"Ever since I started doing NCEA, I realised that it's quality over quantity. I've been doing revision most nights. I try to focus on two subjects per night - 30 minutes for each. I try to keep my sessions short, as I'm more likely to retain all the information," he said.
He is intending to study Law and Strategic Management at Waikato University next year and already has achieved the year with an excellence endorsement.
"I'm extremely nervous based on the fact that uni is next year and I want to endorse my subjects with Excellence."
Students at Hastings Boys' High School are still attending classes and will be released only a day before exams start.
Principal Robert Sturch said they didn't give their boys a lot of study leave as they find "they work better with a teacher in front of them to help with last-minute revision".
Mr Sturch said the exam results were prerequisites for courses in levels two and three.
"Basically these are an important set of exams that give students the opportunity to compare themselves with students throughout the country.
"The NCEA format is tried and tested. It is a valuable indicator on how well the boys have gone throughout the year.
"We tell our boys that these are an important set of exams and also an opportunity to compare to other students across the country."
Year 11 student Joshua Alderton will be sitting his first set of NCEA exams this year, despite passing two Cambridge exams in Year 10.
"Last year I was in the top class so I did Geography and Maths IGSCE exams and I will do those again this year as well as English, History, Science and PE NCEA exams.
"I am quietly confident for the externals. The teachers offer lots of their time to make sure we are doing well," Joshua said.
He said he tried to study using study cards and past exam papers for an hour each night to ensure he remembered all the content.
"My teacher's mantra is to learn what you don't know, so I try to go over things that I'm not sure of. I am quite nervous. When I get into the exam room, I hope that all my hard work through the year will pay dividends."
Havelock North High School principal Greg Fenton said he was confident they had prepared their students well.
"We have run a pair study programme with our top Year 13 students tutoring others in subjects where they felt they needed help. We also have had study seminars run by Patrick Sherratt and ongoing teacher driven tutorials.
"Teachers do a good job not only in the classroom but also through additional tutoring support. It is an accepted part of the school culture."
He said it had been a very short term 4, with two four-day weeks since students had come back from their break and this week would conclude with prize-giving.
"It's all come about really quickly."
He said there was a "certain element of tension brought about with the stress of exams. Many students manage to achieve level one, two and sometimes three before they go into exams."
NZQA Deputy Chief Executive Kristine Kilkelly said each year the number of downloads for examination papers and exemplars increases in the lead-up to examinations.
"To date in October 2017, six of the 20 most frequently downloaded files were past examination papers, and the other 14 were exemplar scripts."
The most frequently downloaded was the 2016 paper for the Level 1 Mathematics standard 91028: "Investigate relationships between tables, equations and graphs".
This paper was accessed 10,864 times during October.
NZQA's top study tips for students
Have a place to study: You need a quiet, organised and well-lit space to study for your examinations. Set regular routines and study goals. Talk to your family or whānau if you need more quiet time, or a different place to prepare.
Revision: You need to know what is required to achieve each standard. Make sure you have up-to-date notes from classes. Do some practice - there are resource pages for all subjects on the NZQA website that include previous years' examination papers and past examples of student work.
Be prepared: Make sure you know where your examinations are, and when. You can view the examination timetable on your mobile phone or get it from the NZQA website at www.nzqa.govt.nz. You should try to get to examinations at least 20 minutes before they begin so you can relax and make last-minute preparations.
Balance study with free time: It is important that you stay positive and relaxed. While study is important, you should take regular breaks, eat well, get fresh air, stay in touch with friends and study groups, and get plenty of sleep - especially the night before an examination.
The NZQA website at www.nzqa.govt.nz has more information and resources, including rules for what students can and can't take into their examinations.
NZQA's free NCEA Guide App for parents and whānau provides quick and easy access to key information about NCEA, including an online timetable of all examinations.