A guide to entry scores for the New Zealand Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA)
| Course name | Minimum in best 80 credits * | Prerequisite subjects to be completed at NCEA Level 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 0.76 | English, and Mathematics and Statistics |
| Arts | 0.83 | English |
| Biomedicine | 0.93 | English, Chemistry and Mathematics with Calculus |
| Commerce | 0.87 | English and Mathematics with Calculus |
| Design | 0.83 | English |
| Fine Arts | NA ^ | English |
| Music | NA ^ | English |
| Oral Health | 0.83 | English and Biology and Chemistry |
| Science | 0.83 | English, Mathematics with Calculus and Biology, Chemistry or Physics |
Calculating your average score
The University of Melbourne calculates your average in your best 80 Level 3 credits by assigning the following values:
- 5 for each excellent credit
- 3.5 for each merit credit
- 2.5 for each achieved credit
The total of all these is then divided by 400 (the maximum possible) to get your overall score.
Example 1
Brett is a New Zealand citizen (considered a domestic applicant to study in Australia) who has completed the NCEA with the following results:
| Subject | Total achieved credits | Achieved with excellence | Achieved with merit | Achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | 21 | 6 | 15 | 0 |
| Economics | 24 | 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Physics | 19 | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| English | 20 | 8 | 8 | 4 |
| Calculus | 26 | 9 | 17 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 110 | 36 | 53 | 21 |
Brett has completed more than 80 credits at Level 3 so he meets the first entry requirement.
Brett has satisfied the chemistry, English and calculus prerequisites because he has more than 18 credits in each subject including more than 10 achieved with merit or higher. He has not satisfied the physics prerequisite because he does not have 10 credits achieved with merit or higher.
Brett’s overall score would be calculated as:
- 36 credits achieved with excellence x 5 = 180
- 44 credits achieved with merit x 3.5 = 154
Note: we calculate over the best 80 credits. So, all credits achieved with excellence are included (up to a total of 80), then we move down until the total credits in the calculation equals 80. So, in this case we only use 44 credits achieved with merit as, when added to the credits achieved with excellence, that equals 80.
Add the two totals together:
- 180 + 154 = 334
Then divide by 400 (the maximum possible score):
- 334 ÷ 400 = 0.835
With this score and the prerequisites, he has satisfied Brett would be eligible for an offer for the Bachelor of Agriculture, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Oral Health or the Bachelor of Science. Although he is eligible for an offer, whether he receives one depends on the selection rank offered to in the intake he applies for (because Brett will be a domestic applicant seeking a Commonwealth supported place).
He has the prerequisites but not the score for an offer for the Bachelor of Biomedicine or Bachelor of Commerce.
Example 2
Murray is a New Zealand permanent resident (considered an international applicant to study in Australia) who has completed the NCEA with the following results:
Subject | Total achieved credits | Achieved with excellence | Achieved with merit | Achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classical Studies | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 |
| English | 23 | 11 | 4 | 8 |
| Technology | 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 |
| Business Studies | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Statistics | 20 | 12 | 8 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 100 | 72 | 20 | 8 |
Murray has completed more than 80 credits at Level 3 so he meets the first entry requirement.
Murray has satisfied the English and statistics prerequisites because he has more than 18 credits in each subject including more than 10 achieved with merit or higher.
Murray’s overall score would be calculated as:
- 72 credits achieved with excellence x 5 = 360
- 8 credits achieved with merit x 3.5 = 28
Note: we calculate over the best 80 credits. So, all credits achieved with excellence are included (up to a total of 80), then we move down until the total credits in the calculation equals 80. So, in this case we only use 8 credits achieved with merit as, when added to the credits achieved with excellence, that equals 80.
Add the two totals together:
- 360 + 28 = 388
Then divide by 400 (the maximum possible score):
- 388 ÷ 400 = 0.97
With this score and the prerequisites, he has satisfied Murray would be eligible for an offer for the Bachelor of Agriculture, Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Design.
He has the score for an offer but has not met the prerequisites for the Bachelor of Biomedicine, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Oral Health or the Bachelor of Science.
* Students must have satisfactorily completed the NCEA Level 3, including at least 80 credits at Level 3. Applicants will be assessed on their best 80 credits.
^ A range of criteria is used for selection. Applicants must be qualified for University entry and have satisfied the course-specific additional requirements.