NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) is a flexible, internationally recognised qualification. It comprises both internal assessments—conducted within the school and underpinned by our world-class teaching—and external assessments, such as end-of-year examinations and portfolio submissions.
Throughout the year, students are assessed using a variety of methods, including assignments, practical tasks, presentations, and project work. At Rangitoto College, students follow the NCEA curriculum in Years 12 and 13.
All students enrolled for a full academic year (February to December) are required to sit NCEA exams at the end of the year. For our international students, NCEA fees are included in the tuition and are managed by the school.
The Rangitoto College Year 11 Diploma has replaced the traditional Level 1 NCEA qualification. This programme offers students the opportunity to engage in a rigorous, knowledge-rich curriculum designed by subject experts at the college. Students will be able to attain the Year 11 Diploma with white, red, or blue endorsement, reflecting their level of achievement.
The Year 11 Diploma is a holistic qualification that incorporates:
- Academic performance
- Extra-curricular involvement
- Service leadership
- Attendance
- Academic engagement
Year 11 students sit one set of exams in November, aligned with the NZQA and NCEA examination schedule.
In 2025, the Year 11 Diploma pass rate was 71%, highlighting the importance of students ensuring that they are on track for meeting all of the criteria within the diploma. For those students who narrowly missed out, many could have gained this through greater participation in school-based extracurricular activities or by meeting the attendance requirements.
A summary of the Year 11 Diploma is available below, drawn from a presentation delivered by Fay Meiklejohn and Grahame Cope at our Pathways Evening for parents.
To ensure your activity is included in your profile and recognised at prizegiving, please make sure it is added by:
Year 11 Diploma Deadline: 20 November 2026
Please check that your profile data is being updated regularly throughout the year.
We also encourage you to regularly update your profile data throughout the year to reflect your ongoing achievements and involvement.
At Rangitoto College, students have access to a wide range of academic subjects across all year levels. To support informed decision-making, each student receives personalised course counselling.
We encourage students to select subjects that genuinely interest them, as well as those that serve as prerequisites for their intended tertiary or vocational pathways.
We are proud to report the continued high levels of academic achievement by Rangitoto College students. Our strong NCEA results reflect the exceptional performance of our learners, consistently placing us ahead of comparable schools. These outcomes affirm Rangitoto College’s position as one of New Zealand’s leading academic institutions.
Our NCEA pass rates for Levels 2 and 3 have once again exceeded 90%. We are particularly pleased to see a significant lift in high-level achievement; Year 12 Excellence endorsements rose by 3%, bringing the total to 38% for this year group. Combined Merit and Excellence rates also climbed, underscoring the success of our Year 11 Diploma. Having replaced NCEA Level 1 in 2024, this Diploma is already proving its value by providing a superior foundation for senior academic success.
Our Year 13 students also performed strongly, achieving 30% Excellence Endorsements. Furthermore, our University Entrance (UE) rate remains exceptionally high at 80%—a figure that stands in proud contrast to the national average of 49.9%.
Across the board, Rangitoto College continues to outperform both national benchmarks and schools within our socio-economic equity band. This consistently high performance highlights the strength of our teaching and the unwavering dedication of our students.
Discover more about Rangitoto College’s exceptional academic success as New Zealand’s leading NZQA Scholarship school on our Scholarship Programme page.
In 2025, our scholarship students achieved an outstanding 348 NZQA Scholarships, including 42 attained at the Outstanding level—a NZQA record for Rangitoto College, representing the highest tier of scholastic achievement in the country.
Learn more about our remarkable achievements in the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Programme, including:
- A 95% pass rate
- Multiple Top IB Scholar results
- 26% of our cohort, 20 recipients, attained the prestigious Bilingual Diploma across 7 different language pairings
Rangitoto College continues to perform 15% above the global average, affirming our place among the world’s top academic institutions. Visit our IB Programme page to explore more.
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