Six of the best surface in trust's scholarship testing

Chris Leyland is treating himself to a computer with his prize money. Picture / Brett Phibbs

The country's top six students have been named by the organisation which administered scholarship exams for 12 years and then snubbed the NCEA model.

The Education and Scholarship Trust sifted through the academic achievements of 140 students who sat either Cambridge, Bursary or NCEA examinations, or in some cases a combination of exam systems.

Trust chairman John Graham said the six winners - who were awarded $5000 each - were outstanding young people of remarkable maturity.

"It's very important in this country to look for and reward excellence, and to encourage potential future leaders.

"This is what our scholarships are designed to do."

The national state scholarships, administered by the Qualifications Authority, are the subject of several inquiries after wild variations in results.

The Education and Scholarship Trust ran the exams independently before NCEA was launched and the Government took over. Trustees were asked to join a Government-led reference group, but dropped out after falling out with the Qualifications Authority over the standards-based assessment model.

Phillip Coombe, academic convener for the trust, said there was no bad blood between the organisations and the awards were not intended to compete with the state scholarships.

"We withdrew (from the reference group) because we became totally frustrated by the process of what NZQA called consultation," Mr Coombe said.

"The whole idea of standards-based assessment is one for debate, but it does not work for top academic awards."

The trust asked principals to nominate two students each, who were then shortlisted for interview to find the six winners.

Almost 140 students, from 80 schools, applied and their exam results were considered with their academic record, their interview performance and the merits of an essay they submitted about themselves and their ambitions.

Mr Coombe said it had proved a difficult task to compare the results from Cambridge and NCEA exams, but the assessment panel was confident it had picked New Zealand's finest.

Of the winners, two sat NCEA, two sat Cambridge International and two sat exams in both systems.

Chris Leyland was one of those. The 18-year-old said the award was recognition for two year's hard work - and he planned to treat himself to a laptop with the money.

He said he preferred the Cambridge model as it tested what you knew.

"NCEA scholarship was very testing, but I felt I did not get as much out as I had put in. It was unpredictable and there was often the impression you were being tricked into the wrong answer rather than just demonstrating your knowledge."

Chris sat classics, calculus, physics and economics and is studying engineering and commerce at the University of Auckland.

Mr Graham said the trust intended to continue running its own scholarships for the "foreseeable future".

* Associate Education Minister David Benson-Pope is expected to take working party recommendations on the future of the state scholarship to the Cabinet after Easter.

It is understood the recommendations will include a return to percentage marks for students who sit the elite exams.

THE WINNERS

* Niki Begg, Christchurch Boys High, studying medicine at Otago.

* Alix Boberg, Diocesan School, Auckland, studying BA/LLB at Auckland.

* Pieta Brown, King's College, studying BA/BSc at Auckland.

* Khay Chan, Macleans College, studying Commerce/Law at Auckland.

* Chris Leyland, Auckland Grammar, studying BE/BCom at Auckland.

* Guarav Sharma, Auckland Grammar, studying Biomedical science at Auckland.