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Declined admission

If you’ve applied to study and have been declined admission, entry into some courses, or waitlisted—find out what your options are.

NCEA applicants

Check your results and exam booklets

Check your results with NZQA. Ask for information regarding your University Entrance status.

Review and carefully check your exam booklets and your internal results from the year. If you feel there has been a mistake in your results, contact your school or NZQA.

Find out what is involved in the reviews and reconsiderations process on the NZQA website.

Short of credits

If you’re a couple of credits short of University Entrance, you need to contact your school as soon as possible. They may allow you to do assessments so you can gain the extra credits you need.

If your school cannot offer extra credits for University Entrance, Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu—The Correspondence School may offer the credits needed.

You'll need to complete the work and your school or Te Kura will need to send it to NZQA. Check with NZQA to confirm the deadline for submitting your extra credits.

Submit an NCEA admission appeal

If you have gone back to school to make up the required credits, these extra credits have been updated, and University Entrance has been awarded on your NZQA record of achievement, you then need to submit a formal admission appeal by email to admission-office@vuw.ac.nz.

Your admission will be reviewed and your updated results confirmed. The admission team will work with you and the relevant faculty (depending on your chosen degree) to get your enrolment application back on track.

Admission appeals are normally due at the end of February each year and can take up to 5 days to be processed.

Delay studying and get prepared

You can consider delaying your studies and preparing to re-apply for a future trimester intake or academic year.

Victoria University of Wellington offers two one-year preparation programmes, which on completion will give you entrance to your degree programme and 60 points towards your Bachelor’s degree:

• Tohu Māoritanga: This diploma provides a foundation in Māori language, culture, and society, as well as the academic study skills you need for university.
• Diploma in University Studies (Pasifika Pathways): In this programme, you will gain foundational skills needed for university study, engage with Pasifika perspectives, and explore study pathways and career opportunities.

Alternatively, consider these options to gain admission and University Entrance credits:

• completing standard/credits through Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu—The Correspondence School of New Zealand to meet NCEA University Entrance requirements
• completing a NCEA Level 4 entrance-level qualification relevant to the degree you wish to study
• completing a Certificate of University Preparation at entrance level
• completing study at Level 5 or higher above entrance level.

Email the Admission Office to make sure you are completing the right courses/qualification to gain entrance.

Special Admission

Consider taking a gap year and applying for Special Admission.

You can apply for Special Admission if you’re 20 years of age or older, are a New Zealand or Australian citizen or permanent resident, and you do not hold a recognised University Entrance Qualification.

Declined or waitlisted courses

If you have University Entrance, you will automatically be accepted into your first year programme.

You may not be successful in gaining admission into all the courses you applied for. This may be because you were not selected for a limited entry course, or may not have met the prerequisites (for example, audition or theory requirements, or NCEA level credits in a specific subject).

You may be placed on a waitlist for some courses if you have applied after the deadline or if you applied for a course that is already full. If places become available in your selected courses, one will be offered to you.

Email info@vuw.ac.nz to discuss the status of your declined or waitlisted courses.