Rosalind writes
Yesterday I took my 3 youngest boys to an Open Day at the University of Auckland. The entry criteria has increased for next year (just as it has for many unis/courses around the country.) The govt funds them for only a certain no. of students & so they can’t take everybody. (Every year for quite awhile they have been taking more students than the govt funds them for, and that is unsustainable.)
“University Entrance” is supposedly 42 credits (with various conditions, eg in at least 3 diff subjects)
http://www.macleans.school.nz/faculty/careers/2008/uni_entrance_ncea_cie.pdf
but the reality is that if you want to do a degree you need significantly more.
Eg at Manukau Inst of Technology (MIT)
http://manukau.ac.nz/
to get into the Engineering degree, you need 65 credits.
http://www.manukau.ac.nz/programme-data/engineering-computer-electrical-electronic/bachelor-of-engineering-be-and-be-hons-electronics-and-computer-engineering
At the University of Auckland you need 70 credits to get into their least-restricted course (a Bachelor of Arts). And to get into their Engineering degree you will need 80 credits – with an avergae of Merit.
http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/
http://ebooks.auckland.ac.nz/entry_requirements_brochure/ ( it takes a while to load)
It is getting harder & harder to get in – but forewarned is forearmed. 
