Study in New Zealand

Before you can enrol at a New Zealand educational institution, you first need to provide evidence of your academic and English speaking abilities.  These requirements differ according to the institute and level of study (obviously, a university is going to have higher standards than a secondary school.)

Secondary Schools generally accept English speakers of all abilities.  The school will assess your abilities and place you in appropriate classes.

Universities require a certain level of English speaking proficiency.  This can differ between institutes.  Nearly all New Zealand universities accept International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores as evidence of your ability.  An IELTS score of 6.0 or a TOEFL score of 500 is the usual bare minimum requirement.

Some universities will accept previous study undertaken in English in place of IELTS or TOEFL scores.  You can also supply proof of a pass in English in the New Zealand Bursary examination, or General Certificate of Education O level examination.
Academically, you must prove that you are able to study at a tertiary level.  For undergraduate students, this generally requires a pass mark in your schools

Secondary Schooling Qualification, such as:

• UK A levels
• Hong Kong A levels
• Australian Matriculation Year Twelve Certificate
• Canadian Pre-University Programme
• American SAT scores.

Postgraduate applicants must have a relevant undergraduate degree.  For some courses, you may be required to possess and/or maintain a certain grade point average.

New Zealand offers many language schools for foreign students who have basic English skills and can understand the alphabet.  These have a running time of anything from two weeks to an academic year.
Students who originate from countries that don’t use the ABC alphabet might prefer the one on one attention of a private tutor.