Course Planning

    Course Planning

    General guidelines for students choosing options

    Take care over making your choices. Discuss it carefully with your teachers and parents and other people who can give you good advice. Student Services and Vocational and Assisted Learning Department staff can help you and subject teachers can also help. Do not choose a subject because your friends are taking it - choose subjects based on your strengths and interests.

    Be realistic about your abilities. Generally it is not advisable to continue with a subject if you are not achieving sound results at your current level of study.

    Select subjects that you enjoy and in which you expect to succeed. Entry to Form 6 and Form 7 and to tertiary courses will depend upon the grades you gain.

    If you wish to pursue particular careers or tertiary qualifications, find out the Cambridge or NCEA qualifications and grades that you will need for entry and the subjects that you need to study at School. Qualifications and careers advice is available from the Student Services Department.

    The following is a useful formula to use to help determine your course choice:

    Ability + Interest + Tertiary Study and Career Pathways = Course Choice

    Every student in Form 5 must select Pre-Q courses (except for a selected cohort predominantly from 2018's 4O and 4P) who will study a tailored NCEA Level 1 course). Every student in Form 6 must sit either Cambridge AS or NCEA Level 2 courses and examinations.

    Every student in Form 7 must sit either Cambridge AS/A Level courses and examinations or NCEA Level 3 courses and examinations. With the exception of students selected to be accelerated in Mathematics, students cannot study courses above their form level.

    It may also be possible to study a subject at a level below your own form level. For example, a Form 7 student with very poor Mathematics grades might be permitted to repeat Form 6 Mathematics, provided this fits the option-line sturucture. Permission for 'multi-level' study must be obtained from the relevant form-level Dean.

    Plan your course ahead, and pay particular attention subject pathways and prerequisites. Ensure that the particular combination of subjects you wish to take is available under the present option structure for each of the remaining years you will be at School. Do not choose to do two subjects which only appear on the same option line at a later stage.

    Accounting, Art History, Business Studies, Classical Studies, Earth & Space Science, Economics, Geography, History, Media Studies can be commenced at any level. Music, Physical Education and Visual Arts can be commenced at any level, provided students are able and gain the approval of the appropriate Head of Department. Other subjects must be started at an earlier level.

    Note that the inclusion of a subject in any option line on the option choices forms is not a guarantee that there will actually be a class, as sometimes there are not enough students choosing a subject or staff available to teach a small group. The option structure is a School policy matter, decided upon by the Headmaster and senior staff, and changed only after much careful thought and debate.

    While the option line structure is carefully designed to enable the vast majority of students to be able to select their preferred options and the School endevours to make all options available to students (subject to prerequisites being met), there are inevitably restrictions which means that not all students are able to select their preferred combination of subjects (especially when their preferred subjects only have one class operating).

    Form 5 Course Planning:

    It is important to understand that although Form 5 School examinations and external qualifications are useful signposts of student ability and achievement. They cannot be used by students to gain entry to tertiary education and are seldom used by Auckland Grammar School students to gain employment.

    Rather, Form 5 is an important foundation year for senior academic study and examination results are used primarily as a formal measure of student performance and development and are used to determine a student's ability to progress to study at Form 6 level. External qualifications, which can be used as 'tickets' to tertiary education and employment, are gained at Forms 6 and 7.

    You should carefully consider the following points before selecting your subjects for 2019:

    You must study six subjects (although students selecting Triple Science are effectively studying seven subjects). English and Mathematics are compulsory.

    You should choose your four optional subjects which you are good at, have an interest in, and which are likely to help you in the future. You need to identify your strengths and interests and think about what you may need in your studies beyond School or in the workforce.

    Your course should be broad-based so that you keep your options open for the future. For this reason, you are strongly advised to select both Arts and Sciences subjects. A number of degree courses (BE, BHSc, BPharm) prefer or require applicants to have full A Levels in one or more Science subjects so you need to plan your subject pathways carefully.

    To ensure that students do not choose courses with too narrow a focus, these restrictions apply:

    • You may choose Digital Art or Fine Arts but not both
    • You may choose a maximum of two Commerce subjects (Accounting/Business Studies/Economics)
    • You may choose a maximum of two Technology subjects (Graphics/Product Design/Systems Control)
    • 4A-4D can take Triple Science (SCQ/SCZ - 3 Sciences (BIO/CHE/PHY) across 2 option lines) or up to 2 Science subjects (BIO/CHE/PHY)
    • 4E-4I can take up to 3 Science subjects (BIO/CHE/PHY), although it is recommended that students select a maximum of 2 Sciences
    • 4J-4N can take up to 2 Science subjects (BIO/CHE/PHY)
    • 4O-4P can take NCEA Level 1 Science (SCI)

    You will study six subjects in Form 6 as you start to specialise more. NB: Students wishing to study AS Science subjects must take Triple Science or specialist Science subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics). To qualify to study an AS course in 2020 students must gain a minimum of mark of 65 in each of 4 Pre-Q subjects.

