How to prepare
New Zealand University Admission
New Zealand universities typically start in February and July, with final application deadlines closing in mid-November for February intake and early May for July intake. Official English qualifications such as NCEA, Cambridge CIE, IB Diploma, Korean high school or university graduation are all accepted, and depending on your qualifications, you may be able to enrol directly or you may need to complete a foundation programme, which can take anywhere from 6 months to 1 year before enrolling.
New Zealand University Admission Application Methods and Requirements
University Application Methods
Application methods differ depending on whether you apply online or submit your admission application directly through the required documents. Required documents may vary slightly depending on the university or department, but as an official agent for New Zealand and Australian universities, SOL New Zealand provides comprehensive services from university admission consultation, document preparation, document submission and admission approval through to student visa application.
University Minimum Admission Requirements
The conditions below are the minimum requirements for university admission and may vary by country, university and department, so detailed admission requirements are different.
Academic Qualifications from Korea
- Admission possible after completing at least 1 year of university bachelor’s degree
- Admission possible after graduating from high school with a preparatory programme
Application Documents
- Passport
- Academic transcripts
ㆍ NCEA Year 13: NSN verification required
ㆍCambridge CIE Year 13: Candidate number or Year 12 report card required
ㆍIB Diploma Year 13: Year 12 report card required
ㆍKorean academic qualifications: Final academic transcript and certificate of graduation required - English proficiency certificate
ㆍ English course completion at a New Zealand language school
ㆍIELTS, TOEFL or equivalent official English qualifications - Portfolio, interview or additional documents required for specific courses
NCEA
University Entrance: NCEA Level 3 credits + 3 Level 3 approved certificate courses with at least 12 credits each + Level 2 English course minimum 5 credits, writing 5 credits + Level 1 mathematics course at least 10 credits (*from 2020)
CIE
At least 3 A or AS level courses at the easiest level + D grade or above in required courses + UCAS Tariff points calculation at least 120 points + IGCSE, AS or A level mathematics with D grade or above + AS or A level English course with E grade or above
IB
Minimum IB score of 24 points or above
University Admission Pathways
University Preparatory Course (Foundation)
For students who have graduated from high school in countries other than New Zealand, each university offers Foundation courses to provide admission to university preparatory courses. University preparatory courses are essential to familiarise yourself with the New Zealand education system before entering university. The Foundation course in New Zealand is equivalent to Year 13 and focuses primarily on area-specific subjects, improving English skills and essential knowledge before entering university. Admission to university is secured upon successful completion of the Foundation course. In New Zealand, representative universities such as Auckland University, AUT and Victoria University of Wellington operate Foundation courses through the private education institution UP Education, and there is also Taylors College operating Foundation courses.
Diploma Progression then Bachelor's Transfer
Through MOUs (formal agreements) between partner universities and private institutions offering Diplomas, you can transfer directly to university bachelor’s degree programmes after completing your diploma.
With university bachelor’s degree curriculum and equivalent credit calculation, you can enrol in shorter programmes, graduate with a diploma and then transfer directly to the second year of a bachelor’s degree programme. This allows you to learn bachelor’s-level content at a comparatively lower cost than university.
