What to Study

Core Subjects Image

The right subjects at Kura

Love science and choose your subjects well!  Your subject choices will lay the foundation for a lifelong career in health.  You can find out more from your kaiako. 

  • Year 10 - Science, English, Maths and te reo Māori are what you should be focusing on this year. Make sure you pass your exams so that you can take these subjects in Year 11.

  • Year 11 - NCEA Level 1: Science, English, Maths and te reo Māori are your priorities.

  • Year 12 - NCEA Level 2: Science is your golden subject. If available, take Biology, Chemistry and Physics. For some degrees such as Medicine and Pharmacy you need to take more than one. English or te reo Māori are the other subjects you should stick with. Maths, History, Economics, Geography and PE are also good subjects to keep your options open.

  • Year 13 - NCEA Level 3: Science! Biology, Physics and Chemistry are subjects to take. English, Te Reo Māori and Maths will help you too. However, if you're Year 13 and haven't taken Science, there are still other ways you can get into health degrees, including certificate and foundation/bridging courses. 

Subject Credits to progress to Tertiary Studies

  1. Year 11 - You need 80 credits to pass NCEA Level 1. Out of your 80 credits make sure you've got 14 credits in Maths.
  2. Year 12 - You need 60 credits to pass NCEA Level 2. Out of your 80 credits make sure you've got 8 credits in either Te Reo Māori or English.
  3. Year 13 - You need 60 credits at NCEA Level 3. Make sure you get a minimum of 14 credits in each of three subjects from the approved subjects list.

It's never too late to begin your journey. It doesn't matter which route you have to take to get into your health career, as long as you get there. 

Science is not spooky!

Science is one of the coolest subjects there is, as it relates to everything we do. From uncle cooking a hangi at the marae, to that way the light reflects off a kina moving in the water, science is all around us. We know it can be a bit of a scary subject to tackle and get through at NCEA level. If you're finding science a bit tricky, or you just want to cover all your bases, check out the Studyit website and look under NCEA Requirements. Register on the website to get the most out of it. If not - you can still check out the online forums with Teacher feedback and other helpful information. 

Use your science teachers as much as you can to gather a better understanding of the subject. They want you to succeed, so ask them for help. There's nothing more powerful than knowing exactly what you need to learn. Knowledge is power. No reira kia kaha e hoa ma. Kaua e wareware - science, it's in you, it's in us all!