NZIOS are consented by NZ Qualifications Authority, to deliver and teach topics in Assessment Standards and Unit Standards which have credit values and where students can study a topic(s) and earn credits or additional ‘catch-up credits’; which assist them with their study plan for entry into Tertiary institutions such as University, Polytechnics or other specialist colleges and institutes in NZ. Alternatively, students may choose to study the topics in the assessment standards to further their knowledge in selected specialist subject areas of personal interest or to prepare them for a future vocation.
‘Catch-up credits’ are those sought by students who are or who have been enrolled at a New Zealand secondary school and who have not achieved the required number of credits in order to obtain the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), A NZ based secondary qualification; or to gain University Entrance (UE).
All assessments are achievement standards except for two English for Academic Purposes (EAP) unit standards in reading and writing. NZIOS also offers these EAP standards as part of its New Zealand Certificate in English Language (Academic) Level 4 programme.
For overall entry into the SSSC students need to have been in Year 12 (NCEA Level 2) at a New Zealand secondary school, or equivalent, or higher. It is also expected that students wanting to enrol into SSSC will have some knowledge of those subjects for which they want to be enrolled. NZIOS verifies this by assessing students’ record of achievement and conducting a face-to-face interview.
Once a student has been offered a place on the SSSC, NZIOS creates a personalised timetable for the student and provides an orientation to NZIoS and study expectations.
Current subjects offered include Digital Technology, Mathematics, Statistics, Calculus, Physics, Literacy in Reading and Writing.
Students are able to select what courses they enrol into, with a credit value not exceeding 20-24 credits at any one time.