He believes sitting the exams a year earlier helped prepare him to do well in his final year and says people should do the same if the opportunity arises.
In the weeks leading up to the exams, he focused a lot on his scholarship exams, as he had already completed his Year 13 subjects the year before.
For his efforts, Mr Hawley will receive $2000 a year for three years, and might be in with a chance to get $5000 a year for three years.
The 18-year-old is starting his first year at the University Of Canterbury, majoring in accounting and finance.
Fellow Lindisfarne College studentKadin Good gained an outstanding scholarship in statistics, with a 38/40 in the paper, plus scholarships in economics, history and geography.
Overall, the college received 20 scholarships plus two outstanding scholarships.
Lindisfarne College senior school assistant rector Ross Barry said the college was "very proud of the mature approach that the boys take to their academic studies and the lengths they are prepared to go to attain the highest level of academic success".
"These fellows have set very positive goals for themselves and worked hard to achieve them. From this perspective, they deserve these fine outcomes," he added.
Hawke's Bay Secondary Principals' Association chairman and Taradale High School principal Stephen Hensman said "NZQA is not yet publishing the total scholarship results for Hawke's Bay for 2017, so we can't be sure yet how we did as a region, however the trend line over the last few years has been steadily ascending, from 114 scholarship passes in HB in 2013 to 150 in 2016".
"I am confident that our province's students will have enjoyed considerable success again. Every scholarship pass is hard won, achieved with diligent work by students and admirable dedication by teachers," he said.
Taradale High School had continued its theme of success by students in Years 11 and 12, achieving scholarship passes, and was "proud of every one of them".
