We find the real gaps first
In the first two lessons we go through recent tests and teacher feedback to find exactly what is costing marks.
NCEA tutoring that gets your teen to Merit / Excellence
Private, one on one online NCEA tutoring, led by Aaron. We help your teen understand the work, rebuild their confidence and lift their grades, and you see the progress every week.
- Your teen understands the work instead of memorising it
- They walk into every assessment feeling confident and prepared
- You see their progress in writing, every week
The first call is free, takes twenty minutes and comes with no obligation.
Hi! I'm Aaron. I finished NCEA in 2024
and came out with 310+ Excellence credits. Dux · Head Boy · Medicine, University of Auckland
and came out with 310+ Excellence credits. Dux · Head Boy · Medicine, University of Auckland
AaronFounder, Ace NCEA
310+Excellence credits across NCEA
Duxand Head Boy in the same year
$30,000+in academic scholarships
Medicineat the University of Auckland
Sound familiar?
It is almost never that they cannot do it
When a capable teen falls behind in NCEA, it is usually for one of a few simple reasons. Every one of them can be fixed.
They have gaps from earlier years
New topics build on old ones. If something was missed in Year 9 or 10, everything built on top of it feels hard.
The class moves too fast
Teachers have thirty students and a set syllabus, so there is rarely time to explain something a second time.
They do not ask for help
Many teens would rather stay quiet than ask a question in front of the class, so small problems quietly grow.
Their confidence has dropped
After a few poor results, many teens decide they are just bad at the subject and stop trying.
The difference a year makes
Where your teen could be by November
This is the pattern we see most often. Two students are on the same grade in March, and only one of them gets weekly support.
Why it works
What makes our NCEA tutoring work
Every lesson follows the same simple approach, whoever is teaching. It is patient, thorough and focused on the marks that matter.
We explain it until it clicks
Your teen can ask the same question as many times as they need. We move on only when they truly understand it.
We test it on new questions
Every topic is checked with questions your teen has not seen before, so we know they can use it in an exam.
We mark it the NZQA way
Answers are marked against the real NZQA standards, so your teen learns exactly what earns Merit and Excellence.
How it works
How our NCEA tutoring works
Every student follows the same four steps, so you always know what is happening and why.
1
Book a free call
Tell Aaron about your teen. In twenty minutes he will find where the marks are being lost and explain what it will take to fix it.
2
Get matched with the right tutor
Aaron teaches a small group of students himself and matches everyone else with a specialist tutor he has chosen for their subject.
3
Receive a clear plan
After the first lesson you get a written plan showing every gap, how it will be fixed and in what order. Aaron reviews every plan.
4
See progress every week
Your teen gets a workbook for each week, and you get a short written update on how they are going.
What we tutor
NCEA subjects we tutor, level by level
Pick your teen's year to see every NCEA subject we tutor at that level, what is examined in November, and what is assessed internally at school. Each subject links to a full guide.
Numeracy co-requisite
Sat online and graded pass or fail. Without it, NCEA is not awarded at any level, however many subject credits your teen has. It can be sat from Year 9 and only has to be passed once.
- ExternalEveryday number, percentages and rates
- ExternalMeasurement, statistics and probability
Maths foundations
Nothing counts for NCEA yet, which makes this the cheapest year there is to fix a gap. Number and algebra here quietly hold up maths, physics and chemistry for the next three years.
- InternalNumber, fractions, negatives and indices
- InternalExpanding, factorising and solving
- InternalMeasurement, geometry and graphs
Science foundations
Method, measurement, units, graph reading and scientific writing, plus the chemistry, physics and biology basics that Level 1 assumes on day one.
- InternalScientific method and fair testing
- InternalUnits, measurement and graphs
- InternalWriting an explanation, not a description
Mathematics and Statistics
The Level 1 maths subject. This is the year to build the fluency that Levels 2 and 3 both assume, especially in algebra.
- InternalExploring data with a statistical enquiry
- InternalUsing mathematical methods to solve problems
- ExternalInterpreting maths and statistics in context
- ExternalMathematical reasoning
Science
The broad Level 1 science subject, and the one that keeps every Level 2 science pathway open rather than quietly closing doors.
- ExternalScience in depth
- InternalInvestigating in science
- InternalScience ideas in a New Zealand context
- InternalCommunicating science
Chemistry and Biology
At Level 1 chemistry and biology are taught together as one subject. It is the direct feeder into Level 2 Chemistry.
- ExternalChemical reactions in context
- InternalThe microbial world
- InternalGenetic variation
- InternalThe properties of chemicals
Physics, Earth and Space Science
Level 1 physics now sits in its own subject, and it is the direct feeder into Level 2 Physics.
- ExternalPhysics, Earth and space science in depth
- InternalHuman-induced change in the Earth system
- InternalInvestigating a physics phenomenon
- InternalInteractions between the Sun and the Earth
Mathematics and Statistics
The fork in the road. How your teen goes in algebra and calculus here decides whether Level 3 Calculus is realistic next year.
