Hi!

NZQA Scholarship Exams are available to all students in New Zealand that are currently enrolled in a “consented” school (i.e. registered to offer the exams), and all home-schooled New Zealand students that “link up” with a consented school in order to sit the exams. If the latter applies to you, then you can fill in a form from the official website, linked below, and send it through to a Link School as directed to get the ball rolling.

https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/our-role/legislation/nzqa-rules/assessment-including-examination-rules-for-home-schooled-students-2020/3-home-schooled-student-enrolment-entry-and-eligibility/

There are various other qualifications that must be met, and you are best to reach out to the office themselves to get the final word if your situation has some complexity, as these situations may be considered case-by-case.

Regarding which exams are best to study for early, this is largely dependent on you! It is a good idea to get ahead of your study load where possible, however many students will find some subjects “easy” and others to be very challenging.

Subjects such as mathematics and the sciences are unlikely to be feasible until you are well into the Year 13 curriculum, as they draw heavily on pre-taught content. However, the exams for subjects such as Geography and History have a different context and subject matter each year, and the same with English which focuses on a new text each year. There are some students that have also started with early revision with scholarships in Physical Education, Technology and Media Studies, and these could also be possibilities.

Best of luck!