Nervous wait for 165,000 students with NCEA results out today

It's a nervous time for Nicole Cameron and her sister as their await their NCEA results but the former Otumoetai College student hopes her hard work has paid off.

The 18-year-old from Te Puna, who in mid-February will begin her four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree at Canterbury University, admits to feeling "a bit nervous".

She is one of more than 165,000 students nationwide who will be able to check their results today.

Nicole was one of the 8815 Bay of Plenty students who sat end-of-year examinations in November and also one of 445 in the region who sat New Zealand Scholarship exams.

The excited teenager finds out her Level Three NCEA results in five subjects - English, calculus, geography, chemistry and physics.

"While I'm not really too worried as I think I have done quite well, you never know when it comes to exams. I do feel a little bit nervous but excited at the same time," she said.

"I hope to at least match if not surpass my Year 12 NCEA results."

Nicole said she gained excellence endorsements in all but her calculus final exam in 2017. She began preparing for her 2018 exams a few months beforehand.

"I always try to put my best foot forward when it comes to studying and preparing for exams so I can achieve the best results possible.

"If I do achieve five excellence endorsements this time, it will be such a great feeling knowing that all my hard work during the year has paid off," she said.

Nicole, who also undertook scholarship exam papers in the same five subjects to "challenge herself", won't know those results until later in the year.

About 1.3 million personalised exam booklets have been marked after last year's exams.

Also nervously awaiting her Level One NCEA results is Nicole's 15-year-old sister Charlotte, who is a Year 12 student at Otumoetai College this year.

New Zealand Qualifications Authority deputy chief executive assessment Kristine Kilkelly said results will be online from today.

"Our extensive planning and preparations are on track. We dedicate IT resources towards ensuring results are accessible and we test extensively in the lead-up to results release.
"We have extended our call centre opening hours until 8pm with extra staff ready to answer specific queries students may have about their NCEA results," she said.

All in all, about 1.3 million personalised exam booklets having been marked.