    Form 6 Course Planning:

    Most students entering Form 6 are commencing a two-year course of study leading to tertiary study and so you need to seriously consider your future plans for tertiary study and careers.

    Your academic programme should include courses that you think you will need to gain admission to tertiary courses or for employment (you may need to consult the Student Services staff for advice and guidance). There should still be opportunities to include subjects in your course which are strengths or that you enjoy.

    Most students entering Form 6 are commencing a two-year course of study leading to tertiary study. Therefore you need to carefully plan your two-year programme for Form 6 and Form 7 and be very clear about which qualification you are aiming for in order to gain tertiary entry.

    You should choose either Cambridge AS subjects or NCEA Level 2 subjects. The only students with a "mixed" course will be those studying a Cambridge AS course who:

    • Are studying one or two subjects that are not available for AS. They will study an NCEA Level 2 course in these subjects.
    • Are weak in English and select NCEA Level 2 English or ESOL to gain Literacy for University Entrance.

    To ensure that students do not choose courses with too narrow a focus, these restrictions apply:

    • You may choose AS Graphics or Product Design but not both
    • You may only choose two of Accounting, Business Studies and Economics
    • For 2019 you may only choose one of Design/Painting/Photography for AS (due to a transition period between old and new Cambridge Art courses), or only two of Design/Painting/Photography for NCEA Level 2.

    Students who are in 5J-5R in 2018:

    • NCEA is your most appropriate qualifications pathway for 2019 and 2020, and you must study five subjects.
    • If you do not earn entry to Form 6 you will remain in Form 5 and study a full NCEA Level 1 course comprised of a limited range of subjects currently being selected by this year’s 4O and 4P students.
    • If you are motivated and are achieving very good results you may select an AS-based course. However, you will need to gain marks of 65 or better in 4 IGCSE examinations (an aggregate of 65% or higher in School examinations will be deemed the equivalent for NCEA subjects) and you need to be aware that many AS courses are very challenging.
    • Note: If you are intending to study AS Mathematics and one or more AS Science subjects in Form 6, you need to be achieving marks of at least 70% in these subjects this year if you are to cope with AS Level courses.

    Students who are in 5A-5I in 2018:

    Most students will study Cambridge AS courses in Form 6, however you must decide whether you are going to continue on the Cambridge pathway or change to NCEA Level 2.

    Most students in 5A-5I should cope with Cambridge AS courses, however, if you have struggled to cope with IGCSE courses and/or achieved low grades and are not likely to meet the entrance criteria for AS courses, you may want to consider changing to an NCEA course:

    • If you are currently averaging marks in the 60s in IGCSE courses you will find AS study challenging and would be best advised to study NCEA Level 2.
    • NCEA Level 2 is a 'stand alone' qualification. You do not have to complete NCEA Level 1 in order to study NCEA Level 2 subjects.
    • Your IGCSE studies will have prepared you to cope with NCEA Level 2 study.
    • Remember, however, that 'E' and 'D' grades in AS do generate 20 and 30 points respectively towards the 120 points needed for general New Zealand University Entrance.

    If you decide to study a Cambridge AS course you will need to carefully consider which subjects you choose:

    • You must study five subjects.
    • If you are intending to study Mathematics and one or more Science subjects, you need to be achieving marks of at least 70% in this subject at IGCSE level if you are to cope with AS Level courses.
    • Japanese and Latin are not available as AS subjects in Form 6, however, they are available as NCEA Level 2 courses (and at AS Level for Japanese in Form 7 and NCEA Level 3 for Latin in Form 7).
    • In Form 6 you must achieve a Literacy Standard for University Entrance. This is an 'E' grade or better in AS English Literature. If English is one of your weaker subjects, your best option may well be to study NCEA Level 2 English or ESOL (you must gain 5 credits in Reading and 5 credits in Writing for University Entrance). Note that a number of overseas universities have higher English/Literacy entrance requirements.
    • A number of degree courses (BE, BHSc, BPharm) prefer or require applicants to have full A Levels in one or more Science subjects and many overseas universities require at least three full A Levels for entrance purposes.

    Form 7 Course Planning:

    This will be your final year at secondary school. Your main academic objective is to ensure that you achieve the qualifications necessary, in the appropriate subjects, to gain entrance to tertiary courses or employment in your chosen field.

    You should consult Student Services staff, your Dean or the Associate Headmaster (Senior School), Mr Watson, if you need further information or advice.