- ExternalAlgebraic methods
- ExternalCalculus methods
- ExternalProbability methods
- InternalGraphical methods
- InternalTrigonometric relationships
- InternalStatistical inference
Physics
Three big papers sit in the November exams within days of each other and carry most of the credits in the subject.
- ExternalMechanics
- ExternalWaves
- ExternalElectricity and electromagnetism
- InternalAtomic and nuclear physics
- InternalA practical physics investigation
Chemistry
The year chemistry turns abstract and memorising stops working. Three externals plus the titration practical.
- ExternalBonding, structure, properties and energy changes
- ExternalThe properties of organic compounds
- ExternalChemical reactivity
- InternalQuantitative analysis, the titration
- InternalOxidation and reduction
Calculus
An approved University Entrance subject and the pathway into engineering, physics and computer science.
- ExternalDifferentiation methods
- ExternalIntegration methods
- ExternalThe algebra of complex numbers
- InternalTrigonometric methods
- InternalThe geometry of conic sections
- InternalSimultaneous equations
Statistics
The pathway into commerce, psychology and health science. Marked hard on justification, which is a teachable skill.
- ExternalEvaluating statistically based reports
- ExternalProbability concepts
- ExternalProbability distributions
- InternalTime series data
- InternalBivariate measurement data
- InternalFormal statistical inference
Physics
An approved University Entrance subject and the expected starting point for engineering degrees.
- ExternalMechanical systems
- ExternalWave systems
- ExternalElectrical systems
- InternalModern physics
- InternalA practical physics investigation
Chemistry
An approved University Entrance subject and the gateway to health science, pharmacy and medicine.
- ExternalThermochemical principles and the properties of particles
- ExternalThe properties of organic compounds
- ExternalEquilibrium principles in aqueous systems
- InternalQuantitative analysis
- InternalSpectroscopic data
Why Ace NCEA
Why parents choose Ace NCEA over a big tutoring agency
Big agencies like MyTuition and Inspiration Education match you with whoever is available from a large pool of tutors. Ace NCEA is small on purpose, so every student gets the same high standard.
A large tutoring agencyAce NCEA
Who teachesYou get whoever is free from a large pool of tutors.Every tutor is handpicked by Aaron for their subject.
The methodEach tutor works out their own approach.Every lesson follows the same method, whoever teaches it.
MaterialsMany tutors arrive with little or nothing prepared.Your teen gets a workbook written for them every week.
All yearYour tutor can change part way through the year.Your teen keeps the same tutor all year, and Aaron oversees every plan.
UpdatesYou find out how it went at report time.You get a written update every week.
Aaron speaks to every family and reviews every plan himself.
Meet Aaron
Hi, I'm Aaron
I finished NCEA with more than 310 Excellence credits, was Dux and Head Boy in the same year, and won over $30,000 in scholarships. I now study Medicine at the University of Auckland.
My job is to help your teen truly understand the work. When that happens, the grades follow.
I know how NCEA is marked, where students lose marks and how it feels to sit these exams. I started Ace NCEA to give every student clear, patient teaching that makes the work make sense.
I teach a small group of students myself, and I match every other student with a specialist tutor I have chosen for their subject and trained in the same approach. I speak to every family first and I review every plan.
310+ Excellence creditsDux & Head Boy
$30,000+ in scholarshipsMedicine, UoAFounder, Ace NCEA
From parents
What parents say about our NCEA tutoring
“Our son was scraping Achieved in Year 12 Physics and had convinced himself he just was not a science person. Aaron worked out in the first couple of sessions that the real problem was algebra from Year 10, went back and fixed that, and suddenly the physics started making sense. He finished the year with Merit in both externals and actually enjoys the subject now. The weekly update was a lovely touch, because for the first time we knew how he was going without having to drag it out of him.”
“I was really struggling with differentiation and my teacher's explanations just were not clicking. Aaron explains things in a way that actually makes sense, and he never made me feel dumb for asking the same thing twice. I went from Not Achieved in my first internal to Excellence in the exam. Honestly the best decision I made this year.”
“Our daughter used to go quiet whenever maths came up. After a term she was putting her hand up in class and asking for harder questions. Her confidence has completely turned around, and the grades came with it.”
“Aaron matched our son with one of his chemistry specialists after a disappointing mid year report. The lessons are structured, there is a workbook every week, and everything is marked the way NZQA marks it, so he finally knew what an Excellence answer looks like. He finished with Excellence in two of his three externals, which we did not think was possible back in March.”
“Patient, reliable and great with teenagers. Our son actually looks forward to his sessions, which says it all. Highly recommend.”
NCEA tutoring rates
Choose how fast you want your teen to move
The price is the same wherever you live in New Zealand. Every option includes a private one on one lesson, a plan reviewed by Aaron and a workbook for the week.
Single lesson
$90/hour
Book one lesson and see the difference for yourself, with no plan or commitment required.
- One private hour with your matched tutor
- A workbook written for that lesson
- Marked against the real NZQA schedules
- Online anywhere in New Zealand
Twice a week
$160/week
At $80 a lesson, your teen gets twice the contact time, so gaps close in weeks rather than terms. Choose this when an exam is close or more than one subject needs work.
