NCEA

It should be no surprise that Christina Ashton, one of the country's top 100m hurdlers, was jumping for joy yesterday after clearing one of her biggest hurdles to date: NCEA level 3.

Pupils skipping NCEA examinations in Otago have dropped dramatically in the past three years, but principals say the numbers are still too high.

Stressed, relieved, delighted, confused, petrified, even a little green - they were just some of the expressions on teens' faces yesterday as they went online to check their NCEA results.

More than 4600 NCEA exam papers were left unanswered in Otago and Southland schools during the 2013 exam season because pupils failed to turn up.

Pupils from high decile schools continue to get special NCEA exam support at a far higher rate than their decile 1 counterparts, this year's figures show.

Some may have thought it was dancing near the front gates of Dunedin's Queen's High School, but Leilani Hosking says it could more accurately be described as jumping for joy.

The same thing happens almost every year at this time - when senior secondary school pupils have to stay indoors and study for NCEA examinations, the sun invariably comes out and the mercury rises into the 20s.

Pupils in Otago and Canterbury are more likely to get special support in NCEA exams than those in other areas, a new report says.

The final analysis of the Ministry of Education's 2012 NCEA data shows the percentage of Otago pupils leaving school with an NCEA level 2 qualification remains among the highest in the country - and the rates are continuing to increase.

The number of Otago secondary schools meeting the national average pass rates for NCEA level 3 qualifications appears to be improving, New Zealand Qualifications Authority statistics show.

The release and quick withdrawal of some NCEA results early this morning has upset students and been described by one as "highly unethical".

The cost of providing special support to pupils sitting NCEA external exams rose by almost $159,000 last year, mainly due to the recognition of dyslexia.

Otago secondary school pupils are still anxiously awaiting their national certificate of educational achievement (NCEA) results after a false alarm yesterday. The New Zealand Qualification Authority released results on its website yesterday morning, before removing the page five minutes later.

The long wait for NCEA exam results came to end for thousands of students today despite a flood of traffic bringing the website to a near-standstill.

The number of Otago secondary schools failing to meet the national average pass rate in NCEA level 1 has increased significantly.

King's High School in Dunedin has achieved the highest NCEA pass rates for state boys' schools in the country, New Zealand Qualifications Authority statistics show.