 32406 or Te Pāngarau unit standard 32412, or certain achievement standards.⁸

NZQA notes there are some basic requirements for entrance to a New Zealand university, including a minimum number of Literacy and Numeracy credits.⁹

Approved subjects

NZQA publishes the list of all the approved subjects for University Entrance.¹⁰ Some subjects on the list can only be awarded to students learning under Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.¹¹

Credits for University Entrance can be built up over more than one year.¹² If a unit standard and an achievement standard assess the same learning outcome, only the credits for one of them can be counted.¹³

The literacy and numeracy parts

To meet the literacy requirement you need 10 credits from NZQA's list of standards: 5 in reading and 5 in writing.¹⁴ For standards that meet both the reading and writing requirements, the credits can be split between the two.¹⁵

NZQA's list of standards that count for University Entrance literacy was last updated on 18 May 2026.¹⁶

NZQA advises that, wherever possible, students continue their maths beyond the foundational numeracy level that University Entrance requires, to keep future pathways open.¹⁷ The UE numeracy requirements are a minimum for entry to university-level study, and some degrees have specific prerequisites from Level 3 Mathematics standards.¹⁸

What University Entrance does not guarantee

NZQA says that having University Entrance doesn't mean you can just turn up for any university course you like.¹⁹ If you're aiming for a job or university course, you need credits in the standards that employers will find useful or that the university will expect to see.²⁰

NCEA and other national certificates are recognised by employers, and are also used by universities and other tertiary providers as the benchmark for selection.²¹ NZQA says independent research shows performance in NCEA is a good indicator of success in first-year university.²²

If you do not have University Entrance

If you are under 20 and don't have University Entrance, you may still be eligible for Discretionary Entrance to a New Zealand university.²³ Universities set their own discretionary entrance requirements, so speak with the enrolments office of the university you want to attend.²⁴

If you are unhappy with a university's Discretionary Entrance decision, you may appeal it to NZQA.²⁵ The appeal looks at the evidence the university used, to decide whether its decision was consistent with its own entry regulations.²⁶

Discretionary Entrance and appeals

Check whether you may be eligible
If you are under 20 and don't have University Entrance, you may still be eligible for Discretionary Entrance to a New Zealand university.²³
Ask the university
Universities set their own discretionary entrance requirements, so speak with the enrolments office of the university you want to attend.²⁴
Appeal to NZQA
If you are unhappy with a university's Discretionary Entrance decision, you may appeal it to NZQA.²⁵
What the appeal looks at
The appeal looks at the evidence the university used, to decide whether its decision was consistent with its own entry regulations.²⁶

For older students: If you're over 20, you may be able to enrol at a university or polytechnic without a tertiary entrance qualification.²⁷

Using NCEA and University Entrance overseas

Being awarded University Entrance also opens doors to tertiary study in other countries.²⁸ If you apply to a higher education provider overseas, it usually requires you to have achieved the university entrance standard set by the country you studied in. Each provider has its own entry requirements and may have extra requirements for students applying with NCEA. NZQA advises contacting the provider before you choose your NCEA subjects, so you know in advance what is required.²⁹

Australia recognises NCEA Level 3 as broadly equivalent to its Senior Secondary Certificates of Education.³⁰
NCEA Level 3 results are used in the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank for entrance to Australian universities.³¹
NCEA is generally accepted by colleges and universities in the United States as part of their admissions requirements.³²

Results timing and changes ahead

Reviews and reconsiderations of results can take up to 4 weeks, so if the outcome might affect University Entrance, tell your chosen university it may take that long.³³

NZQA regularly reviews the list of standards that contribute to University Entrance requirements.³⁴ Its wider review of University Entrance requirements, originally planned for 2023–2025, is currently paused.³⁵

The Ministry of Education says NCEA will be replaced by two new national qualifications, NZCE for Year 12 and NZACE for Year 13.³⁶ Check NZQA and the Ministry of Education for the latest position on University Entrance under the new qualifications.

Sources

Every statement on this page comes from an official page, quoted in full here.

Each numbered statement above is followed here by the words of the official page it comes from. Every quote was checked against its page on 5 October 2026.

