University Entrance and Rank Scores

Programme entry requirements for 2023

You must meet the admission requirements for your programme(s) of study. For most tertiary institutions in New Zealand this is University Entrance which is 14 credits from 3 university approved domains.

In addition to achieving university entrance, some undergraduate programmes require you to have taken specific subjects and gained minimum credits in certain subjects. Some programmes have other requirements such as a portfolio, audition and/or interview. 

If you are intending to go to the University of Auckland, they also require a rank score. AUT may use a rank score if they get too many applicants for a particular course. Once you have applied AUT will tell you what the rank score is if required. No other New Zealand university requires a rank score.

How your NCEA rank score is calculated

Your rank score is based on your best 80 credits at Level 3 or higher over a maximum of five approved subjects. These credits are then weighted by awarding points based on the level of achievement — Excellence (4 points), Merit (3 points) or Achieved (2 points) — attained in each set of credits.

A maximum of 24 credits are counted for each approved subject. The maximum rank score is 320. Approved subjects are determined by NZQA. For detailed information, please see 

Approved subjects for University Entrance 

(Link for precise standards endorsed for UE)

If you achieve less than 80 credits, the rank score will be based on your total Level 3 credits gained over a maximum of five approved subjects and weighted by the level of achievement.

Credits obtained in required subjects do not have to be among the best 80 credits used to calculate the rank score.

NCEA Level 3 credits achieved before Year 13 can be counted towards the 80 best credits used for ranking.

Calculate an estimated rank score online

To estimate your rank score, you can use our Rank Score Calculator. To access the Rank Score Calculator, please go to Calculating your estimated rank score.

For an example, visit Example on how your rank score is calculated.

If you need help with the Rank Score Calculator, visit AskAuckland.If you need help with the Rank Score Calculator, visit AskAuckland.

University of Auckland – Academic English Language Requirement

The University of Auckland also has an additional requirement of 17 English credits at Level 2 and/or Level 3. If you do not gain these credits at school but meet all the other entry requirements, you will need to take an English paper and pass it in your first year of university to continue with your degree.