    Note - If you do not meet the Literacy standard required for University Entrance this year, you will have two options to resolve the problem next year:

    • You can repeat a Form 6 English or ESOL course.
    • You can gain the credits in designated NCEA Level 3 standards that count towards Literacy.
    • You can complete a special English short course, which will be held at Lunchtimes and after school leading to NCEA Level 2 internal assessment against appropriate Reading and Writing standards.

    This year in Form 6, you are doing either a predominantly AS course or an NCEA Level 2 course. Accordingly, the information below is divided into two sections.

    Students who are studying an NCEA Level 2 course in 2018:

    You must study five subjects in 2019 and you are strongly advised to complete a full five-subject NCEA Level 3 course for the following reasons:

    • To meet the general New Zealand University Entrance standard for tertiary study you must study at least three Level 3 subjects and gain 14 credits in each one.
    • The University of Auckland ranks applicants for admission to all courses on the basis of their best 80 Level 3 credits over a maximum of five subjects. Massey, Otago and Victoria universities also rank students for admission purposes.
    • You may choose a maximum of two of Design/Painting/Photography.
    • You may choose a maximum of two of Accounting/Business Studies/Economics.
    • You may choose Mathematics Advancing or Mathematics General but not both.
    • Mathematics Statistics can only be taken if you are also choosing to do Mathematics Advancing.

    It may be possible to change to a Cambridge course, however, this is usually not recommended because:

    • You will not be able to study A2 subjects.
    • You will need to select Form 6 AS and/or Form 7 AS subjects.
    • You will only be able to meet the general New Zealand University Entrance standard for tertiary study as you will not have sufficient subject credits for admission to programmes with limited entry.

    Students who are studying a predominantly AS course in 2018:

    The majority of students will continue on the Cambridge pathway, doing AS and A Level courses, however, a number of students will have underperformed at AS Level in Form 6. You must decide whether you are going to continue on the Cambridge pathway or change to NCEA Level 3 and in some cases you will not be able to continue on the Cambridge pathway. You will need to gain a minimum of three 'D' grades in your final AS examinations in order to do a Cambridge course in Form 7.

    If you have struggled to cope with AS study this year and have achieved low grades, you might be advised to change to an NCEA course. You need to see your Dean to discuss this.

    You must achieve a minimum 'D' grade in AS in order to continue on to an A2 course in a subject (and some A Level subjects have higher entry criteria).

    The Universities of Auckland, Massey, Otago and Victoria rank applicants for admission purposes on the basis of their best six-credit points total. Students gaining D and E grades and/or Ungraded results will not achieve a competitive entry score.

    NCEA Level 3 is a 'stand alone' qualification. You do not have to complete NCEA Level 2 in order to study NCEA Level 3 subjects. However, unless you studied Level 2 English in 2018, you will need to achieve 80 Level 3 credits and meet NCEA Literacy and Numeracy requirements in order to gain a Level 3 Certificate and University Entrance.

    Your AS studies will have prepared you well to cope with NCEA Level 3 study. Remember, however, that E and D grades do generate 20 and 30 points respectively to the 120 points needed for general New Zealand University Entrance.

    If you decide to complete the Cambridge pathway you will need to carefully consider which subjects you choose and at what level:

    • You must study four subjects. In your 'free' option line you will attend structured, tutorial periods in the Study Centre which will support your study of AS/A2 subjects.
    • You will have the opportunity to combine learning in depth by taking A2 subjects, and learning in breadth by taking new AS courses.
    • You can continue with subjects you studied at AS Level to full A Level or you may select new Form 6 AS subjects. Multi-level study is an important feature of the Cambridge pathway.
    • You should choose a combination of AS and A2 levels. Be careful not to over-commit yourself. Four A2 courses will present a challenging workload and should only be attempted by very able students.
    • Even if you are achieving at 'D' grade level in an AS subject you will find A2 study difficult. You should consider repeating the AS course next year to improve your grade or choose a new AS subject.
    • Achieving good AS grades can produce more points than achieving average results in a full A Level (for example, a 'B' in AS Classical Studies and a 'C' in AS Physical Education earns a total of 90 points, whereas a 'D' in A Level Mathematics earns 60 points).
    • In most cases AS Levels provide a very good basis for further study at tertiary level. However, a number of degree courses (BE, BHSc, BPharm) prefer or require applicants to have full A Levels in one or more Sciences and/or Mathematics.
    • If you are intending to apply to overseas universities you are strongly advised to complete three A-Levels.

    To ensure that students do not choose courses with too narrow a focus, these restrictions apply:

    • You may only choose two of Accounting/Business Studies/Economics
    • You may only choose one of Design/Painting/Photography (due to restrictions at AS Level with the transition from old to new AS/A Level Arts subjects).
    • AS or A Level Graphics or Product Design but not both.