- Two private hours a week at $80 each
- A faster pace when a deadline is close
- Room to cover two subjects if needed
- A written update to you every week
- No contract, stop at the end of any week
Block of twelve
$960/12 hours
You pay $80 a lesson up front for twelve lessons. That is a full term, which is long enough to see a plan all the way through.
- $80 a lesson for the whole term
- Use them weekly or twice a week
- Lessons never expire
- A written term plan after the first lesson
No sign up fee and no contract. Weekly is paid at the start of the week, single lessons are paid 24 hours ahead, and you can stop at the end of any week.
Before you book
Questions parents ask about NCEA tutoring
What actually happens on the free call?
The call takes twenty minutes. I ask what year your teen is in, which subject is causing trouble, and roughly how the last few assessments went. At the end I tell you what I think is going on and what it would take to fix. You get a useful read on your teen either way, whether you book lessons or not.
Will my teen be taught by Aaron?
I teach a small group of students myself. When your teen is better matched with a specialist in their subject, I pair them with one of my handpicked tutors, trained in exactly the same method. Either way, I speak to you first, I review the plan, and I stay across their progress all year.
Is online tutoring as good as in person?
Online tutoring beats in person, and that comes from what my students and I have actually found. We work on a shared whiteboard we both write on, and the whole page saves and sends afterwards, so your teen revises from it instead of squinting at a notebook. Nothing goes to travel, so the full hour goes on the subject. Lessons hold through winter, holidays and exam leave rather than getting cancelled, and consistency is what actually moves a grade. Your teen also learns from their own desk, which is where they do the work anyway.
How is this different from a tutoring agency?
The agencies offer one on one lessons too, so that is not the difference. They run large pools of tutors matched by availability, usually with no shared method and often no materials, and your tutor can change mid year. Ace NCEA is deliberately small. Every tutor is handpicked and trained in one method, you keep the same tutor all year, and I review every plan myself. With us you keep the same tutor all year, with a written plan after the first lesson that I review myself, and a workbook every week.
Is my teen too far behind for this to work?
Usually not, and it is the worry parents raise most. A teen who has decided they are bad at a subject is almost always a teen who was never properly taught several specific things along the way. I find all of them, rebuild them in order, and the confidence tends to shift before the grade does.
How soon would we see a difference?
I can list every topic costing marks within the first two lessons, and most parents notice a change in confidence before the next internal. Grades move on the school's timetable rather than mine, so at two lessons a week most students reach Merit inside a term and Excellence within half a year.
Do you help with internals as well as the November exams?
Yes. Internals carry more credits than most families realise. I will not write any part of an internal and I will not touch work produced under supervised conditions. What I do is make sure your teen understands the material and knows exactly what the marker is looking for.
The basics
How does NCEA work?
A lot of the parents I speak to never sat NCEA themselves, and the recent changes have made it harder to follow than it needs to be. Here is the whole thing in plain English.
NCEA Level 1 · Year 11
The first year that counts
Your teen needs 60 credits at Level 1 or above, plus the literacy and numeracy co-requisite, which is 20 credits sat separately and graded pass or fail.
- 60 credits at Level 1 or above
- Plus 10 literacy and 10 numeracy credits
- Without the co-requisite, no NCEA is awarded at any level
NCEA Level 2 · Year 12
The year that decides Level 3
Sixty credits at Level 2 or above. This is also the year that quietly determines which Level 3 subjects a school will let your teen take.
- 60 credits at Level 2 or above
- Most schools gate Level 3 Calculus on the Level 2 algebra result
- For example: six subjects at ~20 credits each gives roughly 120 available
NCEA Level 3 · Year 13
The year universities look at
Sixty credits at Level 3 or above, plus 20 at Level 2 or above. Passing Level 3 and getting into university are two separate things.
- 60 credits at Level 3, plus 20 at Level 2
- University Entrance is a separate requirement
- Rank score decides the competitive courses
What University Entrance actually requires
University Entrance, or UE, is the minimum needed to start a degree at a New Zealand university. It is pass or fail, and all four parts must be met at once. Missing any single one means no UE, however many credits your teen has.
- NCEA Level 3. 60 credits at Level 3 or above, plus 20 at Level 2 or above.
- Three approved subjects. 14 credits at Level 3 in each, from the NZQA approved list.
- Literacy. 10 credits at Level 2 or above, made up of 5 reading and 5 writing.
- Numeracy. 10 credits at Level 1 or above, usually the Level 1 co-requisite.
Competitive courses ask for more. Medicine, engineering and law select on rank score, which counts the best 80 credits at Level 3 and weights Excellence far above Merit. Engineering normally expects Level 3 Calculus and Physics. Health science normally expects Level 3 Chemistry and Biology.
Start here
I'll help your teen understand the work, the grades will follow
Twenty minutes on the phone and you will know exactly where the marks are going, what it takes to move them, and whether Ace NCEA is the right fit for your teen.
The first call is free, takes twenty minutes and comes with no obligation.