Boys take out nine of 10 top scholar awards

File photo / NZ Herald

Boys have taken out nine of the 10 top scholar awards offered as part of the New Zealand Scholarship exams.

The results for 2014 exams were released today, with 2276 students awarded one or more subject scholarships across the country.

Scholarship involves an extra exam for each subject sat separately at NCEA Level 3.

The top 10 students are awarded a Premier Award, which has a $10,000 prize attached for each year for up to three years of tertiary study.

This year, nine of the 10 Premier students were boys - with at least seven of those from boys' schools. The students gained between three and five scholarships at "outstanding" level, some with an extra subject at "scholarship" level.

Outstanding Scholars - those who gain at least three subject scholarships, with at least one at "outstanding" level - each receive $5,000 per year for up to three years, and Top Subject Scholar Awards each receive $2,000 per year for up to three years.

NZQA Deputy Chief Executive Richard Thornton said award-winning students are collectively scheduled to receive almost $3.7 million towards their further study over the next three years.

"The students gaining New Zealand Scholarship are the best of the best and their hard work throughout the school year is reflected in these results," he said.

"New Zealand Scholarship is regarded as the most prestigious secondary school award available in New Zealand. Students are required to demonstrate a very high level of critical thinking and clear application of knowledge, skills and ideas.

Students can check their results by logging on to the NZQA website.

All students who have registered to view their marked New Zealand Scholarship examination papers online, will be able to do so from tomorrow.

Premier Award and Outstanding Scholar Award winners are notified of their success via their online results and will receive official confirmation from NZQA in the mail.

The full list of recipients is available here.