Testing time for city's students as exams start - Nov 2014
For the 1940 Wanganui students sitting this year's NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship exams the coming few weeks could make or break their high school careers.
The region's most subscribed exam will be level 1 mathematics and statistics, which goes against the national trend which has English at the top.
The exams commenced last Friday and are running "smoothly" according to Wanganui High School associate principal Elizabeth Spooner.
"The year 11 are stressed out because this is their first time round. From what I have seen, however, the students coming into exams have been calm and collected.
"Their stress levels are taken care of by staff preparing them really well for exams. We have been running tutorials prior to exams for students to get an idea of what the exam will be like and how they might do."
Ms Spooner said the school is expecting "first class" grades from its students.
"We are hoping to better our year 11 average pass rate which currently sits at 86 per cent and we are hoping to maintain our current year 12 pass rate which sits at 93 per cent.
"We have also had to look after around 900 junior students which means keeping them away from exam areas, keeping them quiet and occupied while exams are on. It's requires a team effort from staff and lots of organisation."
The total number of students in the Wanganui region sitting exams includes 842 students enrolled at level one, 824 students enrolled at level two and 541 level three students. Many are taking exams at more than one level.
Nationwide, more than 143,000 students are enrolled for the exams, which commenced with New Zealand Scholarship Drama followed by NCEA Level 1 Science, the country's first major exam session.
NZQA deputy chief executive Richard Thornton said 120 exam sessions will take place nationally over the next month.
"While Level 1 English is this year's largest exam session with 47,200 students entered in the exam on the morning of Wednesday 12 November, the smallest is New Zealand Scholarship Latin with 29 students due to sit the exam on Tuesday 2 December."
A breakdown of the total figures show 62,101 students have been entered at level one, 56,190 students entered at level two and 39,843 level three students.
Exams will finish on December 2 and be marked by a team of 1750 over the Christmas period.
NCEA results are expected to be online from mid-January.