“University Entrance (UE) is the minimum requirement to go from school to a New Zealand university.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“It is a separate award, not an NCEA certificate.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/about-ncea/ncea-levels-and-certificates ↑
“Once you have met the requirements for University Entrance, it will appear on your Record of Achievement.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“NCEA levels 2 and 3 open doors to tertiary study and training. Some tertiary providers also look for University Entrance (UE) as a sign that you are ready for tertiary study.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/about-ncea ↑
“To be awarded UE, you need: NCEA Level 3”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“14 credits at Level 3 in each of 3 approved subjects”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“10 Literacy credits at Level 2 or above, made up of: 5 credits in reading 5 credits in writing.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“10 Numeracy credits at Level 1 or above, made up of: co-requisite Level 1 Numeracy unit standard 32406 or Te Pāngarau unit standard 32412, or certain achievement standards.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“There are some basic requirements for entrance to a New Zealand university, including a minimum number of Literacy and Numeracy credits.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/options-af… ↑
“Approved subjects for University Entrance This page details all the approved subjects for University Entrance (UE)”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“Only students engaged in learning and achievement derived from Te Marautanga o Aotearoa can be awarded the subjects marked with an asterisk.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“Credits Credits can be accumulated over more than one year.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“If a unit standard and an achievement standard assess the same learning outcome, only the credits for one of the standards can be counted.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“To meet the University Entrance literacy requirements you need 10 credits from the list of standards below (5 credits in reading and 5 credits in writing).”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“For standards that meet both reading and writing requirements it is possible to split the credits to fulfil the literacy requirement.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“This list was last updated on 18 May 2026: Standards that contribute to University Entrance literacy requirements”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“10 Numeracy credits at Level 1 or above, made up of: co-requisite Level 1 Numeracy unit standard 32406 or Te Pāngarau unit standard 32412, or certain achievement standards. Wherever possible, you should continue your mathematical studies beyond this foundational level to keep your future pathways open.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“University Entrance numeracy requirements are a minimum for entry to university-level study, and some degrees have specific prerequisites from Level 3 Mathematics standards.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“just because you've got University Entrance doesn’t mean you can just turn up for any university course you like.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/about-ncea ↑
“If you’re aiming for a job or university course, you need to get credits in the standards that will be useful to employers or that the university will expect to see in your results.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/about-ncea ↑
“NCEA and other national certificates are recognised by employers. They are also used by universities and other tertiary providers as the benchmark for selection.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/options-af… ↑
“Independent research shows that performance in NCEA is a good indicator of success at first-year university.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/options-af… ↑
“If you are under 20 years of age and do not have University Entrance, you may still be eligible for Discretionary Entrance to attend a New Zealand university.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“Universities set their own discretionary entrance requirements. If you are thinking of applying, please speak with the enrolments office of the university you would like to attend.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“If you applied for Discretionary Entrance but are not happy with the university’s decision, you may appeal that decision to NZQA.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“The appeal process examines the evidence used by the university to make their decision, to determine whether the decision was consistent with the university’s regulations for discretionary or entrance ad eundem statum.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“If you're over 20, you may be able to enrol at a university or polytechnic without a tertiary entrance qualification.”
Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatū) · tahatu.govt.nz/school-and-ncea/moving-on-from-school/upskill… ↑
“Being awarded University Entrance also opens doors to tertiary study in other countries.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“If you apply for admission to a higher education provider overseas, the provider usually requires you to have achieved the university entrance standard set by the country in which you studied. Each university or tertiary provider will have their own entry requirements and may have additional requirements for students applying with NCEA. Contact the university or education provider before you choose your NCEA subjects so you know in advance what is required.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/international/nz-quals-overseas/study-with-ncea ↑
“Australia recognises NCEA Level 3 as broadly equivalent to its Senior Secondary Certificates of Education.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/international/nz-quals-overseas/study-with-ncea ↑
“NCEA Level 3 results are used in the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank for entrance to all Australian universities.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/options-af… ↑
“NCEA is generally accepted by colleges and universities in the United States as part of their admissions requirement.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/international/nz-quals-overseas/study-with-ncea ↑
“Reviews and reconsiderations can take up to 4 weeks to process. If the outcome of your application might affect University Entrance, let your chosen university know it may take 4 weeks before you receive any updated results.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/student-assessment-hub/ncea-results/revi… ↑
“NZQA regularly reviews the list of standards that contribute to University Entrance requirements.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“The review of University Entrance requirements, originally planned to run between 2023-2025, is currently paused.”
NZQA · www2.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/understanding-secondary-quals/university… ↑
“NCEA will be replaced by 2 new national qualifications: New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) for students in Year 12 New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) for students in Year 13.”
Ministry of Education · education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/pare… ↑