Student feeling relieved after biggest NCEA exam

Otumoetai College student Jayde Leedes, 16, is feeling confident after her NCEA Level 1 English exam. Photo/Andrew Warner

Otumoetai College student Jayde Leedes' nerves have gone after coming out of this morning's English exam feeling confident.

The Year 11 student was one of 47,000 students nationwide sitting NCEA Level 1 English this morning.

She is also one of about 9000 Bay of Plenty students sitting end-of-year external exams this year.

Miss Leedes admitted she was feeling a "little intimidated" before sitting the test this morning.

"It was quite intimidating, I guess. Just the fact that we were in exam conditions, there was no talking."

But the 16-year-old finished her exam early and said she was still smiling. "I think I did alright," she said.

The NCEA end-of-year examinations are students final chance to gain the credits they needed to pass the year if they had not gained them already.

"Currently I have 57 credits which is just under the 80 that I need," she said.

NCEA Level 1 English is the examination with the largest number of entries, with 47,000 students nationwide taking today's test.

In the Bay of Plenty region, 9155 students will be sitting papers in the end-of-year external exam round, including 446 students who have been entered for one or more Scholarship examinations.

NCEA and Scholarship examinations run through to December 1.