The wait is over - NCEA results are now available.
Nearly 150,000 students can now go online to check their National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) exam results.
For some their university hopes will be resting on their results, while others will determine what they study this year.
The much-anticipated results will be closely watched by those in the education sector after a crisis-ridden exam season, which is likely to have affected many students' performance.
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The Kaikoura earthquake struck in the early morning of the first major exam day of the 2016 season.
Thousands of secondary school students were due to sit NCEA and Scholarship exams on Monday, November 14, but many spent a sleepless night huddled outside or in evacuation centres after the huge quake rocked the country.
Confusion reigned around whether exams would continue, and in the end they went ahead as normal, with scholarship exams postponed - but that was not without further headaches, after some students started to sit the test before being sent home.
This was followed by a number of exam mistakes that particularly hit the mathematics papers across all levels.
The worst mistake was in the NCEA Level 3 statistics exam, sat by about 15,000 students, which contained a table that added up to 121.1 per cent instead of 100 per cent, making it impossible to answer the question.
An investigation will be carried out into the statistics exam error.
Students affected by the earthquakes and by a problem that struck the Level 1 English exam as part of a digital pilot, were advised to apply for a derived grade.
Pupils disappointed by their results, or who feel they have not been marked fairly, can apply for a review or reconsideration.
Results will be published online today, which students can access with their own log-in, but there is no set time for their release. Scholarship results are due out next month.
JAIMEE MCLAUGHLAN, is starting Year 13 at Mt Albert Grammar School this year, where she will also be a prefect, and is waiting for her Level 2 NCEA exam results:
"Every now and then I forget about it and then I remember and I'm like, 'ooohh', but I'm not too nervous.
"I'm pretty happy with how they all went, so finger's crossed I get the results I want.
"I'm looking to get excellence endorsed in my courses overall for Level 2.
"I sat Level 2 physics, chemistry, calculus, English, dance and design. At the moment I'm looking at an engineering course at Auckland Uni.
"I definitely came out of [the exams] feeling confident.
"I think there were one or two - because I'm not as strong with English and essays so those ones I'm always a bit iffy about, but generally good over the whole thing.
"I'm nervous because there's a couple of subjects that I definitely need good marks in, but kind of just excited to see how it all turns out and start the new year.
"It's my final year, I'm so excited, I reckon it'll be a good year.
"Year 13 and Level 3 exams are the final ones and ultimately what universities look at, so there is that added pressure.
"But I guess we've had so many years of exams that every year is just another year of re-doing it, so I think the nerves will probably be a little bit less or maybe the same."
RULON BROWN, 16, is going into Year 12 at Otahuhu College, and is waiting for his Level 1 NCEA exam results. He's also in the school's First XV:
"I'm excited but at the same time a little bit nervous about the results. But mostly excited.
"I sat English, mathematics, music, drama and geography.
"I think all of them were pretty straightforward. It comes down to preparation and I felt like I'd prepared pretty well for all of them.
"There were certain questions in a few of the exams that left me stumped a bit, but I was able to manage, to keep calm and just really think over everything.
"Tomorrow I'll probably just take my time and not really put so much pressure on myself looking at the results.
"I won't really be celebrating, just chilling out and seeing my results and seeing where I have to go from there - whether I have to improve or keep it consistent throughout the rest of my years in school.
"At the moment I have short term goals, so I haven't really based my schooling to one specific career that I want to do. I've left the door open for myself in terms of the options that I've chosen so that they can take you to different paths.
"At the moment I really put school first. Rugby is there and it is a dream, but in reality you have to have a backup plan.
"School's my first priority, and in terms of that I just want to do well first and then see what options are open for me and then decide where I want to go."
ISAAC MUNRO, 16, is going into Year 12 at Mt Albert Grammar School, and is waiting for a mix of Level 1 and Level 2 results:
"I'm a bit nervous but not too worried because I can't change it now, it'll be what it'll be.
"When I walked out of the exams I felt confident, but then as the time has gone on I've slowly dropped confidence that little bit.
"It's more just the mental game, whether you think, once it gets around after two or three months after the exam, whether you really actually did do well or not. I'm a bit nervous but also I'm excited to just get a look and see how I've really done.
"I did Level 1 physics and Level 2 mechanics, Level 2 calculus, Level 1 chemistry, Level 1 English and Level 1 geography.
"The Level 2 calculus was my last exam so it's bit 50/50 on that, but I'm hoping it should be alright.
"The geography was quite straightforward, and I felt like I'd prepared quite well for that so that was quite a good subject.
"English was first, and I'm not usually that English-based but because it was first I was quite prepared for that and felt good walking out of that.
"I'm confident that I will pass them all and that's what I'm happy about, I'm more looking for the Es [excellence].
"I need to do quite well in physics and calculus because I'm looking at going down to Canterbury [University] and doing engineering once I finish school."
Much of the South Island is set to plunge below 0C tonight and tomorrow.